Rafa is one of the nicest players in global sport

For years I could not stand watching him. His weird little habits and also thinking he was a bit of an asshole. Sports is more than just the play for me and I know that most sports people let that stuff slide or think it is an important part of individual play. It took Roger Federer, my personal fave for many years, to actually show me that Rafa was a really nice guy. Since then I have mellowed a lot. Slowly, over the last few years I began to see that.

I don't think it is always important if they are nice or mean but it always is for me. I am so glad to read about him now. Here is to Rafa.

I had a student from Valencia, Spain (one of his parents is Jamaican)and he taught me a lot about the people in Majorca. They are just simple down to earth folks.
I watched reports of Rafa during the massive flooding there one year and how he was on the street with a wheelbarrow and cleaning up the mud with the rest of citizens. No one could every tell me anything bad about him after that.

This is truly wonderful.