Spanish tennis legend and 12-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal and US gymnast Simone Biles have crowned their 2019 season with the “Champions of Champions” Trophy, with which the popular French sports newspaper L’Equipe recognize the best athletes in all sports every year.
Nadal receives the “Champions of Champions Trophy” for the fourth time in his career after 2010, 2013, 2017 and 2019. He shared the award with Roger Federer in 2017, the year of their epic five-set Australian Open final.
This season Nadal won two Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros, the US Open and two Masters 1000 trophies in Rome and Montreal and the Davis Cup Trophy in front of his home fans at the Caja Magica in Madrid.
Nadal scored a total of 513 points beating British Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton (413 points), Austrian skier Michael Hirscher (329 points), US swimmer Caeleb Dressel (280 points) and South African rugby player Siya Kolisi (279 points). Simone Biles won her third “Champion of Champions” titles at the age of 22.
With his fourth title in the poll organised by l’Equipe Nadal equals Roger Federer. Only Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt won more times and holds the absolute record with five “Champions of Champions” titles.
Nadal was asked by l’Equipe who he considers the best player between him and Federer.
“It depends on the form of the moment. If I feel very good, I am better than him, but in the opposite case he is the best. It will be quite accurate to say that there is no big difference between us now. Who has been the best ? If I am honest, I have to say I don’t know”,said Nadal.
Nadal was asked if he is planning the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
“Logic would make me say that I will not be, but you have to distruct logic. If I had been told that I would have a season like this in 2019, I would have answered that impossible. Surely if they had asked me at the end of 2009 if I would still play at the doors of 2020, I would have say no.
The title of “Champion of Champions” was created in 1946 to recognize the best French athletes and includes a category for the best athlete in the world since 1975.
“This award means a lot, because it comes from a French newspaper. France is one of the most important countries in my career after Spain. It will be tough to equal Usain Bolt’s record of five titles. I am very happy with my four titles”.
