meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
NPR's Book of the Day

A new biography of Rafael Nadal focuses on the tennis star's domination on clay

NPR's Book of the Day

NPR

Books, Arts

4.2 β€’ 672 Ratings

πŸ—“οΈ 21 May 2025

⏱️ 11 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Tennis legend Rafael Nadal retired last year after a record-breaking career, one that included winning every major championship. In a new biography, Christopher Clarey – former tennis correspondent for The New York Times – considers the player's life and career, with particular focus on Nadal's domination on clay courts. In today's episode, Clarey joins Here & Now's Scott Tong for a conversation about the emotional side of Nadal's game, including the player's rituals and tics, his rivalries with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, and his early mentor in the sport.

To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hey, it's Empire's book of the day. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. When you watch tennis on TV,

0:07.5

there's no timer on the display like there are in other sports. Time takes a backseat compared to

0:14.3

basketball or football. And yet, in today's book about one of the greatest tennis players of all

0:19.4

time, there's a lot of talk about

0:21.3

managing time. The book is The Warrior Raphael Nadal and his kingdom of Clay. It's a biography of

0:27.7

Rafael Nadal, one of the most famous tennis players. Certain by Christopher Clary, who used to be a

0:32.9

tennis correspondent at the New York Times, and Clary tells here now Scott Tong about how everything from

0:38.4

Nadal's ticks to his choice of terrain came down to controlling time. That's ahead.

0:45.4

In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life. Distant wars, murky conflicts,

0:52.3

diplomacy behind closed doors on our new show, sources and methods.

0:56.8

NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people, helping you understand why distant events matter here at home.

1:04.3

Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

1:09.5

Last year, tennis superstar and legend, Rafael Nadal retired

1:13.7

after a remarkable record-breaking career.

1:17.3

The titles, the numbers, people probably know that.

1:22.3

But the way that I would like to be remembered more

1:24.7

is like a good person from a small village in

1:28.6

in Mallorca that...

1:31.3

That audio was courtesy of the Tennis Channel.

1:34.7

Rafa, as he's known, won every major championship during rivalries with two others

1:39.7

whose accomplishments are also stunning and may never be equaled, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

1:46.0

For his part, Nadal was almost unbeatable on the clay courts of the French Open. He won it a record

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from NPR, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of NPR and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright Β© Tapesearch 2026.