AS Honors Rafa Nadal's Legacy With a Tribute Written in Clay

Dec. 17, 2025

It’s been more than a year since Rafa Nadal last competed on the professional circuit, yet his legacy continues to inspire millions worldwide. To pay tribute to that unique connection that transcends the sport, AS (Spanish daily sports newspaper) launched #QueridoRafa, an initiative designed to show Nadal that his story is not just about titles or victories, but also about the countless lives he has touched along the way.

To bring this vision to life, AS partnered with Havas Creative to develop an innovative concept: creating a special ink from clay collected at two of the most iconic venues in Nadal’s career—the Philippe-Chatrier court at Roland Garros and the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona, home of the Conde de Godó tournament.

The goal was to craft unique pens that allowed fans and admirers to write personal letters of gratitude to Nadal. Each message was penned with the very essence of the courts where Nadal built his legend, turning every letter into a tangible symbol of his enduring legacy.

The initiative was supported by prestigious institutions such as the French Tennis Federation, Roland Garros, and the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona, among others, and featured contributions from leading sports figures eager to join this tribute. The most emotional moment came on December 1, when all the letters were presented to Rafa Nadal during the AS Sports Awards Gala.

Oscar Ocaña, Chief Marketing Officer of PRISA MEDIA said:

“Diario AS exists to report on the best in sports and celebrates this at the end of each year with the AS Sports Awards Gala. This year, in addition to honoring athletes who have excelled over the past year and others who have left their mark in different disciplines, we were able to honor and thank Rafael Nadal in a very special way for his entire career with a tribute that culminated in the presentation of “Querido Rafa”, a wonderful idea that allowed us to collect and send him handwritten messages of gratitude from some of his many fans. The ink created for the pen symbolizes the ‘DNA’ of something that meant so much to him, clay courts, as a tool to express all the emotions of his admirers. We are very proud to have been able to turn this tribute into such a special and symbolic tangible gift."

 

In the words of Jesús Rasines, Chief Creative Officer of Havas Creative Spain: 

"Taking clay from Roland Garros and transforming it into ink to write letters to Nadal is one of those magical ideas that we’re lucky enough to make real."

 

With #QueridoRafa, AS not only honors one of Spain’s greatest athletes but also celebrates the values that have made him a global icon: humility, perseverance, and passion.