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Even if you are not a tennis fan or do not follow tennis regularly, you must have heard of the name, Rafael Nadal. Nadal is undoubtedly one of the best players of his generation. He has got records which very few can even dream of, let alone match.
For all sports enthusiast, Rafal Nadal is more than just a tennis player, he is a role model.
Here are few reasons why Rafa is the person we all should look up to.
1. Humility
Every tournament he played, he insisted he wasn’t the favourite and every time he lost, he refused to make excuses
No matter how aggressive he is on the court but off it, he is a very humble guy. Nadal is the epitome of humility. What makes him so humble is not just his off-field behavior but the way he conducts himself.
Once he was asked after he had won the U.S. Open defeating Federer, that whether he was better than Federer and he replied that he had a long way to go before he becomes as good as Roger Federer.
2. Hard Work
What Nadal achieved through his hard work most ‘naturally gifted’ players can’t even dream of
People say there is so substitute for hard work and Nadal’s success exactly prove that. He was not a naturally gifted player but he proved that with hard work, one can achieve anything.
Not all of us are naturally gifted but that shouldn’t stop from achieving our goals and Nadal proves exactly that.
During the off-season, Nadal trains six days a week for six-and-a-half hours every day.
3. Tenacity
When he is out there on the court, he gives everything he has. He plays each game like his last game and plays each shot like his last shot
For Nadal, hard work and tenacity go hand in hand. His tenacity in the court is quite unbelievable. He runs after every ball and retrieves shots which people would dismiss as unretrievable.
His tenacity is amazing and something every youngster should try and emulate.
Since 2008, Nadal has made the finals in 62 of 107 tournaments
4. Respect for his opponents
Nadal never underestimates his opponents and that is something everyone should learn from him
No matter who is his opponent. Nadal always respects his opponents. Even after defeating Federer several times, Nadal still calls him the best. Nadal respects his opponents irrespective of their stature or rank.
When he was about to face Fognini, Nadal said of the then 32nd seed that,
“He is a big, talented player. He is a tough opponent for everybody when he is playing well”.
5. Loyalty and Family Values
Nadal’s uncle Toni, is his only coach since he was three
Another thing that most people should learn from him is loyalty. More than anything else Nadal is a very loyal person. In this age where most of the tennis stars have famous coaches, Nadal is someone who has remained fiercely loyal to his childhood coach and his uncle, Toni Nadal. Nadal’s respect for his family values is also something that sets him apart. Even, after all, he has achieved he prefers to stay in his hometown with his family.
Rafa Nadal and Xisca Perello have been dating for more than 8 years now.
6. Beating the odds
People dismissed him as a clay court player but Nadal proved everybody wrong by winning on every single surface
Nadal loves proving the critics wrong. Every time he has been dismissed, every time he has come back stronger. People said that Nadal’s form was temporary but he as been at the top of his game for almost a decade now. When it comes to beating the odds, Nadal is a genius.
This is something that everyone should learn from him.
Though the 63-1 mark in Roland Garros is crazy, Nadal is actually better at the Olympics, where he’s still undefeated.
7. The Fighting spirit
After every injury, he has only come back stronger
His fighting spirit is simply amazing. Nadal’s career has been plagued by many serious injuries. People thought that his knee injury, which kept him out for over 7 months, would make him slower. But instead, Nadal came back and won both U.S.Open and French Open.
In 2013 after coming back from injury, Nadal maintained an unbelievable Win-Loss record of 75-7.
8. A no excuse guy
A special quality about him is that he never blames anybody apart from himself for his defeats
Another admirable quality of this guy is that he never makes excuses. Every time he is defeated or is going to through a difficult phase, Nadal would never make any excuse and would always acknowledge that either he did not play well.
Never would you see him blaming the court or the lights or anything else for his defeat.
This is a quality that sets him apart and makes him a true role model.
Once Nadal was asked if the rain delays were a problem. He said, “It’s the same for both players.”
9. Re-inventing himself
He never lets his game become predictable and that’s probably the reason why he is so hard to defeat
If you want to know the secret behind his prolonged success then it is the way Nadal has kept re-inventing himself. Throughout his career Nadal has kept changing his style of play, increasing his array of shots and developing new ways to outsmart the opponents.
Nadal shows you that if want to be successful for a longer period then you need to keep re-inventing yourself.
Rafael was born right-handed but his coach advised him to play with his left hand after seeing his perfect backhand moves.
10. He is Champion
He is the first to win at least one Grand Slam tournament for ten consecutive years
He is the perfect role model not because he just has all these qualities but because these qualities have made him the champion he is today. Nadal has won everything there is to be won and that makes him a person everybody should look up to.
Nadal has defeated some of the most decorated players of the game. He has numerous records to his name and most of them are almost unbreakable.
If he wins the French Open, he’ll have more titles there than any player has anywhere else.
This is Rafael Nadal for you. A great player. A greater human being and above all a perfect role model for each and every individual.
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