Rafael Nadal: Mental Aspects? "First of all, it depends on how you hit the ball"
Rafael Nadal is considered one of the mentally strongest tennis players. But he himself makes it clear: First and foremost, it depends on the tennis itself.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Dec 15, 2020, 01:53 pm
If there is a mindset that Rafael Nadal could learn from on the tennis court, it would be to play every point as if it were the last. Or the first. Tackling it point by point - one of the greatest tricks in tennis is whether you are about to win or have to serve the second serve in the tie-break of the decisive set to stay in the match.
However, the mental game comes second, says Rafael Nadal. "You often talk too much about mentality. But when you usually win, it's because of how you handle the ball, and then only because of mental aspects," explained Nadal on the TV show El Hormiguero (the quotes used here were via Twitter translated by Tennis Majors ).
But when things get complicated, success comes when you are ready to fight for it. And if you can handle the pressure. "When you are able not to lose your skills in these situations."
Nadal also confessed that he was nervous too - he was just trying not to show it. But: "Everyone is nervous. Or he lies."
Nadal: "Emotional stability is a great help in tennis"
Once again, Nadal also made it clear that he is in good balance with everything: that he does not take off, but that he does not lie on the ground too quickly. "Victory or defeat, that's our daily life. You have to accept both as they are. I'm not too excited when things are going well - and not too destroyed when things are going bad. I'm somewhere in the middle and I am I'm sure this emotional stability is of great help in our sport. "
He lived daily with the thought that he could lose, said Nadal. "I am confident, but I know that I can fail too." The bad feeling after defeat never lasts too long for him. When the press work and the conversation with the team are over, he is focused on the future and the solutions.
Especially since you have to look at everything in proportion. After the defeat against Diego Schwartzman in Rome after many months without match practice, "I knew that a defeat was unavoidable at some point. But it didn't unsettle me in front of Roland Garros, not really." But if you keep losing early, you can't play and don't win for a long time, "then you can feel insecure," said Nadal.
Nadal will attack again in the new year, at the latest at the Australian Open. His manager Benito Pérez-Barbadillo recently announced the start "down under" to The Age . The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tournament that Nadal was able to win only once.