WATCH: A 13 year old Rafael Nadal shows us that he had all the ingredients of being a true champion
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Rafael Nadal through the years
Rafael Nadal is arguably one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Tennis fans all over the world have been blessed to see the Spaniard work his magic on the court for the past 15 years. And we certainly hope that he carries on doing so for atleast another few years.
What makes an athlete stand out from rest of his competition? You can ask the Roger Federer’s, Novak Djokovic’s, Cristiano Ronaldo’s, Usain Bolt’s- they all will have one common answer, ‘Practice and Training.‘ You can make your way to the top of any sport, but to sustain there like many of the greats have done, it requires years and years of hardwork, patience and sacrifice.
Over the years, Rafael Nadal has included his name in the list of the most elite sportsman of all time. One might ask the mantra behind his continued success. Well, there will be certainly be many factors involved, but the answer still remains the same, ‘Daily Practice.’ Nadal’s determination to the game of tennis and his constant need to improve, has helped him win an incredible 20 Grandslam titles.
A recent Instagram video shows us exactly why Rafael Nadal has earned so much success. In the year 2000, when the Spaniard was only 13 years old, he lifted the Les Petits AS Trophy. However, when he was interviewed and asked about his plans for the next day, the young kid from Mallorca insisted that he would practice more to become better.
That young kid from Mallorca is now proclaimed the ‘King of Clay’ and possibly the ‘King of Tennis’
When Rafael Nadal was interviewed in 2000 after his Les Petits triumph, going by his words, the young kid from Mallorca was by no means just a child with mediocre dream. Almost two decades later, he stayed true to his words, and he now has won 20 Grandslam titles, joint-highest with Roger Federer. He is proclaimed to be the ‘King of Clay’ as he has lifted an incredible 13 French Open titles in his career.
Going back to his interview after his win, Rafael Nadal said- “I will continue training, I think this is an important tournament (Les Petits), but winning this tournament does not mean I will be a good player, so I will continue my training.”
As you read, Rafael Nadal had all the ingredients of a great champion right from his early days. “Talent can get you on the big stage, but only two things can make you survive on this ruthless stage, practice and training.”
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Nirmit Mehta
(2425 Articles Published)