The superstitious routine Rafael Nadal followed to win the 2017 US Open

The superstitious routine Rafael Nadal followed to win the 2017 US Open

Rafael Nadal

22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal has finally taken the lead in the race for most Grand Slam titles in the men’s singles after clinching the titles at the 2022 Australian Open and the 2022 French Open, his Grand Slam titles number 21 and 22. The Spaniard is in the lead for the first time in his illustrious career and despite the setback at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships where an abdominal injury forced him to withdraw, he stands a chance to extend the lead before the season ends.

With the 2022 US Open scheduled to begin on 29th August in New York, Nadal will be on the lookout for Grand Slam title number 23 and his 5th US Open title having earlier won the Grand Slam in 2010, 2013, 2017 and 2019. Nadal has often faced difficulty in winning the US Open and has been inconsistent at the Grand Slam as he has reached just one more final other than the 4 finals he has won.

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Rafael Nadal followed the superstition even after winning the US Open

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal with his 2017 US Open trophy

With a drought of titles at the Grand Slam and failing to reach the quarter-finals for three years in a row, at the 2017 US Open, Nadal had an interesting approach to his campaign in New York and being the superstitious guy that he is, the Spaniard followed the routine for all of his 7 matches on his way to clinching the Grand Slam for the third time in his career and winning his 16th Grand Slam title.

Rafa had identified a Manhattan Chinese restaurant where he selected one meal that he had every night before his match including the finals against the surprise finalist Kevin Anderson who was the 28th seed at the tournament and went down in straight-sets against the Spaniard in the finals. Nadal’s meal at the restaurant included Chilean sea bass, fried rice and noodles as per a copy of New York Post during Nadal‘s run at the tournament.

All of Rafa’s camp including his then-girlfriend María Francisca (Mery) Perelló Pascual who he married weeks after winning the 2019 US Open, had a late dinner at the same restaurant even after the finals in order to mess with the lucky charm the restaurant brought to him during the title run.

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