‘Rafael Nadal’s mental strength has made him a historic athlete!’ Physical trainers and sports psychologist explain the reasoning behind SURPRISING photos of cycling after the Australian Open final
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Australian Open 2022 winner - Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal arguably became the greatest player even in the world of tennis after racing past rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic to become the first person to win 21st Grand Slam. The Spaniard defeated Russian World No.2 Daniil Medvedev in an exhilarating 5-set final to claim the title in Melbourne.
Many people across the globe, including Rafa’s fellow tennis mates and former tennis legends, congratulated him for conquering the first blockbuster event of the season. Despite being hugely underprepared and arguably having no pre-season, the Spaniard still managed to conquer Melbourne.
Physical trainers and psychologist analyse Nadal’s cycling after the Australian Open final video
Amidst all the tributes and congratulatory messages to Rafael Nadal flooding the internet after the historic title for Nadal, another surprising image had been doing rounds around the internet. The image was of Rafael Nadal cycling in a gym just after the long and tiring Australian Open 2022 final.
After the image was explained by his coach Carlos Moya, the images were then analyzed by 2 physical trainers and 1 psychologist for the news publication Marca. Carlos Barredo, a physical trainer, explained that the exercise was aimed at cooling down the body after such an exhausting match. He explained that as the body goes full throttle during such a match, it’s important to let it cool down post it to minimize recovery times.
“In the end it’s cooling down. Every idyllic training session or competition has to have a first warm-up phase that gradually activates all the systems of the human body to prepare it for the effort. Then you compete with the maximum demands and then you need a cool-down phase to minimize recovery times,” said Barredo, a cycling physical trainer.
Barredo added that the image went viral as it shows the professionalism of the Spanish legend, as most people would be expected to relax and enjoy after such a monumental win.
“In this case the image has gone viral because it is striking that, after almost six hours of play, he has the professionalism to get on the bike after winning the 21st Grand Slam,“ he added. Similar thoughts were voiced by David Torres, who is a physical trainer for athletes.
Meanwhile, sports psychologist Lorena Cos stated that the Spaniard displayed immense mental strength to carry on with his post-match routines after such a demanding match. She added that it is this discipline and ability to concentrate which has made him a historic athlete.
“Rafa’s mental strength has made him a historic athlete. His ability to concentrate, which he has by always carrying out his routines both on and off the track, is brutal. Something that helps him organize and control the times when there is no game, and that allows him to focus more effectively, gaining security against the game,” said Cos.
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Akash Mandal
(433 Articles Published)