“Tennis a mentally agressive sport”- Rafael Nadal opens up about his iconic in-game superstitions

“Tennis a mentally agressive sport”- Rafael Nadal opens up about his iconic in-game superstitions

Rafael Nadal

21-time grand slam winner Rafael Nadal had his record-breaking win Australian Open win against the World No.2 Daniil Medvedev. The Spanish player has become an inspiration to many all over the world throughout his illustrious career. 

Coming from an injury at the age of 35 due to degenerative bone disease is an achievement in itself. But this didn’t stop him from winning match after match and then grabbing the sensational win. Despite starting the year with a positive Covid test, the Spaniard faced numerous hurdles in his way but overcame each one of them to seal his 2nd Australian Open title.

Nadal talks about tennis being a mentally aggressive sport

Rafael Nadal
Australian Open 2022 winner – Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal’s set game rituals have been well documented over the years. From arranging his water bottles on the bench in a specific order to arranging his hair before he serves, the Spaniard’s rituals have become very famous and a part of his personality.

In a recent interview at Cantabria Labs, the Australian Open champion talked about tennis being a mentally demanding game that requires huge focus and revealed that his in-game rituals helped him maintain his focus. The Spaniard branded tennis as a mentally aggressive game, emphasizing the need to stay completely focussed 100% of the time on court.

“Tennis is a mentally aggressive sport. It demands you at all times. One has to be able to find a way to be focused on what one is doing almost 100%, without being distracted by external things,” said Nadal.

The World No.5 then went on to explain how his famous rituals help him maintain his focus. According to the Spaniard, the set of rituals help him snap back and forth and distinguish between his real life and his life on court.

“I achieve that state of concentration by doing all the rituals I do. I don’t know if it’s something positive or negative, but it works for me. I have some rituals that help me feel focused on what I’m doing. It’s the way to differentiate when I’m competing from the rest of my life.”– added the Spaniard.

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