Tennis Maestro Rafael Nadal Bested at His Own Game by Former Mercedes F1 Champion Who Beat Lewis Hamilton

Published 07/12/2022, 6:00 PM EDT

With 22 Grand Slams to his name now, Rafael Nadal is arguably the greatest tennis player of all time. And to no one’s surprise, it would have been a task for ex-F1 world champion Nico Rosberg when he decided to challenge Nadal in mini-ping-pong. But the result of the game turned out to be a bit more unexpected.

Last year, Rosberg visited the yacht of the 22-Grand Slam champion at the Monaco Yacht Show. There, he challenged the Spaniard at the game of ping-pong, revealing that the first person to win three points will be declared the winner.

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Before starting the match Rosberg jokingly mentioned,” He wants to kill me!” about Nadal. “I don’t like coming second, so I’m taking this very seriously,” said while playing the match.

Rosberg lost the match 3-2 but ultimately won when he decided to extend it to 11 points. He bested Nadal 11-8 to win the battle of the world champions.

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The 2016 F1 World Champion and ATP World Number 1 even talked about experiencing the mental difficulties they faced while performing at the highest level.

Rafael Nadal and Nico Rosberg discuss the mental aspect of the sport

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Rosberg also talked to Nadal about the mental toughness of a sportsman, and how even some of the best athletes have to overcome anxious moments.

He further revealed that he finds the Tennis player to be more of a sensitive person. To which the 2022 French Open Winner agreed and said, “I think everyone has some problems and especially I think sports people who bring the mental and physical part at the limit. Yeah, when you get a bit older, the feelings are a bit different in all terms,” said Nadal.

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It is certainly good to hear two top athletes in their respective fields talk about this side of sports. The mental toll that a sport can take on a person is easily ignored, when it is just as, if not more, significant than the physical toll.

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Written by:

Devang Chauhan is an F1 author at EssentiallySports. Having completed his graduation in Journalism and Mass Communication, he has a keen eye for writing engaging and detailed articles on F1. Previously a writer for Sports Social's 'Chase Your Sport' Magazine, Devang has been an ardent follower of the sport for over a decade and has attended two editions of the Indian Grand Prix.

Edited by:

Ranvijay Singh

Tennis Maestro Rafael Nadal Bested at His Own Game by Former Mercedes F1 Champion Who Beat Lewis Hamilton

Rafael Nadal and Nico Rosberg discuss the mental aspect of the sport

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