Rafael Nadal and Andre Agassi have not played a lot of matches against one another but have had a very cordial relationship on and off court. The two of them clashed against one another in one of the most memorable matches in 2006 at the Wimbledon finals, which was Agassi’s last match, and for Rafael Nadal, it was just the beginning.
Andre Agassi is very well aware of Nadal’s playing techniques and also knows his on-court as well as off-court habits. Recently, he talked about Nadal’s OCD and how those tics are symbolic of mental strength.
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Andre Agassi justifies Rafael Nadal’s on-court tics with what tennis as a sport demands
In a recent podcast episode of The Greg Cote Show, Andre Agassi talked about the little habits that Rafael Nadal and other players have in tennis that are justifiable because they prepare the player better mentally.
He stated, “You got an OCD appearing like Rafael Nadal, who has got all these tics. But those tics to me are honestly when I watch are these little reminders that this serve is really important, this short is really important. And I think it is a testament to a mental muscle and discipline that may be other sports have it to the same degree but I can say that not more than tennis.”
According to Andre Agassi, it is these tics that how he gives importance to, moving during the game. Even though other players and fans have often claimed that Rafael Nadal’s symptoms are OCD-like, he has always denied it out and loud. Even in one of his interviews in Vienna, Rafael Nadal openly denied all claims of having any such symptoms as well as disorder.
Times Nadal has denied the disorder
In one of his previous interviews in Vienna where he was attending an event of Infosys, Rafael Nadal shared that he is not a very organized person outside the court. He added, “I think I am a hard worker but not a very well-organized life.” Furthermore, he also added that when he stays in hotel rooms, he does not have the most organized rooms as well.
However, lastly, he also added that he has improved a lot over the last 10 years and will continue to do the same. What do you think Nadal has OCD-like symptoms? However, any sport can be demanding and have repercussions in the long run. Terming them as disorders could be wrong and can impact a sportsperson’s career. The fact that Rafael Nadal has always denied any such issues, and the on-court movements that Andre Agassi justified are the very demands of tennis as a sport, gives us all the more reason to give Nadal a pass on this one.
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Shivali Nathta