13-time French Open champion, Rafael Nadal is hailed as one of the greatest players to have ever played the game. One of his key attributes is that the Spaniard is ‘mentally stronger’ than anyone in the game. The ability at which he can covert the match in his favor is commendable. 

Time and again in his career, the manner in which Rafa has changed the outcome of the match against the biggest of players at the biggest of stages is something to look up to. The former World No. 1 recently spoke on this factor and indicated that before the mental aspect it’s the ball and racket that do the talking.

Rafael Nadal: Success Will Come to Those Who Are Ready to Fight

Rafa said, “There’s a lot of talk about the mentality. But usually, if you win, it’s because of the racket and you have to deal with a little yellow ball before any mental aspect comes up. “After that, it is true that when the situation is complicated, success will come to those who are ready to fight, to overcome the pressure and not to lose their ability under such circumstances, “

Nadal does admit that he gets nervous towards the build-up to the matches. However, he tries not to reveal it to his opponent.

Elaborating on it, he further added, “Everyone is nervous or lie. Victory or defeat is a part of our daily life and should be accepted as such. I am not too excited when I am doing well nor am I destroyed when it is not going well. I am always in the middle. I am sure that emotional stability is very important in our sport. When I lose, of course, I am negative and sad. But to be honest, I live every day with the feeling that I may lose. I have self-confidence, but defeat is always an option.”

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Recently, Nadal received the Grand Cross of the Order of Dos de Mayo. It is considered a very high honor for Spanish citizens. We look forward to seeing him again in Melbourne next year.