Rafael Nadal Reveals Changes in Approach After 15 Years

The defending champion, Rafael Nadal will enter the Rogers Cup as the top seed with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer missing the event. The Spaniard has struggled with injuries on the hard-court in the past. His recent hard-court tournaments have also been troublesome for his body. However, Nadal has certainly changed his approach, going into the tournaments without giving much stress to his body.

The 33-year-old was forced to retire from his semifinal match against Juan Martin Del Potro at the US Open, last year due to an injury in his right knee. The knee problems continued as he withdrew before his semi-final this year against Roger Federer at the Indian Wells Masters.

However, the 18-time Grand Slam champion has dismissed all the concerns about how his body will resist the relentless hard-court tennis. Rafael Nadal declined to fret about anything that is beyond his control and insisted that he isn’t thinking beyond his next match.

Rafael Nadal said in an interview at Montreal, “If I’m thinking about this stuff when I play tennis, I cannot play tennis. I’m thinking about the ball, the opponent and what I have to do to play my best.”

He further explained, “I’m not worried. If something happens, then I will accept it and that’s it. I’m not putting more emphasis on it because when you think negatively, there’s more of a chance that things can happen.”

Rafael Nadal has certainly changed his attitude and has found ways to de-stress his body without going to his hometown in Mallorca in between the tournaments. The Spaniard has gained this relaxed approach over 16 years on the ATP Tour. The Spaniard revealed that he used to go back to Mallorca after difficult moments. However, he is now able to enjoy more without going back to his hometown in between the tournaments.

“I’m able to understand how to enjoy more and relax between tournaments,” said Nadal. “Before when I was losing a match, I wanted to be back home as quickly as possible. If I’m in Europe, yes, I will, but if I am here, I will not go back if I have to play in two weeks. This is something that would be impossible for me 15 years ago, but I have changed my approach.”