by Jori Arrese (Spanish Davis Cup Captain)
April 22, 2024
[Translated from Spanish by Emilita]
What does Rafa Nadal do differently than the other tennis players? I can clearly see that what makes the difference is his environment, his family who has given him an excellent education, and an uncle, Toni, who is also his coach, and he tells him things straight. Nadal is a young lad of 18, humble, simple, who, thanks to that education, appreciates everything in life, always makes sure everyone else is ok. In general, tennis players at the best of times become egocentric and they get mollycoddled by everyone. Everything is pretty much done for them and they find things very easy.
With Nadal, that doesn't happen. Fortunately, in his environment, they have not become involved with this sort of dynamic. They treat him like a young lad of 18, champion or not, when he speaks like a 25 year old. They educate him in life skills and strengthen that wild part of him that for me, has made Rafa the strongest player in the world mentally along with the Australian, Lleyton Hewitt.
It doesn't surprise me that Nadal is coming to the Barcelona tourament being in the top 11. Since he was 14, I always said Nadal was going to be number 1, and I think that if it hadn't been for his injury last year, which forced him out of the clay season, Rafa would be even higher. Because before that injury, he had shown he could beat a #1 like Roger Federer.
But Rafa still has a lot of room for improvement. I think that after every tournament he plays, after every match he wins, after every title he gets, Rafa Nadal is a better player and person and for me he deserves a 10.
Rafa Nadal is also a great team member, which will be very useful to Spanish tennis. With the way he is, his personality, his humility and simplicity, Rafa has made it such that there is no player who doesn't want him to win. For those that don't want him to win, it's because they don't have a good heart.
Spanish version:
El entorno, lo mejor de Rafa
Por Jordi Arrese
Qu� hace diferente a Rafa Nadal del resto de los tenistas? Tengo muy claro que lo que marca la diferencia es el entorno, la familia que le ha dado una educaci�n exquisita, y un t�o, Toni que, adem�s es su preparador, y le dice las cosas tal como son. Nadal es un chaval de 18 a�os, humilde, sencillo que, gracias a esa educaci�n, valora todo en la vida y est� pendiente de que todo el mundo est� a gusto. Los tenistas, por lo general, de por s� se vuelven egoc�ntricos, y llegan a ser mimados por todo el mundo. Les dan casi todo hecho y encuentran todas las cosas f�ciles. Si el entrenador fuera el que pagara, seguramente ser�an mejores y m�s fuertes de lo que suelen ser.
Con Nadal no pasa eso. Desde su entorno no han entrado afortunadamente en esta din�mica. Lo tratan como a un chaval de 18 a�os, sea o no campe�n, cuando �l razona como uno de 25 a�os. Lo educan para la vida y potencian esa parte salvaje que tiene y que, para m�, han convertido a Rafa en el jugador mentalmente m�s fuerte del mundo junto con el australiano Lleyton Hewitt.
Para m� no es una sorpresa que Nadal se presente en el Tenis Barcelona entre los once primeros del mundo. Desde que ten�a 14 a�os ya dije que Nadal iba a ser un n�mero uno, y creo que si no hubiese sido por la lesi�n que sufri� el a�o pasado, que lo apart� de la temporada de tierra, Rafa estar�a en lo m�s alto. Porque antes de esa lesi�n hab�a demostrado que pod�a ganar a todo un n�mero uno como Roger Federer.
Pero Rafa todav�a tiene mucho margen por delante para mejorar. Creo que tras cada torneo que juega, tras cada partido que gana, tras cada t�tulo que obtiene, Rafa Nadal es mejor jugador y persona, donde para m� merece un 10.
Rafa Nadal es, adem�s, un buen jugador de equipo, que ser� muy �til al tenis espa�ol. Con su forma de ser, con su personalidad, con esa humildad y sencillez que tiene, Rafa ha conseguido que no haya un tenista que no quiera que gane; el que no lo desea es porque no tiene un buen coraz�n.
**Thanks to Emilita for the translation. Please do not reproduce without giving credit to the original source and VamosRafael.com.**
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