Service with a smoulder
Rafael Nadal, 23, on winning, losing and the family that means everything to him
The time I get up depends on what time I’m playing. Today I had practice at 1, so I got up around 10. I shower, get dressed. For breakfast I have hot chocolate, a croissant or toast with olive oil, and some fruit. Never coffee or tea — I don’t like them.
After breakfast I go to the sports arena and warm up with my coach, my uncle Toni. I practise from 1 to 3, then have another shower and lunch. What I eat depends on the country I’m in, but often it will be pasta, fish and salad. I don’t cook much, maybe some pasta. When I’m away on tour I might make my grandmother’s cake — it’s a typical Majorcan cake, her own special recipe. I love chocolate, especially milk chocolate. I eat it every day. I love Nutella, too, and crisps and biscuits. There are some salty Majorcan biscuits called Quely, and I always take a supply with me.
I was four when I started playing tennis, very young. That’s when my uncle Toni gave me my first racket. I won my first tournament when I was eight. I’ve always loved sport and I’ve always been competitive — I’ll compete at anything.
On a match day I start to prepare at least an hour before I play. I get my fingers and feet taped to protect them from blisters, then change into my kit and warm up, listening to my iPod — Spanish pop music or classical music. If I’m playing someone I know, we’ll chat maybe half an hour before we go on court. But not 10 minutes before — by then all I’m thinking about is the game.
My personality is relaxed. During a tournament I’m really calm, because I’m focused. I have a routine: practise and play — it’s easy. But when I go home to Majorca, I can’t relax. I want to do so much because I don’t spend enough time there. I want to see my friends, my family, go to the gym, play tennis. And I love golf — I’ll play for hours. I go fishing, watch football, see movies. And I swim in the sea, which is next to my house. I want to do everything, but it’s impossible; the days are too short.
I’ve won a lot of money, but I’m lucky, I live with my family in Majorca and I’m happy how I am. I don’t need anything else. I never like to be alone, so I like friends and family to visit me during tournaments and I never travel alone.
Late afternoon, back at the hotel, I have physiotherapy for two hours. Each day I do stretches and have a massage. Some part of the body always needs attention. Last year I had tendonitis in both knees. I’m getting better, but it was hard, after practising so much, that I had to miss tournaments, especially Wimbledon. But you accept it and try to recover as fast as possible.
I feel pressure, for sure. The biggest stress for most players is that the season’s too long. It starts in January and finishes in November — no time to rest. Second worst is the ranking — that’s a lot of pressure every week. But I’ve got more experienced at coping.
Sometimes I’m angry or unhappy on court, but I have to control myself. I’m not a very negative person. Mental strength is part of my personality — and it comes from my parents’ dedication to me and from my uncle, my coach. Living in a small town in Majorca, families are closer than they are in big cities. My friends are still the ones I was at school with, from when I was six years old. These are the people I go out to dinner with, to parties with.
On tour I always leave the hotel and go out to dinner. If I go to a restaurant with friends, I’ll wear jeans and T-shirt, or a jacket if it’s a less casual place. I like Japanese, Italian and Spanish food, and I love seafood. I only drink alcohol when I have a few weeks off and I’m out with friends. But I don’t drink much.
I call my family every night. Win or lose, my mother tells me to take care and sends me a kiss. Then I watch TV or a movie. One of the last films I saw was Avatar. I’ve been watching the DVDs of Prison Break and Lost. There’s also a Spanish series I watch, called Los Serrano. It’s a drama about two families.
If I’m watching a movie and it’s emotional, I’ll cry. It’s not difficult for me to cry. If I see a sports person win something important, I’ll cry. When I win a match I might cry too. But I don’t often cry when I lose. When I lose I go straight home to Majorca, every time.
I feel very lucky to be where I am today. To be famous is sometimes not that good, but it changes nothing in my life, though it may make things a little more showy. People ask me what it’s like having lots of girls after me, but I didn’t realise there were so many. Sometimes I like the glamour, but I’ve always been down-to-earth, pretty normal. At home nobody treats me any differently.
I go to bed between midnight and 2am. Six years ago, maybe, I’d be thinking about the next day’s match before I went to sleep, and that would keep me awake. Now I focus on watching a DVD in bed and I fall asleep while it’s playing. I have lots of dreams — all very different — and I always sleep well
Rafael Nadal competes in the Aegon Championships at the Queen’s Club, London, June 7-13; www.aegonchampionships.com
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