‘I Don’t Always Get It’: Rafael Nadal Tries to Comprehend Why He Has Numerous On-Court Rituals

Rafael Nadal has been the talk of the town since his 21st Grand Slam win at the Australian Open 2022. An intriguing aspect of Nadal, apart from his brilliant top-spin, has been the various on-court rituals that he religiously follows during every match. 

Recently, Nadal participated in a broadcast on YouTube organized by Cantabria Labs. The broadcast was titled “The important thing, health”. While speaking there, Nadal opened up about his on-court rituals. 

The former World No. 1 was accompanied by his doctor, Ángel Ruiz-Cotorro, along with other medical professionals.

Nadal’s formula for concentration

Speaking about his on-court rituals, Nadal emphasized on the formula required for maintaining complete concentration. It isn’t uncommon for athletes to have such rituals, stars from a sport that Nadal loves, soccer, are infamous for having many little rituals before and during games as well. 

He said, “Each one has to find their way of concentrating. There is no absolute formula. Someone who has many rituals for it tells you.”

However, the Spaniard surprised everyone when he confessed that he doesn’t want to follow the routines. “I would like not to have them, I am not hiding, but tennis is such a mentally aggressive sport that anything external I was able to distract. I always do it and I don’t always get it.”

Also read- Rafael Nadal’s Rituals: The Mechanism Behind the Rhythm

The 35-year-old ended by saying that even though he doesn’t like to follow the routines, it helps him stay focused. He says, “It works for me and they make me focus while I compete. I feel more sure of myself.”

(Quotes have been translated using Google Translate)

The on-court rituals of Rafael Nadal

1. The main weapon of a tennis player is his racket. While entering the court, Nadal carries 2 bags. In one of the bags, he carries the rackets. However, he always carries one racket in his hand. 

2. After settling on the player bench, Nadal takes off his jacket while facing the audience. Having a sip of the energy drink and water, he places the bottles in the exact same position every time. 

3. Next, he always jumps near the net at the time of toss. After the coin toss, he makes a sprint from the net to the baseline.

4. After starting the match, He always places his hair behind his ear and fiddles with his shorts before each serve. Nadal also uses a towel after every point.

5. He always crosses the sidelines with his right foot only and avoids stepping on it. During changeovers, he ensures his opponent crosses the net before he does. 

6. While having a sip of water and energy drink, he always makes sure to follow the same order, i.e. first the energy drink then the water.

Rafael Nadal has a number of on-court rituals. However, till the time the Spaniard is ruling the court, these rituals don’t seem to bother the player a lot. 

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