“Tennis for Him Is a Very Serious Business”: Fabio Fognini Praises Rafael Nadal in His Book

Fabio Fognini recently launched his autobiography, ‘Warning: My life among the lines.’ In the book, he has been transparent about his life, fights, and what he thinks about other players like Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray.

Fognini has expressed his admiration for Rafael Nadal in his books. He has written about the time he had played Rafa for the first time. “I meet Nadal at the US Open, he is playing the simulator. I ask him if he wants to play it me. He thinks I want to train with him. That’s the first time we ever played”

Fabio Fognini on how Rafael Nadal trains and plays

Fognini seems to admire Rafa’s playing style and ethic. He has described Nadal as a disciplined player, always full of energy. “Hard to describe how Rafa plays but if I had to use just one word I would say ‘Savage’. A volcano energy explosion guided by discipline and method.”

Coming to Nadal’s training regime, he has highlighted how Nadal dedicates everything in training and it is very important for him.

“Nadal plays every point in training as they were Grand Slam championship points. Tennis for him is a very serious business.”

Nadal and Fognini enjoy a good rivalry on the court. The two have played each other sixteen times and although Rafa leads their head-to-head 12-4, there have been some iconic matches between them.

Further in his book, Fognini has talked about his on-court antics. The Italian is a bit of a hothead on the court and has faced repercussions for it throughout his career, on and off the court. And so, in his book, he has written about the heaviest fines he has incurred and how he feels about it.

“In 2014 I received one of the Wimbledon biggest fines for smashing a racquet and in 2017 the second biggest US Open fine for insulting a female chair umpire. I’m not proud of these record, I’m actually ashamed of them.”

Fognini has shared some very interesting and raw insights from his life in his book.

The Italian is currently playing in the Italian Open 2000 ahead of the French Open 2020.

Read More: Rafael Nadal Vows to ‘Improve Things’ Even More Before French Open 2020