Rafael Nadal

Nadal gives interview on the Australian Open. (https://rafaelnadalfans.com/2016/01/16/rafael-nadal-interview-entrevista-austral )

Rafael Nadal, "Rafa", is a professional tennis player who demonstrates a fascinating level of high speed tennis. Nadal has already won a Career Grand Slam by winning four of the most important tennis tournaments in the ATP tour (Association of Tennis Professionals). Nadal was born in Manacor, a small city in Spain. His uncle, Toni Nadal, has been his coach since Rafa was four years old. When Rafa was young, he "played soccer and tennis parallel until Nadal won European under-12 tennis title" (Rafael Nadal). From a young age, Nadal's parents guided his behavior both in and out the court. "Nadal won his first tennis victory in ATP in 2002" (Nadal and Carlin 33). Rafael Nadal is considered one of the best professional tennis players in Open tennis Era because of his unbending determination and stubborn perseverance to win every game, every set, every match.

Spain's Rafael Nadal celebrates after winning a po (http://www.rediff.com/sports/report/us-open-photos-pix-serena-williams-scripts-ruthless-win-djokovic)

Rafael Nadal is known for his unyielding tenacity because he is ready to "fight" for every single ball, no matter what is happening on the court. Nadal's averring persistence helped him to maintain imposing winning results, especially on clay courts: "Nadal's winning percentage of 92 is an extremely high same as his win-loss record of 66-1 at the French Open tournament"   (Brigs).   In the history of tennis, Nadal's winning record is imposing. He is the tennis player who is maintaining one of the highest percentages of victories. The French Open, which Nadal has dominated over the years, is one of the four most important tennis tournaments in the world. Nadal's preeminence on the clay courts of Roland Garros for nine years shows the character of a champion. Every year Nadal faces first class competitors putting his mental toughness to the test. Rafa's intense focus on the game has enabled him to defend successfully his title eight years in a row. In order to maintain these impressive results, Nadal has to work on his qualities every day: "The characteristics of an elite athlete like Nadal- including discipline, energy and perseverance ... "You have to work with these qualities every day."" (Business Lessons).   As a professional athlete, Rafael Nadal advises everyone to work on the qualities of their inner game every day.  In the way to progress, athletes should work on the weak side of their game to improve their competitive edge.     Rafael Nadal is one of the best athletes of the 21th century and is considered a hero because of his tennis achievements along with self-discipline, hard work, and the persistence in becoming better and better every day. Nadal's fascinating winning record was achieved by consistent self-development, courage to fight, and by playing his best game, no matter what the score was.

Rafael Nadal poses with the US Open trophy in New (http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/the-times-sport/rafael-nadal-shows-a-refusal-to-lose-with-us-o)

Rafael Nadal is an excellent example for youth sportsmen to determine goals and achieve them. Rafael Nadal consistently developed his core values to succeed in the game. "[Nadal] ... the tennis player provides an example of how to cultivate values such as humility, discipline and sacrifice so that the goal is not only to reach his highest level but to stay at one's peak without losing perspective." (Business Lessons).   Rafa Nadal is a real champion. He comes to the match with strong self- discipline and readiness to sacrifice regardless of pain and tiredness and in spite of how difficult and how long a match will go. When Nadal comes to the court he is determined to one goal, win the match! Rafael Nadal is a well-known tennis star who has a lot of fans, TV promotion, popularity, and money. However, Rafa is a simple man.  He is a real hero because he always stays humble, no matter how many victories he had achieved. Therefore, Nadal is one of the best examples of humbleness in the sports world. He is a tennis legend who comes to every match focused on delivering his best performance. "Just stick to your game plan ... and never ever give up a point" (Nadal and Carlin 73). It is not important who the opponent is on the other side of the court because Nadal plays first against himself. Every tennis player needs to have a plan for every match to win a victory in a match.  By analyzing the opponent's game, a player can find out his weak sides and use them to his advantage in order to win. Every point is important because if the player relaxes during the match, his opponent could make a comeback and win a match as a result. A real hero is a person who sacrifices by going straightforward to his target, exerting his best effort in order to achieve victory.  At the same time, it is a person who consistently achieves excellent results without becoming purse - proud while remaining himself like if he had not accomplished anything special.

Rafael Nadal is a real hero in sports who epitomizes perseverance and determination for future generations. He advises others to work hard during training, thoroughly prepare equipment, and to think deeply about the strategy for a match. Rafael Nadal inspires me to play every match like if it was my last, to develop myself every day physically and mentally and to be humble no matter what results did I achieve!

Work Cited

Briggs, Simon. "Top 20 Male Clay-court Players of All Time." The Telegraph. Telegraph Media   

Group, n.d. Web. 05 May 2016. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/frenchopen/11615700/Top-20-male-clay-court-players-of-all-time-by-Simon-Briggs.html?frame=3310068

"Business Lessons from a Tennis Pro: A Case Study on Rafa Nadal." Knowledge Wharton   N.P., Mar. 2009. Web.

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/business-lessons-from-a-tennis-pro-a-case-study-on-rafa-nadal/

Nadal Rafael and John Carlin. Rafa. New York, NY:  Hachette, 2011. Print

"Rafael Nadal." Newsmakers. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2009. Student Resources in Context. Web. 2

            May 2016.