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What makes Rafa, Rafa?
What makes a tennis player a tennis champion to the degree that Rafael Nadal has already obtained at the age of 24, and barring injury, should continue to do for many years to come?
Born to an athletic family on the island of Mallorca on June 3 of 1986 to Sebastian and Ana Maria Nadal, Rafael Nadal grew up playing as much soccer as he did tennis.
He father a business partner with two brothers of a restaurant as well as owner of a glass and window company hired one of his brothers, Toni, who was a Spanish tennis professional, to help train his son.
So from the age of four, Uncle Toni has been Rafael's coach, mentor, support system, strategist and emotional anchor - continuing in that vein even today.
At the age of 12 Rafa's father said he had to make the choice of playing tennis or playing soccer because both were taking too much of his time from his studies.
So with his uncle's advice of feeling he could achieve much more playing tennis, that's the direction he went.
At the age of 14 the Spanish Tennis Federation wanted Nadal to train with it in Barcelona, but his father decided otherwise, and took on the full financial obligation to help Rafa reach his potential.
In an exhibition match with Pat Cash that same year, he showed how much promise he had defeating the former Wimbledon champion.
Before his 16th birthday, Rafa won his first ATP match. By 2004 he gained his first win against the No. 1 one player in the world, Roger Federer in straight sets, the beginning of a great rivalry.
By 2005 Rafa was ranked within the top five players in the world. In his first appearance at the French Open he won his first major title, reached the No. 2 position on the ATP tour and captured 11 titles for the year.
Not bad for a teenager.
Fast-forward to 2010, Rafael Nadal has won nine major singles titles at the age of 24, while Federer owns 16 and he's 29.
The latest came this past Monday with his first U.S. Open win, which added the one major he hadn't won. That gave him wins at all four majors an unbelievable accomplishment that few have achieved.
Only seven players have won what's known as a career slam, and only Agassi and Nadal have done that and won Olympic gold medals too.
So back to the original thought: why has Rafael Nadal excelled so well?
Uncle Toni and his family has played a major part in Rafa's development, there can be no mistake in that. Toni has helped teach his student and nephew modesty, how to stay down-to-earth while instilling values and qualities that show with hard work you can achieve your goals, realizing there's always room for improvement.
It's about attitude, discipline and perspective, that help define results and improve motivation.
There is also the question of staying healthy, physically and mentally.
You can put this whole package together and have a bout of severe tendonitis in your knees, a stress fracture affect your ankle, or the divorce of your parents hit your core, all of these things have happened to Nadal, yet he's returned to what could become known as the Nadal Era.
If you've noticed, even though not together as husband and wife, his parents were both in the stands together cheering their son on with his team of coaches, sister, girlfriend and uncle at the Open finals.
In 2007 in a finals defeat at the Australian Open Toni said he cried like an animal in the locker room, yet we've all seen him console Federer with sympathy, respect and sensitivity- playing down the lime light he rightly deserved in major wins against the master.
His game continues to improve.
He has a better serve, with more speed, spin and location.
His number of aces have more than doubled this year from 3.2 per match to 7.5
Federer hits topspin balls that average 2,700 revolutions per minute, while Rafa's are 3,200. The speedy footwork and great court coverage is above reproach, but continually trained on.
Nadal's goal for the rest of the year is simple, to keep improving.
Uncle Toni was asked if he thought Rafa might become the greatest player of all time, his response, "Ask me in five or six years."
What makes a tennis player a tennis champion to the degree that Rafael Nadal has already obtained at the age of 24, and barring injury, should continue to do for many years to come?
Born to an athletic family on the island of Mallorca on June 3 of 1986 to Sebastian and Ana Maria Nadal, Rafael Nadal grew up playing as much soccer as he did tennis.
He father a business partner with two brothers of a restaurant as well as owner of a glass and window company hired one of his brothers, Toni, who was a Spanish tennis professional, to help train his son.
So from the age of four, Uncle Toni has been Rafael's coach, mentor, support system, strategist and emotional anchor - continuing in that vein even today.
At the age of 12 Rafa's father said he had to make the choice of playing tennis or playing soccer because both were taking too much of his time from his studies.
So with his uncle's advice of feeling he could achieve much more playing tennis, that's the direction he went.
At the age of 14 the Spanish Tennis Federation wanted Nadal to train with it in Barcelona, but his father decided otherwise, and took on the full financial obligation to help Rafa reach his potential.
In an exhibition match with Pat Cash that same year, he showed how much promise he had defeating the former Wimbledon champion.
Before his 16th birthday, Rafa won his first ATP match. By 2004 he gained his first win against the No. 1 one player in the world, Roger Federer in straight sets, the beginning of a great rivalry.
By 2005 Rafa was ranked within the top five players in the world. In his first appearance at the French Open he won his first major title, reached the No. 2 position on the ATP tour and captured 11 titles for the year.
Not bad for a teenager.
Fast-forward to 2010, Rafael Nadal has won nine major singles titles at the age of 24, while Federer owns 16 and he's 29.
The latest came this past Monday with his first U.S. Open win, which added the one major he hadn't won. That gave him wins at all four majors an unbelievable accomplishment that few have achieved.
Only seven players have won what's known as a career slam, and only Agassi and Nadal have done that and won Olympic gold medals too.
So back to the original thought: why has Rafael Nadal excelled so well?
Uncle Toni and his family has played a major part in Rafa's development, there can be no mistake in that. Toni has helped teach his student and nephew modesty, how to stay down-to-earth while instilling values and qualities that show with hard work you can achieve your goals, realizing there's always room for improvement.
It's about attitude, discipline and perspective, that help define results and improve motivation.
There is also the question of staying healthy, physically and mentally.
You can put this whole package together and have a bout of severe tendonitis in your knees, a stress fracture affect your ankle, or the divorce of your parents hit your core, all of these things have happened to Nadal, yet he's returned to what could become known as the Nadal Era.
If you've noticed, even though not together as husband and wife, his parents were both in the stands together cheering their son on with his team of coaches, sister, girlfriend and uncle at the Open finals.
In 2007 in a finals defeat at the Australian Open Toni said he cried like an animal in the locker room, yet we've all seen him console Federer with sympathy, respect and sensitivity- playing down the lime light he rightly deserved in major wins against the master.
His game continues to improve.
He has a better serve, with more speed, spin and location.
His number of aces have more than doubled this year from 3.2 per match to 7.5
Federer hits topspin balls that average 2,700 revolutions per minute, while Rafa's are 3,200. The speedy footwork and great court coverage is above reproach, but continually trained on.
Nadal's goal for the rest of the year is simple, to keep improving.
Uncle Toni was asked if he thought Rafa might become the greatest player of all time, his response, "Ask me in five or six years."
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