Celebrity Interview - Rafael Nadal
On court... and personal
Rafael Nadal On court... and personal
Rafael Nadal is patiently waiting beside me as Wimbledon security rummage through our bags. At first glance, without his customary bandana and pirate shorts, he looks like your run-of-the-mill, lanky, long-haired youth. But his deeply tanned Mallorcan skin and that little up-turned nose are unmistakable. I try to catch his attention, but he's become media-hardened and keeps his eyes firmly averted to avoid contact.
"Hola," I smile good-naturedly. He looks down; his eyes quizzical. Then they crease in recognition. "Hello," he says, enunciating "Haa" with the greatest of care to ensure perfect pronunciation. He touches my shoulder as if to apologise for being impolite, before bounding up the steps to prepare for the day's match.
This short encounter sums up the 21-year-old Nadal: his inbuilt politeness and need not only to speak English, but to do so as proficiently as possible. Indeed, Nadal the perfectionist has some quirky mannerisms that he carries around the world like a comfort blanket.
I first met him in 2002 when, aged 16, he arrived at Wimbledon to take part in his first and last ITF junior tournament. He stunned all by battling his way into the semi-finals. Before then, the Nadal name was linked only to his famous Spanish footballer uncle Miguel Angel Nadal, nicknamed "The Beast of Barcelona".
Encouraged, Nadal returned the following year to make his Grand Slam debut in the adult draw, promptly becoming the youngest player to reach the third round since Boris Becker in 1984. The few of us hovering around the outside court were amused by his rather unpleasant, repetitive habit of adjusting his socks, scratching his backside and finally spitting between each point. We dubbed this the "3 S's Syndrome". Off court, despite impeccable behaviour, he was a rather unprepossessing, gangly, spotty youth.
He then missed a year of Wimbledon due to an ankle injury, and I was stunned two years later to see a transformed 18-year-old Rafa bursting onto court looking like Rambo. "Where did all those muscles come from?" I asked in wonder (even his muscles had muscles). "Evolution," he replied, lifting his T-shirt to flex his biceps. "Then I was a boy. Now I am a man."
Indeed, the power generated from those bulging biceps have helped him pummel his way to $8,686,939 in prize money, and made him number two in the world. (In 2005 he became the youngest player in history to win the Davis Cup for Spain, on his first attempt.) Interestingly, despite being the same height as arch rival Roger Federer (1.85 metres), Rafa's muscular frame makes him - at 85 kilograms - five kilograms heavier.
As for the "3 S's", the fiddling with socks remains, while the scratch has turned into more of an absent-minded tug. "It is something I do without realising," he says, shrugging. Instead of the spit, there's a prolonged bouncing of the ball. "Never less than five times," Rafa once told me. Then he likes to have a few tennis balls from which to chose the "two fluffiest, least used". Not to mention the two water bottles which have to be placed in perfect symmetry, labels facing inwards, to swig from during each change of end.
Normally glossed over as trivial idiosyncrasies, these soon fell under England's media microscope this year during Wimbledon, when rain reduced the media to nitpicking. His lengthy preparation before serving, together with his routine during end changes, were labelled "time wasting". One tabloid even went so far as to consider that, had Rafael speeded up this process during his rain-affected match against Robin Soderling, it may not have taken five days. Indeed, during the match, which Rafa hailed as "maybe the toughest match of my career", Soderling bewildered the polite Mallorcan by refusing to speak to him in the locker room, and mimicking him on court by yanking at his shorts as he waited to receive serve. "It's not very nice of him," was all the diplomatic Rafa would say.
Signs of obsessive compulsive disorder are synonymous with great sportsmen. David Beckham admits to spending his spare time rearranging objects so that they are neatly aligned, while Serena Williams needs to bounce the ball five times before the first serve and twice before the second. Bjorn Borg and Greg Rusedski also have neatness compulsions.
However, nothing can detract from Nadal's charismatic and wholesome image, nor the mature manner in which he handles himself. A home-loving family boy, who is content to live in the family home in Manacor, he remains the perfect ambassador for Mallorca. He readily admits to getting homesick while on tour, and tries to return whenever possible "even for a day". Many attribute his well-adjusted and grounded attitude to his warm family, especially his coach and constant companion, uncle Toni. His enthusiasm and passion for the game is all-consuming; and his achievements and honesty make him a perfect role model for young people, although he admits that his school days were not too successful. "Once I even failed physical education!" he grimaces. His awareness of and need to please fans ensures he rarely passes an autograph hunter. In fact, while everyone rushed for cover during a storm this Wimbledon, Rafa stood signing tennis balls, ignoring the rain dripping from his hair.
Despite having girls flocking around him, he remains settled in a long-term relationship with his Mallorcan girlfriend Xisca. He is quiet and modest in manner, and the only time I've seen him temporarily lose focus was after a group of girls shouted from the crowd, "Que guapo culo" ("What a great arse"). He served a double fault.
On tour he rarely goes out except to shop, using videos and his Play Station to relax. He also enjoys cooking; even baking a cake for his trainer's birthday. At home he cites his favourite pleasures as hanging out with old friends, watching football, playing golf and fishing. "I really like fish. We cook them and eat them. I hope this doesn't offend you," he says. In fact he's hoping to pass his boating qualifications this summer. Needles to say his favourite recipe is pasta with seafood. (His favourite restaurant: Sa Punta near Porto Cristo.)
After his gruelling five-set Wimbledon final against Roger Federer, he was bitterly disappointed. However, he later told me, "Tomorrow I will be on the beach in Mallorca and everything will be fine". He added that his best preparation is to go home. "I'm going to have a week and half to recover the power. Then prepare for Montreal, Cincinnati and the US Open."
He rarely misses an opportunity to promote Mallorca. When asked, "If you were shipwrecked alone on an island, what three things would you like to have with you?", he quickly replied, "I hope it's in Mallorca - it's an island - so I would know I have everything I need there."
