Interview: Rafael Nadal
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Date Posted:
January-16-2012 11:42
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FHM
exclusive, tennis superstar Rafael Nadal talks to us prior to the commencement of the 2012 Australian Open about retiring and cricket, and muses on cranky competitors.
Words: FHM's editor, Guy Mosel
Your match against Roger Federer at the 2008 Wimbledon final is often referred to as the best match ever. Is that the best tennis you’ve ever played?
It’s hard to say whether it was the best tennis, but it’s the most emotional match of my career. If you look at the significance of that match it was probably one of the most important matches of my career.
Do you sometimes feel before a game that you’re definitely going to win? Well, sometimes you go into a match feeling you might play bad and you win, and sometimes you go in feeling good and you only play so-so. My feeling is when I’m practising well I compete better. But with tournaments it’s very rare to start a tournament well and finish it well. You often start so-so and then hopefully finish well. You have to be ready to keep improving in every match, especially in long tournaments like grand slams.
Why is Andy Murray always so grumpy? You always seem so happy but he always looks like someone ran over his dog. I know Andy and he’s a fantastic guy, so I have to defend him because I think he’s very good for the sport. He’s a humble guy. On court, everyone has his own character and everyone’s attitude is different because there’s pressure. Everyone expresses his emotions in a different way.
You like playing golf; have you ever played cricket? Ah, no.
Have you ever watched it? Of course. Every year I’m here in Australia there is cricket on. But I don’t really understand it.
The Australian team is looking for some new talent – your left arm would make you a pretty handy quick.
Haha! We could try. Have you ever run with the bulls in Pamplona? I never have. I can go and enjoy the Festival of San Fermines and see the sights and enjoy the party, but I will never run.
Not even after you retire? Even when I retire I’m happy to go and watch everything from another place, not in front of the bulls.
Retirement is obviously some time away for you, but have you given any thought about what you might do after you leave the game?
I’m not really worried. I like a lot of things away from the game but at the same time I love the sport. I love practising, I love watching, so I’m sure that I will continue to be involved in the sport in the future.
How will you know when it’s time to retire?
Retirement will happen, but I don’t know when. You just have to accept the situation and move on to different things.
What does Bernard Tomic need to be doing to reach the kind of level you’ve reached? Keep improving and be humble enough to accept that you have to work hard every day to improve your tennis. He’s good and he has unbelievable talent. If he wants to be there, he will be there.
What advice would you have for someone who wants to become a tennis pro? Enjoy. Enjoy the sport. To be a professional tennis player you have to love the competition, you have to love the tennis because you’re going to spend a lot of time away from home and you’re going to spend a lot time practising hard. And it’s not a team sport. Sometimes you are alone. That’s why you have to love it.
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