rampstyle #22

Rafael Nadal: the Teamplayer

Rafael Nadal gives virtually no interviews. 
So much for that. In our exclusive conversation, 
he tells us how he manages to consistently deliver top performances, what sort 
of relationship he has with his rivals – 
and how people often misjudge 
him as a person. On top, he also talks about his pretty special watch.

  • Interview
    Michael Köckritz
  • Foto
    Centour by Getty Images
Mr. Nadal, imagine you had to explain to someone who didn’t know you what kind of person you are. What would you say?

I can tell you that I would like to be remembered as a good person.

Since we’re on the subject of mortality: You once said that you can’t fight against age. How do you feel about getting old?

Getting old is a completely natural thing that happens to us all. I know I am growing older, but as long as I stay fit and ready to play at the highest level, I’m not really worried.

What is your secret to staying fit and consistently delivering top performances?

I don’t think there is any secret other than hard work, dedication and talent. Another important component is the feeling that I can fight for every tournament that I play.

Would you say that time is your friend or your enemy?

Well, to be honest that’s a delicate question because I’m actually very punctual for some things, always on time, while for other things I don’t have such a good track record. Though I am getting better. On the other hand, I am someone who plans his day very precisely. When I’m at a tournament, for example, it’s very important to be organized and know what I have to do.

“I don’t think there is any secret to delivering top performances other than hard work, dedication and talent.”
Rafael Nadal
In which moments during the day are you completely with yourself?

That depends on where I am. At tournaments, there are moments where I have to be alone in my room. That time by myself allows me to think and to focus.

And what do you think about?

It can be about a match, about something in my daily life – or about nothing at all. But I do need that time to think. When I’m back at home, things are quite different. There I’m always busy with practicing, meeting friends, playing golf, going down to the sea . . .

How do you deal with your psychological strengths and weaknesses?

I deal with everything that has to do with tennis with professionalism. I have the fortune to be surrounded by my team and by my family and that I can count on their advice. And the psychological is just one aspect of many in tennis. I don’t have any mental coach or something like that. The way I deal with it is with myself. And I can say that it’s worked out quite well.

What does mental strength mean to you anyway?

In general?

And with regard to tennis.

In general, I understand mental strength as being able to act as you normally would and to make the right decision in a stressful situation. When it comes to tennis, on the other hand, I see mental strength as the ability to choose the right shot at the most difficult moment. I also believe you can practice that. At least that’s what I have done since I started playing tennis.

“The way I have always seen things in my tennis career is that the rivalry stays on the court.”
Rafael Nadal
But can you simulate the pressure of a match when training?

I would say so. I always practice and train as if I was playing a match. And when I’m playing a match, that’s a sort of mental practice as well.

Would you consider yourself more of a lone wolf?

No, absolutely not. I love to be surrounded by people, especially by my family.

So that means you would describe yourself as a team player?

I think I’m always a team player. I love team sports, even though I compete in a sport that you play as an individual. But I think I’m a team player – every day, in tennis, but also in my other activities.

You once said, “Life is more than tennis.”

That’s just a fact of life. There is so much more to life than tennis. My family and my friends are also part of my life and they will be there in the future when I stop playing tennis.

Let’s talk about your watch. At first, we thought you had a whole new watch. But then we realized you just changed the strap. Didn’t you like the blue anymore?

It’s just that I like colors and enjoy changing the color of my straps from time to time. I’ll be playing in Roland Garros soon, and orange would go really well with the clay there.

What does luxury mean to you?

Luxury is a lot of things. Luxury is time at home with my family, with my friends. But luxury is also material things. Things that have a lot of quality work in them, with lots of time invested in them, things that were given a lot of thought and consideration. And if the materials are of a high quality as well, then a high price seems reasonable. A personal luxury for me is my long friendship with Richard Mille.

What do you and Richard Mille share in common?

We share many things in common, despite the fact that we are actually quite different as people. We both share a passion for what we do, and that’s very important for me.

Credit: Getty Images
Credit: Getty Images
You never wanted to wear a watch during a match before you met him. How did he convince you to wear a watch?

I used to think it would be impossible for me to play with a watch. But when he came to Mallorca with the first prototype, I immediately knew that I could. It was so perfect, so light, that I had no doubts.

Rafa: My Story, your authorized biography, was published more than ten years ago. You were only in your mid-twenties at the time. What would a biography of you look like today?

Yes, it has been a long time since that came out. To be honest, a biography of me today wouldn’t be all that different. Though of course there would be lots of new thoughts, experiences and stories to share. Who knows? Maybe I’ll go for another one some day!

Of course, we’d also like to hear about how you experience yourself in a match. Do you develop something like a relationship with your opponent or with the spectators?

That’s a very long and difficult question that would require a whole book to be answered. But I can tell you that I have developed a special relationship with many of my biggest rivals. That’s only natural, since we have spent so many hours together at tournaments and matches.

Isn’t friendship among rivals a hindrance?

Friendships certainly are possible, but these friendships are different than the ones with your friends back home. The way I have always seen things in my tennis career is that the rivalry stays on the court. The bottom line for me is that it’s important to have a good relationship with other people.

You’ve achieved so much, broken so many records and amassed so many victories. What still drives you on?

That’s easy! The passion for the game and for the competition.

One last question: What is the biggest misconception other people have about you as a person?

I think I’m different on the tennis court. I might look more aggressive there than what I really am in life. Maybe that.

Michael Köckritz

Michael Köckritz

Editor in Chief
As a journalist, author, artist and media maker, Michael Köckritz succeeds time and again in creating both attention-grabbing and sustainably stimulating impulses in the context of contemporary and future topics as well as lifestyle and luxury worlds. As publisher and editor-in-chief, he has realised a whole series of book and lifestyle magazine formats that have regularly won numerous national and international awards over the years. The car culture magazine ramp, the men's lifestyle magazine rampstyle and the design magazine ramp.design are published internationally and are considered style-setting.
rampstyle #22 Ich für mich

rampstyle #22 Ich für mich

Was uns ausmacht? Letztlich ist es immer unsere Persönlichkeit. Dieses wunderbar schillernde und einzigartige Ich, mit dem wir uns und der Welt begegnen. So weit, so gut – aus der Sicht der anderen. Wenn wir aber anfangen, uns über unser Selbst Gedanken zu machen, wird es komplizierter.

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