Wimbledon 2011! (Page 2 of 2)

Since the Nadals are intimately familiar with that pro futbol lifestyle, you probably just identified the very reason they put Rafa into tennis instead, Arvis. 

The Nadals are very knowledgeable and clever people.  They don't make many mistakes. 

The training methods employed to teach and condition Rafa are a large part of the reason that Rafa and his game are so physical.  I had never heard of anyone learning to hit ground strokes sitting on a chair before, but it makes perfect sense.  It teaches you to hit the ball with your core, unwinding on it, which over time also is going to strengthen your core.  Nobody had ever tried to hit the ball hard with as much spin as Rafa routinely uses on his forehand, either.  That's a pretty effective innovation.  And Rafa plays left handed, which is an advantage in tennis, though he's right handed.  C'mon.  Nobody's that smart.

Rafa doesn't exactly fit the typical tennis player profile, either.  Many players are a little cocky, to be honest.  In the tennis world, no one is as humble as Rafa.  Yet on the court no one is as physically intimidating.  It's a unique combination.  I like it.

Interesting you should say that.  To me, since '08 Rafa's game has owed a lot to the bald (and best) version of Andre. 

In the latter part of his career, Andre was a bulldog.  He had spent a lot of time in the gym and he was very strong.  More importantly, he could play all day.  He was going out there to run his opponent to death, basically. 

Rafa became much the same in '08 when his serve had improved.  Good serve, great groundies hit super-aggressively with great consistency, and you knew if the match got long who was going to win.  Of course, Andre stood in closer and relied on his timing, and Rafa stands back and relies on his wheels more, but the bottom line is much the same: you're going to get beaten physically, beaten up really if you  stay out there long enough. 

It took Andre quite a few years to get to the point, mentally and physically, where his game evolved to that level.  Rafa has been there since '08 -- for three years.  He just turned 25.