The sporting world might never witness another athlete quite like Rafael Nadal. He approached the game with utmost resilience, dominated it with his powerful forehands, and won fans’ hearts with his humility. Patrick McEnroe lauded each of these traits when speaking about Rafa’s retirement.
“Not only is he arguably the greatest competitor we’ve ever seen in tennis… but so humble, such a great example,” McEnroe said.
The former American player highlighted Nadal’s influence on the younger generation by revealing how John McEnroe Tennis Academy students try to emulate him. These youngsters would dress up exactly like the 22-time Grand Slam champ. To such students, McEnroe candidly gives a reality check.
Imitating Nadal by copying his outfit might be easy. But it is near-impossible for anybody to have a forehand like the Mallorca native.
“All the kids over the years that I’ve, since I’ve been there, that show up with the Rafa headband, that show up with his racket, and you know, I tell them ‘you’re probably not going to be able to hit the forehand like Rafa’,” McEnroe says.
“Not only is he arguably the greatest competitor we’ve ever seen in tennis… but so humble.”@PatrickMcEnroe explains why @RafaelNadal was the perfect example for young players, and why his forehand remains unmatched on the Inside-In Podcast.
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McEnroe is justified in choosing to be realistic rather than optimistic. Nadal’s patented topspin forehand has been his biggest weapon on the court. This same weapon was reliable throughout his career, helping him win multiple tournaments. Some of the biggest stars on the ATP Tour have tried and failed to replicate this forehand.
A student might not be able to pull off the forehand in the same effective manner as Rafa, but other aspects of his game can be studied and replicated.
Nadal was also successful because of his intangibles
Instead of trying to master a difficult shot, budding tennis players can take a different page out of Rafa’s book. They can try playing the game with similar intangible traits.
“You can learn from his attitude, which was 110% every time he went out on the court, no excuses, be humble, respect the game, which is why he never broke a racket, respect the opponent,” McEnroe concluded.
Rafa also has a never-say-die attitude. This is one of the biggest reasons why he’s recorded multiple comeback wins at the highest level. It is one of the intangible traits that separates the Spaniard from the rest — a crucial quality for young tennis players to incorporate into their skills.
