Rafael Nadal, in his tennis career spanning over two decades, set and broke numerous records, establishing himself as one of the greatest players to have ever graced the game. However, one record from the Spanish legend doesn’t receive as much recognition as the others.
During his 23-year career, Nadal never broke a single racket, unlike his contemporaries, who often did so in moments of rage. He had bagged a deal with French company Babolat and used the same brand’s racket for 25 years. The 22-time Grand Slam champion played with almost 1,250 rackets of the Pure Aero Rafa model and did not break a single one of them in his entire career.
Other than the number of rackets, the legendary player carried over 125 different kitbags, applied 54k feet of VS Original overgrip himself, and used 186 miles of RPM Blast strings. Those numbers truly show the long and glorious career of the 38-year-old, highlighting his ability to maintain the dignity of the sport.
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The Pure Aero Rafa racket (unstrung) costs around $299 while another version of the racket named Pure Aero Rafa Origin (unstrung) costs $329 and can be purchased from Babolat’s official website. The RH6 Pure Aero Rafa kitbag is also available for purchase on the brand’s website and is priced at $184.5.
In a 2020 conversation with 60 Minutes, Rafa Nadal admitted that he knew the exact number of rackets he’d broken, and it was indeed zero.
Rafa reveals the reason behind not breaking rackets
When asked why he never broke a racket, Nadal said that his family would not have allowed him to do so. He further added that he believes that breaking a racket signifies that a player is not in control of his emotions, which is not the case with him.
“My family, they wouldn’t have allowed me to break a racket. For me, breaking a racket means I am not in control of my emotions,” told Rafa in his native language.
Even his uncle and ex-coach Toni Nadal had admitted that it would have upset him if Rafa had broken a racket. While the first reason was that he should respect the equipment, the second was that it meant giving in to his emotions.
“It would have upset me for two reasons. First, because of respect, especially about things that aren’t easy to acquire. Secondly, for giving into despair,” said Toni in Spanish.
Even Roger Federer, who is considered one of the calmest players on the court, broke six rackets in his career. Hence, Rafa’s stats show that despite having an aggressive approach to the game, he knew how to control his emotions at the same time.
