Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
MICHAEL JACKSON DIES TODAY AT 50
ABOVE IS THE TRIBUTE TO MJ DONE YEARS BACK BY THE KOREAN ARTIST WHICH ONE OF THEM IS RAIN!
MICHAEL JACKSON IN MY EYES IS THE 'KING OF POP'. HE IS ARTISTIC, ONE OF A KIND. I ALWAYS BELIEVE THAT AS A STAR THAT HAS TASTED FAME EARLY IN HIS CHILDHOOD, IT SOMEHOW MAKES LIFE FOR HIM A LITTLE BIT ABNORMAL THAN OTHERS, AND PERHAPS IN HIS CASE, A LIFE FULL OF DRAMA AND ALL.
BUT HIS PASSING SHALL BE MOURNED BY THE WORLD, I AM DEFINITELY A BIG FAN OF THE LEGEND MJ. MAY YOU REST IN PEACE!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Recap on Last Year Wimbledon
Articles
Sublime Spaniard stretches the imagination
Sunday, 6 July 2008
Written by Kate Battersby
So now we know. For 65 matches spanning six years we have wondered who could possibly be the man to stop Roger Federer on grass, and at Wimbledon. Did such a player exist, or was Federer's elegant supremacy such that the mere idea was the stuff of ridiculous imagination?
On Centre Court on Sunday, imagination took flight. The sporting world trembled on its axis, and mother nature sent out thunderclaps and lightning around the All England Club to herald the extraordinary moment. So remember the date, July 6 2008, the time, 9.15pm, and then shout the name out loud: Rafael Nadal.
Little wonder the Spanish national motto is Plus Ultra – literally, further beyond. If the translation is clumsily ungrammatical, then the legend itself spells out in neon what Nadal achieved. Four weeks to the day since he permitted the Swiss a confidence-mincing total of four games in his clay court kingdom of Roland Garros, Nadal robbed Federer of his most treasured possession, the title that defined him: his Wimbledon crown.
The 22-year-old Majorcan already has four successive French Open victories, but this is his most glittering prize. Three weeks ago at Queen’s he became the first Spaniard to take a grass court title in 36 years. But it is 42 years since a player from his nation conquered the lawns of SW19.
The moment when at last he touched victory hit him like a bullet in the chest. It left him flattened on the turf, eyes squeezed shut, face crumpled. Tears came, and he rolled over into a near-foetal position, before staggering to his feet to acknowledge Federer at the net. But the need to be with those he loves the most was paramount for Nadal, and he clambered the stands to find their embrace, before taking a startling walk over an adjoining roof to receive a handshake from the Spanish crown prince in the royal box.
Little wonder he felt such need for release. All through the match he had contained his confidence, with none of the lavish celebration so habitual to his game. Dozens of times in any given match he can be seen extravagantly rejoicing in some extraordinary shot by swerving away with his left fist clenched, arm pumping, shouting: “Vamos!” But today there was no investment of energy in such wastefulness until late in the final set. Face set in concentration, he permitted himself just an occasional fist-clench of affirmation, until almost the moment he smote the legend.
Who could blame him? Every second of this match was cloaked in spine-tingling tension, and that was just for those who watched. What must it have been like inside Nadal’s skin, to wake on Sunday morning in the knowledge that this was the most important day of his professional life?
Twelve months ago here, he became the only person to have taken Federer to five sets since his grass court streak began in the ancient days of 2003. This year so many voices publicly proclaimed him champion before a ball was struck. But he was facing a man who was bidding to make history, by becoming the first player in 122 years to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon six times in succession. Federer was decreed to be at his most vulnerable, yet no one else here had been able unburden Federer of so much as a set in the whole fortnight. The only outcome no one could envisage was an anti-climax.
On a cool and blustery afternoon, the Centre Court crowd were all but gibbering with anticipation. Arriving on court Nadal looked tense and purposeful; Federer strolled in behind him with a graceful wave to acknowledge the ovation. When umpire Pascal Maria called time, Federer strode at once to the baseline, but Nadal lingered for 10 seconds in his chair, pondering his destiny.
He grasped the first point of the match with a powerful forehand, and it prompted not only long applause but a great murmuring ripple through the crowd, as if some sensational piece of news was being passed among them. Even the sun peered out from the dark skies above, unable to resist the lure of the action.
Moments later the ripple was a roar of astonishment. The match was three games old, but already the Spaniard had a break, and Federer never got it back. It felt as if the mental burden of that Roland Garros evisceration was casting a shadow.
The shadow grew longer when Nadal came back from 1-4 down to take the second 6-4. Federer, the grass court king, was two sets down. If that seemed unreal, it was positively eerie when at 3-3 in the third, Nadal galloped to 0-40.
They felt very much like match points – but all went by. On such chances great matches might hinge. An 80-minute break for rain saw Federer renewed, as if he had remembered that all he had to fear was fear itself. From being dangerously near defeat, he took the set on the tie-break.
The fourth set tie-break was a thing of heart-stopping beauty – heart-stopping in its tension, beautiful in its quality. Twice Nadal held Championship point, and twice heaven passed him by on the other side. Federer took it to a fifth, and here at last Nadal’s destiny lay waiting.
There is no sound like the roar of the Centre Court crowd as it tumbles on to the turf. The great wave of it crashed over Nadal. Was there ever such a final as this? The king is dead; long live the king.
*I hope that Rafa can play this year....
Sublime Spaniard stretches the imagination
Sunday, 6 July 2008
Written by Kate Battersby
So now we know. For 65 matches spanning six years we have wondered who could possibly be the man to stop Roger Federer on grass, and at Wimbledon. Did such a player exist, or was Federer's elegant supremacy such that the mere idea was the stuff of ridiculous imagination?
On Centre Court on Sunday, imagination took flight. The sporting world trembled on its axis, and mother nature sent out thunderclaps and lightning around the All England Club to herald the extraordinary moment. So remember the date, July 6 2008, the time, 9.15pm, and then shout the name out loud: Rafael Nadal.
Little wonder the Spanish national motto is Plus Ultra – literally, further beyond. If the translation is clumsily ungrammatical, then the legend itself spells out in neon what Nadal achieved. Four weeks to the day since he permitted the Swiss a confidence-mincing total of four games in his clay court kingdom of Roland Garros, Nadal robbed Federer of his most treasured possession, the title that defined him: his Wimbledon crown.
The 22-year-old Majorcan already has four successive French Open victories, but this is his most glittering prize. Three weeks ago at Queen’s he became the first Spaniard to take a grass court title in 36 years. But it is 42 years since a player from his nation conquered the lawns of SW19.
The moment when at last he touched victory hit him like a bullet in the chest. It left him flattened on the turf, eyes squeezed shut, face crumpled. Tears came, and he rolled over into a near-foetal position, before staggering to his feet to acknowledge Federer at the net. But the need to be with those he loves the most was paramount for Nadal, and he clambered the stands to find their embrace, before taking a startling walk over an adjoining roof to receive a handshake from the Spanish crown prince in the royal box.
Little wonder he felt such need for release. All through the match he had contained his confidence, with none of the lavish celebration so habitual to his game. Dozens of times in any given match he can be seen extravagantly rejoicing in some extraordinary shot by swerving away with his left fist clenched, arm pumping, shouting: “Vamos!” But today there was no investment of energy in such wastefulness until late in the final set. Face set in concentration, he permitted himself just an occasional fist-clench of affirmation, until almost the moment he smote the legend.
Who could blame him? Every second of this match was cloaked in spine-tingling tension, and that was just for those who watched. What must it have been like inside Nadal’s skin, to wake on Sunday morning in the knowledge that this was the most important day of his professional life?
Twelve months ago here, he became the only person to have taken Federer to five sets since his grass court streak began in the ancient days of 2003. This year so many voices publicly proclaimed him champion before a ball was struck. But he was facing a man who was bidding to make history, by becoming the first player in 122 years to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon six times in succession. Federer was decreed to be at his most vulnerable, yet no one else here had been able unburden Federer of so much as a set in the whole fortnight. The only outcome no one could envisage was an anti-climax.
On a cool and blustery afternoon, the Centre Court crowd were all but gibbering with anticipation. Arriving on court Nadal looked tense and purposeful; Federer strolled in behind him with a graceful wave to acknowledge the ovation. When umpire Pascal Maria called time, Federer strode at once to the baseline, but Nadal lingered for 10 seconds in his chair, pondering his destiny.
He grasped the first point of the match with a powerful forehand, and it prompted not only long applause but a great murmuring ripple through the crowd, as if some sensational piece of news was being passed among them. Even the sun peered out from the dark skies above, unable to resist the lure of the action.
Moments later the ripple was a roar of astonishment. The match was three games old, but already the Spaniard had a break, and Federer never got it back. It felt as if the mental burden of that Roland Garros evisceration was casting a shadow.
The shadow grew longer when Nadal came back from 1-4 down to take the second 6-4. Federer, the grass court king, was two sets down. If that seemed unreal, it was positively eerie when at 3-3 in the third, Nadal galloped to 0-40.
They felt very much like match points – but all went by. On such chances great matches might hinge. An 80-minute break for rain saw Federer renewed, as if he had remembered that all he had to fear was fear itself. From being dangerously near defeat, he took the set on the tie-break.
The fourth set tie-break was a thing of heart-stopping beauty – heart-stopping in its tension, beautiful in its quality. Twice Nadal held Championship point, and twice heaven passed him by on the other side. Federer took it to a fifth, and here at last Nadal’s destiny lay waiting.
There is no sound like the roar of the Centre Court crowd as it tumbles on to the turf. The great wave of it crashed over Nadal. Was there ever such a final as this? The king is dead; long live the king.
*I hope that Rafa can play this year....
Monday, June 15, 2009
RAFA NADAL
Rafael Nadal puts success down to home comforts and a quiet life
Rafael Nadal’s current dominance of tennis is such that his defeat at the French Open last month was greeted with shock and disbelief. Now, as he prepares to defend his Wimbledon title, the legend who’s never left home opens up about rankings, racket abuse and new rival Andy Murray
Simon Kinnersley
There is a scene that says more about Rafael Nadal than 1,000 documentaries. It is Paris, four years ago almost to the day. He has just won the French Open for the first time and is walking down the street; Uncle Toni, his coach, is on one side, and former professional player Carlos Costa on the other. Toni whispers to his nephew that he should afford Costa the respect and status he deserves by walking on the outside. The newly crowned champion obliges and quickly swaps places, and the three of them carry on into the night.
Today, Nadal has 30 titles and 6 grand slams to his name, including Wimbledon, and has banked around £17 million in winnings, with total earnings estimated at nearly £50 million. Despite that, those around him insist nothing has changed; the only difference being he wouldn’t need to be told to walk on the outside, he would already be there.
Arguably it is this surprising humility, conspicuous by its absence in so many sporting megastars, that has kept the tennis critics’ faith in Nadal even after he crashed out of the French Open this year. “It was a shocking, unprecedented, utterly unforeseen defeat,” says Times Tennis Correspondent Neil Harman. “But in the press conference afterwards, Nadal proved his mental strength, calmly pointing out how one needs defeat to give value to your victories. He still has three or four years until he reaches his peak, but already he is in the top five tennis players of all time.”
In fact, it is a measure of Nadal’s dominance that his defeat sent such massive reverberations through the sport. After all, up until then, he had been busy rewriting the tennis record books. Last year, he finally topped the rankings after 160 weeks at number two, and won the Davis Cup for Spain, gold at the Beijing Olympics and seven other titles. This year he has gone on to win in both Monte Carlo and Barcelona for a fifth successive time, as well as the Italian Open for a fourth time, all at 22 (he’s just had his 23rd birthday). But, while his trophy cabinet and number of screaming fans have swelled proportionately, life for the boy from Majorca remains very much the same.
He still lives at home with his mother, father and sister at their flat in Manacor, still carries his own bags, looks after his own kit (his mother washes and irons his clothes), hangs out with his old friends, dates a local girl, 21-year-old Francisca “Xisca” Perello, goes fishing with friends in a boat out of Porto Cristo harbour, and still has the threat from his Uncle Toni that, if he starts acting up, he can look for a new coach or find a new sport.
“He told me when I was very young that if I ever started throwing my rackets around, smashing them or hitting balls out of the park, then he would send me out of the park,” recalls Nadal. “He used to say that there were many children and grown-ups who have never had the chance to play, so a racket should be loved. I have never thrown a racket in my life. It taught me that it doesn’t matter how badly you are playing, it is not the racket’s fault; you should always show respect.”
We are sitting in his hotel room in Rome – perhaps the only thing that has changed is the fact that he resides in a suite rather than a standard room – which, in spite of its abundant luxury and the fact that he has spent less than an hour there, is already more than halfway towards looking like a student bedroom. A few photos Blu-Tacked to the walls and the makeover would be complete.
Clothes are strewn around, trainers and socks form footsteps on the carpet as though discarded as he walked across the room. Half-unpacked cases spill their contents across the floor; two young Spaniards are lolling on the sofa playing a computer game; the television is on; someone is chatting on their mobile; and in the middle is Nadal, dropping his jeans, tucking in his T-shirt and hitching himself up. Only his rackets seem ordered, resting neatly in their bag by the door. It is a scene utterly devoid of affectation or self-importance.
Yet it is this man, with a physique that appears to have been hewn from granite and an almost terrifying determination, who last year usurped Roger Federer to become No 1 in the world. He would have been defending his title at the AEGON Championships at the Queen’s Club, London, this week, were it not for a knee injury. “The doctors said I should rest if I want to be ready for Wimbledon. I watched my Wimbledon final from last year on TV recently. It was amazing, so amazing, and I am determined to be there again.” He identifies the principal threat to his Wimbledon crown as Britain’s Andy Murray. Murray’s own position in the rankings has gone from outside the Top 10 to No 3 in the past year. It is a mouth-watering prospect, and possibly the opening salvo of what may be a long-term rivalry. On one side of the net, there is the brutal power and never-say-die intensity of the Spaniard; on the other, the silkier, more diverse shot-making of the less demonstrative but equally determined Scot. It is a fascinating contrast in style and temperament, yet away from tennis, both seem almost untouched by their success.
“Why would I want to change anything, why should I change anything?” Nadal asks, rather disarmingly. “The atmosphere in my home is lovely. Why would I want to get somewhere of my own, and then come back to an empty apartment, and worry about whether I had any food left in the fridge and things like that? It’s much nicer to come home to my family, where everything is as it always was, my mother telling me to tidy my room, my sister, Maria Isabel, teasing me. Stability is very important to me.”
Nadal may have traded in his battered old mobile phone, but his car is not luxurious or ostentatious, just a Kia – something practical to get him around the island with his golf clubs. And he hasn’t bought his own boat to go fishing, preferring his father’s instead.
“Of course, it’s good to have money, and it’s a privilege to be in a situation where I don’t have to worry about it, but that’s not the reason why I play tennis and it’s not a motivation. I had a wonderfully happy childhood and I am just as happy today, so I know that money doesn’t change anything or bring additional happiness. I play because I love it. For me, the most important thing is practising, trying to get better and improve every aspect of my game. I assume nothing.”
Unsurprisingly in view of his dominance, the tennis world sees things differently; last spring and summer he swept through tournament after tournament, becoming the first player to win the French Open then, switching from clay to grass, Queen’s Club and Wimbledon.
This year’s defeat is widely expected to be nothing more than a blip. After all, prior to France, he had dominated the European leg of the circuit, and few would bet against him repeating his Wimbledon triumph.
Nadal smiles and waves such notions aside. “You can’t have the illusion of winning a tournament. I believe that if you start thinking like that, it is the moment that things will start going wrong, because you are not respecting how difficult it is and how focused you have to be to stand a chance of winning. You have to always remember there are a number of great players with the same idea as you. They are not thinking: ‘Oh, Rafa will win this.’ Although getting to No 1 in the world was the fulfilment of a dream for me, because it is a measure of consistency over a year, the euphoria of winning a tournament, and particularly a grand slam, is far greater. Winning Wimbledon last year, for instance, the first Spaniard for more than 40 years, was a very special moment for me; it was the realisation of all those years of practising, training and hard work.”
Nadal, as the game’s authorities are only too aware, is now the man selling tennis. His presence is critical not only for tournaments to shift seats, but also to the television rights holders. While Roger Federer makes a traditional entrance on court wearing a blazer, Nadal, with his baggy, knee-length shorts, bandana and, until recently, sleeveless T-shirts, is the modern face of the game. And his fame transcends his sport – Lanvin has signed him up as the face of its new cologne, and he is collaborating with Nike on a new clothing line. He has also established a philanthropic foundation with the aim of using sport to help “handicapped, immigrant and socially excluded people” all over the world.
There are now as many spectators watching him practise as there are attending early-round matches. Even the other players admit they love seeing him on court. “He’s definitely my favourite player to watch,” says Andy Murray. “He’s so competitive. You get this feeling he just wants to annihilate his opponent.” Andy Roddick concurs: “He’s a beast out there on court.” Nadal, meanwhile, has been impressed by the rise of Murray. “His game has improved a lot in the past year. Before, he would lose matches he should have won, but he has written that out of his game and he now wins them. The result is he goes further in tournaments. Can he win Wimbledon? Of course, why not?”
Nadal laughs when I tell him of Roddick’s comment about him. “I don’t know where my competitiveness comes from,” he says, having readily admitted in an interview last year that his bravery is confined to the court. At home, on the rare occasions he’s alone, he’ll sleep on the sofa with the TV and all the lights on. “In tennis, it’s true that I will fight until my last drop of sweat, but not my last drop of blood – I don’t want to die! It’s all about giving everything, because I want to win so badly. I would hate to lose knowing that I hadn’t given my all.”
He suspects his competitiveness is genetic. His uncle, Miguel Ángel Nadal, played football for Barcelona and Spain. “We are a very sporty family, we all love to compete,” he says. There’s not a player on the circuit who would argue with that. After all, it was Nadal who reduced the previously unflappable Federer to floods of tears after beating him in the final of the Australian Open earlier this year. Mental disintegration, the Aussies call it.
Nadal’s own mental strength is exemplary. Few would be as grounded and seemingly unchanged after such a meteoric rise. He pauses and thinks for several moments: “I am calmer and more tranquil in myself,” he says finally.
“I have achieved all my dreams. My desire to win and the passion is still there, so too is my wish to keep practising and improving. But I am aware that once you get to No 1 in the world, the only way is down. Whether it is tomorrow, next year or in five years’ time, it will happen.
“But that is something that doesn’t worry me, because that is the nature of sport. If you are not prepared to lose and accept defeat, then you shouldn’t be playing. I know that I’ve been very fortunate, and if it all ends now, I’ve had a fantastic career and the privilege to live a life that most people never have the chance to experience. I will get my rod and go fishing.”
Read Rafael Nadal’s exclusive Wimbledon blog.The final of the AEGON Championships takes place on Sunday, June 14.
YOU ARE THE BEST RAFA!!! VAMOS!!!!
Rafael Nadal’s current dominance of tennis is such that his defeat at the French Open last month was greeted with shock and disbelief. Now, as he prepares to defend his Wimbledon title, the legend who’s never left home opens up about rankings, racket abuse and new rival Andy Murray
Simon Kinnersley
There is a scene that says more about Rafael Nadal than 1,000 documentaries. It is Paris, four years ago almost to the day. He has just won the French Open for the first time and is walking down the street; Uncle Toni, his coach, is on one side, and former professional player Carlos Costa on the other. Toni whispers to his nephew that he should afford Costa the respect and status he deserves by walking on the outside. The newly crowned champion obliges and quickly swaps places, and the three of them carry on into the night.
Today, Nadal has 30 titles and 6 grand slams to his name, including Wimbledon, and has banked around £17 million in winnings, with total earnings estimated at nearly £50 million. Despite that, those around him insist nothing has changed; the only difference being he wouldn’t need to be told to walk on the outside, he would already be there.
Arguably it is this surprising humility, conspicuous by its absence in so many sporting megastars, that has kept the tennis critics’ faith in Nadal even after he crashed out of the French Open this year. “It was a shocking, unprecedented, utterly unforeseen defeat,” says Times Tennis Correspondent Neil Harman. “But in the press conference afterwards, Nadal proved his mental strength, calmly pointing out how one needs defeat to give value to your victories. He still has three or four years until he reaches his peak, but already he is in the top five tennis players of all time.”
In fact, it is a measure of Nadal’s dominance that his defeat sent such massive reverberations through the sport. After all, up until then, he had been busy rewriting the tennis record books. Last year, he finally topped the rankings after 160 weeks at number two, and won the Davis Cup for Spain, gold at the Beijing Olympics and seven other titles. This year he has gone on to win in both Monte Carlo and Barcelona for a fifth successive time, as well as the Italian Open for a fourth time, all at 22 (he’s just had his 23rd birthday). But, while his trophy cabinet and number of screaming fans have swelled proportionately, life for the boy from Majorca remains very much the same.
He still lives at home with his mother, father and sister at their flat in Manacor, still carries his own bags, looks after his own kit (his mother washes and irons his clothes), hangs out with his old friends, dates a local girl, 21-year-old Francisca “Xisca” Perello, goes fishing with friends in a boat out of Porto Cristo harbour, and still has the threat from his Uncle Toni that, if he starts acting up, he can look for a new coach or find a new sport.
“He told me when I was very young that if I ever started throwing my rackets around, smashing them or hitting balls out of the park, then he would send me out of the park,” recalls Nadal. “He used to say that there were many children and grown-ups who have never had the chance to play, so a racket should be loved. I have never thrown a racket in my life. It taught me that it doesn’t matter how badly you are playing, it is not the racket’s fault; you should always show respect.”
We are sitting in his hotel room in Rome – perhaps the only thing that has changed is the fact that he resides in a suite rather than a standard room – which, in spite of its abundant luxury and the fact that he has spent less than an hour there, is already more than halfway towards looking like a student bedroom. A few photos Blu-Tacked to the walls and the makeover would be complete.
Clothes are strewn around, trainers and socks form footsteps on the carpet as though discarded as he walked across the room. Half-unpacked cases spill their contents across the floor; two young Spaniards are lolling on the sofa playing a computer game; the television is on; someone is chatting on their mobile; and in the middle is Nadal, dropping his jeans, tucking in his T-shirt and hitching himself up. Only his rackets seem ordered, resting neatly in their bag by the door. It is a scene utterly devoid of affectation or self-importance.
Yet it is this man, with a physique that appears to have been hewn from granite and an almost terrifying determination, who last year usurped Roger Federer to become No 1 in the world. He would have been defending his title at the AEGON Championships at the Queen’s Club, London, this week, were it not for a knee injury. “The doctors said I should rest if I want to be ready for Wimbledon. I watched my Wimbledon final from last year on TV recently. It was amazing, so amazing, and I am determined to be there again.” He identifies the principal threat to his Wimbledon crown as Britain’s Andy Murray. Murray’s own position in the rankings has gone from outside the Top 10 to No 3 in the past year. It is a mouth-watering prospect, and possibly the opening salvo of what may be a long-term rivalry. On one side of the net, there is the brutal power and never-say-die intensity of the Spaniard; on the other, the silkier, more diverse shot-making of the less demonstrative but equally determined Scot. It is a fascinating contrast in style and temperament, yet away from tennis, both seem almost untouched by their success.
“Why would I want to change anything, why should I change anything?” Nadal asks, rather disarmingly. “The atmosphere in my home is lovely. Why would I want to get somewhere of my own, and then come back to an empty apartment, and worry about whether I had any food left in the fridge and things like that? It’s much nicer to come home to my family, where everything is as it always was, my mother telling me to tidy my room, my sister, Maria Isabel, teasing me. Stability is very important to me.”
Nadal may have traded in his battered old mobile phone, but his car is not luxurious or ostentatious, just a Kia – something practical to get him around the island with his golf clubs. And he hasn’t bought his own boat to go fishing, preferring his father’s instead.
“Of course, it’s good to have money, and it’s a privilege to be in a situation where I don’t have to worry about it, but that’s not the reason why I play tennis and it’s not a motivation. I had a wonderfully happy childhood and I am just as happy today, so I know that money doesn’t change anything or bring additional happiness. I play because I love it. For me, the most important thing is practising, trying to get better and improve every aspect of my game. I assume nothing.”
Unsurprisingly in view of his dominance, the tennis world sees things differently; last spring and summer he swept through tournament after tournament, becoming the first player to win the French Open then, switching from clay to grass, Queen’s Club and Wimbledon.
This year’s defeat is widely expected to be nothing more than a blip. After all, prior to France, he had dominated the European leg of the circuit, and few would bet against him repeating his Wimbledon triumph.
Nadal smiles and waves such notions aside. “You can’t have the illusion of winning a tournament. I believe that if you start thinking like that, it is the moment that things will start going wrong, because you are not respecting how difficult it is and how focused you have to be to stand a chance of winning. You have to always remember there are a number of great players with the same idea as you. They are not thinking: ‘Oh, Rafa will win this.’ Although getting to No 1 in the world was the fulfilment of a dream for me, because it is a measure of consistency over a year, the euphoria of winning a tournament, and particularly a grand slam, is far greater. Winning Wimbledon last year, for instance, the first Spaniard for more than 40 years, was a very special moment for me; it was the realisation of all those years of practising, training and hard work.”
Nadal, as the game’s authorities are only too aware, is now the man selling tennis. His presence is critical not only for tournaments to shift seats, but also to the television rights holders. While Roger Federer makes a traditional entrance on court wearing a blazer, Nadal, with his baggy, knee-length shorts, bandana and, until recently, sleeveless T-shirts, is the modern face of the game. And his fame transcends his sport – Lanvin has signed him up as the face of its new cologne, and he is collaborating with Nike on a new clothing line. He has also established a philanthropic foundation with the aim of using sport to help “handicapped, immigrant and socially excluded people” all over the world.
There are now as many spectators watching him practise as there are attending early-round matches. Even the other players admit they love seeing him on court. “He’s definitely my favourite player to watch,” says Andy Murray. “He’s so competitive. You get this feeling he just wants to annihilate his opponent.” Andy Roddick concurs: “He’s a beast out there on court.” Nadal, meanwhile, has been impressed by the rise of Murray. “His game has improved a lot in the past year. Before, he would lose matches he should have won, but he has written that out of his game and he now wins them. The result is he goes further in tournaments. Can he win Wimbledon? Of course, why not?”
Nadal laughs when I tell him of Roddick’s comment about him. “I don’t know where my competitiveness comes from,” he says, having readily admitted in an interview last year that his bravery is confined to the court. At home, on the rare occasions he’s alone, he’ll sleep on the sofa with the TV and all the lights on. “In tennis, it’s true that I will fight until my last drop of sweat, but not my last drop of blood – I don’t want to die! It’s all about giving everything, because I want to win so badly. I would hate to lose knowing that I hadn’t given my all.”
He suspects his competitiveness is genetic. His uncle, Miguel Ángel Nadal, played football for Barcelona and Spain. “We are a very sporty family, we all love to compete,” he says. There’s not a player on the circuit who would argue with that. After all, it was Nadal who reduced the previously unflappable Federer to floods of tears after beating him in the final of the Australian Open earlier this year. Mental disintegration, the Aussies call it.
Nadal’s own mental strength is exemplary. Few would be as grounded and seemingly unchanged after such a meteoric rise. He pauses and thinks for several moments: “I am calmer and more tranquil in myself,” he says finally.
“I have achieved all my dreams. My desire to win and the passion is still there, so too is my wish to keep practising and improving. But I am aware that once you get to No 1 in the world, the only way is down. Whether it is tomorrow, next year or in five years’ time, it will happen.
“But that is something that doesn’t worry me, because that is the nature of sport. If you are not prepared to lose and accept defeat, then you shouldn’t be playing. I know that I’ve been very fortunate, and if it all ends now, I’ve had a fantastic career and the privilege to live a life that most people never have the chance to experience. I will get my rod and go fishing.”
Read Rafael Nadal’s exclusive Wimbledon blog.The final of the AEGON Championships takes place on Sunday, June 14.
YOU ARE THE BEST RAFA!!! VAMOS!!!!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Busy Bee
it was a busy day today, which i like. am leaving the office in a bit to go to MBA's house for din din (apa mimpipun masak i dont know la ;-. well, just wanted to insert Miley Cyrus new song, The Climb. i heard it for the first time and already liking it, though am not a fan of her. but kinda like this song, so enjoy!
on the other note, Rafa has already pulled our from the Queens Tournament. Waiting medical result in Barcelona now on WHETHER he can play at WIMBLEDON or not? Oh Man! i hope that its going to be good news, no fun without Rafa trying to defend his title and a promise of a heart stopping and exciting match should there be one between him and the Great Roger Federer!
Fingers crossed!
on the other note, Rafa has already pulled our from the Queens Tournament. Waiting medical result in Barcelona now on WHETHER he can play at WIMBLEDON or not? Oh Man! i hope that its going to be good news, no fun without Rafa trying to defend his title and a promise of a heart stopping and exciting match should there be one between him and the Great Roger Federer!
Fingers crossed!
Friday, June 5, 2009
This and That
Pictures from Helo, Miss
Been sick for a couple of days now. but i think am a bit better today. thank god!
its been a boring week in a sense. work is pretty same. the only fun and exciting thing was watching "Night At the Museum 2:Battle of the Smithsonian" on wednesday with Wan. the movie was great and i had fun! i recommend this for fun fun watch time!
self rating :7.5/10
i am currently reading the book Angels & Demons. very interesting. plan to finish the same over the weekend.
Finished "Helo, Miss" korean drama and i love that story. simple storyline, funny and not too heavy drama. the love story was also sweet and i simply love it. love Lee Da Hae in that, she is so beautiful. Lee Ji Hoon, this is the first time that i saw his acting, is hillarious and love him in the drama too!
self rating-8/10
Monday, June 1, 2009
A weekend of frustration...
watched the live match between Rafa and Soderling at the forth round of the French Open 2009. it was definitely excrutiating from the start. after Rafa loosing the first set, am a bit like hey, what happen here??? what happen here to the King of clay when he is playing on his own favourite court of the season due to 4 times winning the grand slam?
anyways, that is true, i really hate the French for booing Rafa and not giving him the support that he deserves as 4 times champion. i mean, the game isnt even between a french and a spaniard for crying out loud. you wont see this kind of attitude at wimbledon for sure!
but Rafa, you are still the king of sportsmans in my heart, VAMOS Rafa!!!! looking forward for Wimbledon. and yes i agree that Federer should win the French Open this season as he has been playing very well indeed!
therefore below, i insert the excerpt from Rafa's official website.
May 31, 2009
“It wasn’t a great day” for Rafa and his fans around the world…Sadly, things didn’t quite work out for our champ today, and as he said it himself a few days ago, “you can’t always win [everything].”
Robin Soderling was a man on a mission today, as he defeated Rafa in 4 sets, 6-2, 6-7, 6-4 y 7-6, after more than 3 hours of play.
"I have to accept with the same calm when I win than when I lose. After four years, I lose here, and the season continues," a gracious Rafa told a news conference.
"Sure, he did well. He did very well but I didn't play my best tennis. I didn't play my tennis, and for that reason I lost. That's it," he said.
"I was not calm enough to face the important points, so I had to fight. But sometimes fighting is not enough. You have to play a good level of tennis.”
"Sometimes people think I win because I'm physically fit, but, no. When I win, it's because I play well, and that wasn't the case today."
Aside from the match itself, one of his biggest disappointments for Rafa was to see the lack of support from the Roland Garros crowd, who sadly, have never been too kind to the champion, “It’s a pity to see that in a tournament as especial as [Roland Garros] is to me, the crowd has never had a nice gesture towards me."
Moving on to the start of the grass season and his preparation for it, Rafa joked that the only preparation he will be worrying about any time soon, will be, “[the time he will spend] at the pool of his house.”
Before leaving to Mallorca, where he will be spending his birthday in the company of friends and family for the first time in many years, Rafa told the press that he would like to see Roger Federer win the title because, “It would be great [to see him win it], so that he can complete the Grand Slam. If anybody deserves it, it’s him,” concluded Rafa.
Vamos Rafa!
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