SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER!
 
 
Facebook Social Button Twitter Social Button Follow Us on InstagramYouTube Social Button
NewsScoresRankingsLucky Letcord PodcastShopPro GearPickleballGear Sale

Popular This Week

Sabalenka Shoulders Injury Concern, "Still Have Hopes" Sabalenka Shoulders Injury Concern, "Still Have...
Djokovic on Wimbledon Motivation: Why Not Give It A Shot? Djokovic on Wimbledon Motivation: Why Not Give It A ...
Top Seed Swiatek to Rely on Mental Game and Serve at Wimbledon Top Seed Swiatek to Rely on Mental Game and Serve at...
Wimbledon Draw: Sinner and Alcaraz in Same Half Wimbledon Draw: Sinner and Alcaraz in Same Half
Swiatek Handed Tricky Wimbledon Draw Swiatek Handed Tricky Wimbledon Draw
Isner, Kyrgios to Serve as ESPN Guest Analysts for Wimbledon Isner, Kyrgios to Serve as ESPN Guest Analysts for W...
Hall of Fame Unveils Museum Renovation Project Hall of Fame Unveils Museum Renovation Project
Net Notes - A Tennis Now Blog

Net Posts

Industry Insider - A Tennis Now Blog

Industry Insider

Second Serve - A Tennis Now Blog

Second Serve

 

Watch: Young Nadal On Ultimate Goal

Years before he earned his crown as King of Clay, the young Rafael Nadal was driven by an ultimate aim.

"My ambition? Well I guess it would be to go as far as I can, to become a great tennis player," a baby-faced 16-year-old Nadal says in this video interview from the Olympic Channel's Before They Were Superstars.

Watch: Crazy Changeover Moments

Before Nadal earned his reputation as tennis' ultimate fighter, he was, in many ways, a typical athletic Spanish teenager who loved soccer, fishing, movies, hanging out with friends and playing video games.

Toni Nadal, Rafa's coach and uncle who famously sometimes required his nephew to play on poor courts to teach him to cope with bad bounces and unruly conditions, correctly cites the future King of Clay's mental strength, fighting spirit and raw passion to play as his best weapons.

"His most important quality is his mental toughness," Uncle Toni Nadal says. "He's a real fighter. He's always been a strong competitor and he plays with a lot of heart."

This video was shot three years before a 19-year-old Nadal captured his first career Grand Slam championship at Roland Garros scoring a 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 victory over Mariano Puerta in the final.
The fourth-seeded Nadal was the first man since Mats Wilander in 1982 to take the title in his Roland Garros debut.

"This is an incredible feeling," said Nadal, who closed his eyes and clenched his fists in triumph. "This is a dream come true."

A dream that was a lifetime in the making.


Photo credit: Olympic Channel

Posted: