More of the CNN Interview
I’m thinking that, eventually, we are going to get the full thing, but until then… genny_ss sends in another link and translation.
Rafa Nadal: “En ningún momento he pensado en retirarme del tenis”
Rafa Nadal: “Not even for a moment I have thought of retiring from tennis”
(CNN) – He does not seek for prominence, although he naturally assumes to be the center of attention wherever he goes. He hates the victim role despite an injury has left him out of competition for nearly four months.
Tennis is his life but he is not going to let this forced break sink him emotionally. Therefore, he repeates that he is not sick and that self compassion would be a lack of respect for those who really are suffering.
Rafa Nadal at its best. The first time we met in person was just before an interview. He said he had to ask for a favor. I thought, mistakenly, that he wanted a more friendly interview, different from what politicians are normally subjected. But no. His request was surprising for being unique. He wanted the same hardness. He did not want a special treatment.
The story reveals the essence of the personality. Humility is his trademark and is not faked or forced. It is what he has seen in his house from very early, when he was not a star, and now he reproduces it in his environment, a group where his family has a lot of weight, especially his uncle Toni, his coach.
To the appointment with CNN he comes with his press officer Benito Perez-Barbadillo and Rafa Maymo his physiotherapist. They are his team and work for him, but mostly they are friends. They go with him, advise him, are always with him. Rafa always listens to them even though after ten years at the top level of competition he has its own criteria and it shows in every answer in public and in private.
He likes to be informed and asks about the current issues that come out during the makeup session. After, he does not avoid any questions of CNN.
He looks at you and while he answers, his hands go gently up and down of the injured knee. He inadvertently pets it with these small gestures. Time will tell if we’ll see the same Rafa [as always] in the courts. But clearly this time he is not going to give up either.
In 2005, doctors told him that another injury could leave him out of the competition forever. And since then he has won everything. That is Nadal, able to make the impossible possible.
Loading ...
Thank you genny for the translation and Miri for the link, he seems very focused and hopefully we will see him in Australia.
One thing I’ve been wanting to mention for awhile that no one seems to have picked up on. Rafa didn’t stop playing because he was so injured he couldn’t play. He stopped because he no longer wanted to play in so much pain and do the things he had to do to just play tennis. Does anyone believe that he would not have continued playing at Wimbledon had he won against Rosol ? I just think after that discretion became the better part of Rafa’s valor mainly thanks to Uncle Toni. The risk of playing with so much pain wasn’t worth the “reward” of a shorter career. I think Rafa is probably closer to 100% than he has been since 2010 and maybe even before that. I truly don’t think he needs as much practice at this stage of his career as people think. Maybe the serve but hitting a tennis ball for Rafa will be like riding a bike for most other people. He seems to be taking the break in stride and finally doing some things that he could not do had he been playing all this time. Good for Rafa. I think he will make things easier on himself in act II of his career and have a better time and just as much success. Just one person’s opinion..