Round table with Rafa! Nadal offers advice to #NextGenATP in Jeddah
The Spaniard answered the questions of Fonseca, Mensik and Michelsen
December 22, 2024
Peter Staples/ATP Tour
By ATP Editorial Board
For Joao Fonseca, Jakub Mensik and Alex Michelsen, competing at the Next Gen ATP Finals 2024 came with a little guidance from a great.
The three ATP Tour talents sat down with former PIF ATP Rankings No. 1 Rafael Nadal on Friday in Jeddah, where the Spaniard answered their questions about his career and offered advice on a variety of topics. Watch the full roundtable below to hear more of Nadal’s advice for the #NextGenATP stars.:
One of Nadal’s most notable responses came after a question from Fonseca about the origin of the Spaniard’s renowned competitiveness on the court.
“For me it’s about a personal feeling that if I don’t give my best, if I don’t try my best, I go home and I’m not at peace with myself,” explained Nadal, who retired last month as a 92-time champion. of the circuit. “In the end, it’s the fear of not being satisfied with myself. It’s about: ‘Okay, I can lose, I can play badly, I can play well,’ but what can’t happen is not leaving the court knowing that I’ve tried.” “.
“For me that’s the key in the end, having the personal responsibility to do your best regardless of the situation. Sometimes doing your best is a disaster, in the sense that you’re playing so badly… Yes You are mentally there and you are able to accept the challenge, accept that you are playing terribly but that you have to fight with what you have that today, many days you have the level to win that match. Then, the next day, you play a little better and win. the game, and somehow things can change quickly in our sport.
Source: https://www.atptour.com/es/news/nadal-fonseca-mensik-michelsen-next-gen-2024-meeting
