If there was an element to place first for what makes the strength of Rafael Nadal, I would choose his entourage.

Seeing him on the court, you might think that Nadal is some kind of warrior that nothing can defeat, but he remains a human being, with his doubts.

Without the support of his family, coaches and loved ones, things would be very different.

Every victory is not only his, but also that of a team.

What can each player learn from this?

• Surround yourself with positive and motivating people,
• If possible, do not go alone in competition; go to a match with positive people, who will help us not to feel alone and to find energy in difficult times,
• Cultivate healthy and authentic relationships as much as possible,
• Do not isolate yourself, and use the strength that comes from the support of others.

You can have a very good level with talent, but the lack of rigor and discipline will necessarily be a limit for the level of play.

Rafael Nadal pushes the rigor to its maximum, giving the best of himself on every ball, whether in training or in a match.

For many players who need to feel free to play well, too much rigor can reduce the pleasure and the desire to play.

The goal is to succeed in combining rigor and variety in training to keep motivation alive, knowing how to take rest regularly when necessary, for the physical, but also for the mental.

Be rigorous:

• by doing your very best in training and in official matches,
• doing your best on every ball,
• by exercising regularly,
• by being demanding on the footwork (dynamism, quality of placement),
• on the quality of your attitude.

Rafael Nadal is one of the greatest tennis champions of all time, and despite this he always shows humility.

On the other hand, humility does not mean shyness or lack of confidence; you just have to see Rafael Nadal's warrior behavior on the court and listen to his interviews.

Rafael Nadal is lucid, he is able to take a step back from tennis, knowing that there are more important things in life, but when it comes to doing his best on the court, he has no doubts and he is well aware of all the weapons at his disposal.

He didn't wait to be world number 1 to have this attitude, he learned to cultivate it from an early age, certainly under the influence of his uncle Toni Nadal and the rest of his entourage.

Rafael Nadal is humble, no doubt because he values ??this quality, but above all because he knows that it is the state of mind that helps him to be efficient and to always improve his game.

For all players:

• humility, modesty if it's in your personality but keep in mind that whatever the level, there is always improvements to be made,
• self-confidence and self-belief,
• always seek to evolve,
• keep a cool head after the good results,
• take a step back and keep in mind that this is just tennis, just a game of hitting a ball with a racquet,
• at the same time, believe in yourself, never criticize yourself, and cultivate a positive attitude of a fighter who never gives up.

Another great strength of Rafael Nadal: his ability to focus on what he has to do in the present moment instead of thinking about what he missed or what could possibly happen in the future.

In the 2022 Australian Open final, which may lead him to be the most successful player in a grand slam, he does not put pressure on himself thinking about it.

When he's 2 sets behind after 3 hours of play, he doesn't think he needs to win 3 more sets and that might lead him to play another 3 hours.

He focuses on the present moment doing his best point by point.

In the idea, it's simple, but how many players are able to do that despite the points lost, the mistakes committed, the opponent's winning shots, with physical and mental fatigue?

Here is a challenge: do your best on each point, as many points as possible consecutively, no matter what, doing a mental "reset" each time.

If you manage to do it for a whole match, it's already very strong mentally.

Rafael Nadal is well known for his very present routines, almost compulsive hehaviors.

It's a real set of small actions that he repeats systematically to occupy his mind and reassure himself:

• always place the bottles in the same way,
• sprint to the back of the court before starting a game,
• put on his shorts,
• put his hair back, wipe his nose, his eyes, always in the same order,
• wipe face and arms before a point,
• bounce the ball with his racquet before serving,
• and there are surely things that I forget!

No need to push your routines that far, however, setting up a minimum can help you, here are some examples.

You can set up routines:

• by always preparing your bag in the same way before a match,
• for your warm-up before a match,
• before a point,
• during changeovers,
• etc.

Routines are part of the tools to use for managing emotions, to stay calm and focused on the present moment.

Impossible to overcome difficulties by constantly complaining, criticizing yourself, always envisaging the worst for the future and telling yourself that nothing is possible.

Nadal is the opposite of this attitude; despite the doubts he may have like everyone else, he chooses to see things in a constructive and positive way, moving forward.

For him, nothing is ever lost, no matter the situation, which often might seem hopeless to other players.

• Be demanding with yourself, but never criticize or devalue yourself,
• consider that nothing is ever lost,
• have confidence in the efforts and the work to achieve progress,
• encourage yourself,
• be kind to yourself.