Rafa Nadal is the No. 1 tennis player in the world. Tonight he has proved why. Despite his hamstring problem, he did not give in. No way.
Yes, Rafa lost in straight sets to countrymen David Ferrer. But, he was not disgraced. He fought out the match on only 1 and a half legs.
At 24, Rafa has spent more than 16 years of his short life becoming the best tennis player he possibly can. But I don’t reckon it’s his serve, speed or any other tennis skill that has got him to the top.
Rafa is one of the strongest mental competitors in the game. Unlike World No.1’s before him that would happily give a game or two away, Rafa hates to lose a single point. He fights and fights and fights.
From the third game of the 1st set tonight, Rafa was barely a chance. His hamstring was injured and he’d lost a lot of his normal power. I honestly thought he’d throw in the towel. Despite a losing battle, he didn’t stop fighting. Giving up was not an option in Rafa’s mind.
I’ve been reminded of something tonight: skill is nowhere near as important as will. That’s why Rafa is No. 1.