Rafael Nadal shares why he chose tennis over football
In an interview to Spiegel.de Rafael Nadal commented on why he chose tennis over football. The Spaniard, who cheers for FC Real Madrid, said: "I loved football, but I never played professionally. When the time came to decide between either sports, it was rather natural to choose tennis, because by then I was already competing and doing very well. I also liked that, with tennis, you don’t depend on a coach or on the people you play with: it’s just you against the other player. I do love team sports and I enjoy participating in team competitions. But I also love the feeling of being alone on the court. I think I chose the right thing and everything has been fantastic. I am sure that even though I love football, I would not have achieved everything in that sport that I have achieved in tennis."
Nadal also commented on his fair attitude on the court: "I have always believed that fair-play must be part of any sport, and especially tennis. Once you step out of the court, the match is finished, and then it’s better to have healthy relationships with everyone, including your rivals. It’s just part of my values, and it does not contradict having a winning spirit and a competitive mentality."
Nadal finally spoke about how he spends time ahead of the competition: "Sometimes I manage to take some time off before the tournament to walk around and admire the views. Once the competition is on, it gets more difficult, because I need to be practising and resting a lot."
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2VKCGeE
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