Rafael Nadal: 'I never played with Novak Djokovic when we were kids'

Rafael Nadal is the demonstration that champions are not born but become. And to become champion you need perseverance, effort, sweat, not giving up on the first defeats. But what most characterizes Rafael Nadal's game - and which has destroyed his opponents - is the minimum percentage of errors that characterizes his games.

The Spaniard is the second male player after Andre Agassi to complete the singles Career Golden Slam, as well as the second male player after Mats Wilander to have won at least two Grand Slams on all three surfaces (grass, hard court and clay). He has received the tour Sportsmanship Award three times and has been named the ATP Player of the Year five times and the ITF World Champion four times. In 2011, Nadal was named the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year.

During a recent 'LIVE session', one of the fans asked him about some of his opponents from his junior days who were still competing. “Well, with Novak I never played when we were kids. I played with Andy, yes. I played with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, with Richard Gasquet, with Gael Monfils. Yeah, I have great memories from all those times. It’s unforgettable, I remember playing in teams, representing our countries and have been just amazing.

We enjoyed a lot spending time together and having lifetime experiences. So just, it’s great to stay together now on tour because we make our dreams true. Because when we were kids, we were travelling, we were practising a lot. Trying to become professional tennis players one day. Some of us we did it and it’s great to keep sharing things together on tour now" - the former World number 1 said.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3bAbfJ9