Rafael Nadal: 'Even if you sleep less, you wake up with...'

The accolades for Rafael Nadal aren't just limited to tennis. Yesterday, in fact, the Spanish champion received the Gran Cruz de la Orden del Dos de Mayo, the greatest recognition of the Spanish capital for those who distinguished themselves for their exemplary behavior in the service of citizenship. The event took place at the Real Casa de Correos, the seat of the government of the Madrid region. Rafael Nadal was a guest on the El Hormiguero program this week, where he spoke on a wide range of subjects.

Nadal on his sleeping habits

During the show, Rafael Nadal also talked about his sleeping habits. The Spaniard sleeps much better before important matches now than he did at the start of his career, but is able to compete even if he has not slept well. "Sometimes I sleep well and sometimes not before an important game," Nadal stated. "At the beginning of my career, I was anxious and now I control it more. Anyways, even if you sleep less, three or four hours, you wake up with the adrenaline rush and compete well. What makes you win is hitting the ball well more than the mental issue. Then, in extreme situations, it is true that knowing how to hold the pressure well influences." Amid the recent talks about the COVID-19 vaccine and the uncertainty around the Australian Open, the Spaniard revealed he is used to undergoing PCR tests at regular intervals now. "In tennis, we do a PCR every three days so I have done countless PCR in recent months," Nadal said. The Spaniard also attributed his success to his family who backed him through the good times and bad and helped him become the champion that he is today. “There have been certain things in my life, I think I’ve had a great family that has backed me at all times, and besides helping me at all times, they have eased my mind whenever I needed it,” Nadal said. “Also, when I was a kid, my family never pressured me into doing any kind of sport. They did pressure me into getting good grades, of course. But when it comes to sports, I had my uncle (Toni). Yeah, he did press me a little bit.” Talking about his own personality, Nadal said he has always been someone who is open to advise. “I think I’m a person who’s very flexible when it comes to listening and abiding and also when it comes to being self-critical, being demanding with myself and attaining my own goals,” he said.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3lG6lyw