Rafael Nadal is a source of inspiration for many colleagues, not only in the world of tennis, but also in other disciplines. Few of him would have imagined that the Spaniard could extend his career beyond the age of 30, especially due to a very expensive style of play from a physical point of view.
This year the former world number 1 has had the satisfaction of winning his 13th Roland Garros, the fourth without giving up a single set during the two weeks in Paris. Thanks to that triumph, the 34-year-old Manacor also capped off a lengthy chase by finally catching up with eternal rival Roger Federer in 20 slams.
Rafa also vowed to break the Finals taboo, but his run at London’s O2 Arena was interrupted by future winner Daniil Medvedev. In a recent interview with ESPN, Canadian star Leylah Fernández revealed how impressive it was to see Nadal training a few feet away during the 2020 Australian Open.
The current number 88 of the WTA ranking, who came from the qualifiers, told how the Iberian was so intense in the execution of her exercises to induce her to give everything not to disfigure.
Fernández on his passion for Rafael Nadal
“Rafael Nadal trained as if he were playing a game,” Leylah Fernández recalled. “He was so intense out there.
There was a crowd watching, so I wanted to impress them too, and that put a lot of pressure on me. There were so many unknowns for me at that time and I didn’t know how I was going to play [durante toda la temporada], but seeing him there inspired me to play like that in my training as well, and take a step forward.
It was definitely one of those surreal moments. ”The new dawn has arrived with great news from Australia. The inaugural Grand Slam of 2021 will play out as expected, as its final reports are on the way.
The dates, protocols and timing of the summer events in Australia are reportedly confirmed. However, it is necessary for players to comply with the various conditions of the Australian Open.
A huge benefit for players is the five hours a day they can spend outside of hotel rooms. To break it even further, only two of the five hours are for on-court training with another player.
And 90 minutes of the five hours can be used for the gym. Regarding COVID-19 testing, each player needs six negative text messages, one prior to arrival and the remainder on location, before playing the Australian Grand Slam.
In case a player gets a positive result, they can run one more test to avoid false negatives. After the mandatory two-week quarantine ends, players can train with three other players instead of one.
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