For almost two decades, Rafa Nadal has been synonymous with consistency, mental strength, and an almost sacred routine in every match. The jumps before serving, the bottles lined up with millimetric precision, or the meticulous ritual when stepping onto the court became part of his personal trademark.
For years, numerous experts interpreted these behaviors as mental tools to keep focus on the court. However, Toni Nadal, his uncle and the person who coached him for much of his career, offers a very different and much less idealized perspective.
Toni Nadal surprises and clarifies everything about Rafa Nadal
In an interview for Nude Project, Toni Nadal made it clear that much of those habits were nothing more than acquired routines. "These are things that psychologists have given an interpretation to that he himself has believed," he confessed.
He recounted how, when his nephew assured him that those routines helped him keep his attention, he replied bluntly. "Look, is it that when you didn't do them you couldn't concentrate? Of course you could concentrate just the same. But if you create a need for yourself, in the end you need to do it."
Toni Nadal didn't feel much appreciation for his nephew's rituals. In fact, he saw them more as unnecessary habits than as useful tools. He made this clear by sharing an everyday scene that showed just how obsessive Rafa Nadal could be.
"He was a very obsessive guy. One day we were watching a movie and my nephew was surprised by the protagonist's obsessions and I told him 'Rafael, you're the same,' but he didn't see himself reflected. 'Me? I don't have any,' he told me."
Toni even suggested that he stop repeating those gestures, but there was a small inconvenience: the next tournament was Wimbledon. "Okay, stop doing it because it's ridiculous. But the next tournament was Wimbledon and I told him it was better to leave it for later, just in case," he recalled.
Rafa Nadal's uncle was clear about it from the beginning
Beyond superstitions or routines, Toni Nadal wanted to get to the heart of the matter. His vision of high performance is clear: success doesn't depend on desire, but on commitment. "If you want, you can't necessarily do it," he stated, emphasizing that true progress is born from daily effort.
"Willpower has to go hand in hand with consistency," he said. From a very young age, Toni knew that Rafa was special: "When he was seven years old I told his father that his son would be champion of Spain," he revealed. His talent was evident, but what made the difference was his attitude.
Rafa Nadal's competitive character, according to his uncle, wasn't built with theoretical psychology, but with daily demands and iron will. "The mental aspect isn't prepared so specifically; in life you prepare yourself by going to the limit and that's what truly prepares you mentally."