Rafael Nadal Quotes:

Losing is not my enemy..fear of losing is my enemy.

Topics: Tennis, Enemy, Losing, Motivational Tennis

If somebody says I am better than Roger, I think this person doesn't know anything about tennis.

Topics: Sports, Thinking, Tennis

The only way of finding a solution is to fight back, to move, to run, and to control that pressure.

source: - "Barely 19, He's Got Game, Looks and Remarkably Good Manners" by Christopher Clarey, www.nytimes.com. June 6, 2005.

Topics: Sports, Running, Moving

When one player is better than you, at this moment, the only thing you can do is work, try to find solutions and try to wait a little bit for your time. I'm going to wait and I'm going to try a sixth time. And if the sixth doesn't happen, a seventh. It's going to be like this. That's the spirit of sport.

Topics: Sports, Player, Waiting

I appreciate a lot in this life; the things you cannot buy. Life is only once. I am happy being here and all the things that are a risk I normally avoid.

Topics: Appreciate, Risk, Life Is

My motivation and aspiration is the same, being number one or being number five. So that's the truth. And my goal is the same - it's to always be happy playing, it's to enjoy the game and improve always.

Topics: Motivation, Games, Numbers

When one gets beaten by somebody better, one has to know how to lose with humility. Sure, I could have served better. Sure, I could have hit my forehand harder. But the truth was this was like an avalanche, and there was no way to stop it.

Topics: Humility, Avalanches, Way

I play each point like my life depends on it.

Topics: Play, Tennis, Tennis Player

I tried to find a solution to the problem that I had, tried to find a way to start playing better.

Topics: Way, Problem, Solutions

As a tennis player you can win and you can lose, and you have to be ready for both. I practised self-control as a kid. But as you get older they both - winning and losing - get easier.

Topics: Kids, Winning, Player, Tennis Player

I love the beach. I love the sea. All my life I live within - in front of the sea.

Topics: Beach, Sea

I have no sense of humor about losing

Topics: Losing, Sense Of Humor

I always wanted to be honest with myself and to those who have had faith in me.

Topics: Honest, Being Honest, Wanted

I always work with a goal - and the goal is to improve as a player and a person. That, finally, is the most important thing of all.

source: - "Rafael Nadal: 'For everybody there are tough moments. This year, mine came'". Interview with Donald McRae, www.theguardian.com. November 16, 2009.

Topics: Player, Goal, Important

The glory is being happy. The glory is not winning here or winning there. The glory is enjoying practicing, enjoy every day, enjoying to work hard, trying to be a better player than before.

Topics: Hard Work, Player, Winning

I am afraid of a lot of things. A dog. I could be afraid of a dog that's upset, for example. And on the tennis courts, maybe on the outside I look fearless, but on the inside, I'm scared. There's not one player in the world who isn't nervous before matches. Especially important matches.

Topics: Dog, Player, Tennis, Tennis Courts

Playing well or playing bad, I have to play aggressive. I must play aggressive.

Topics: Sports, Play, Aggressive

Confidence is the most important thing in this sport, and the confidence from winning Wimbledon would make it easier to win the Olympics, too. Either would be very difficult, both even more-but the player who wins Wimbledon will be the favorite for the Olympics. It can happen.

Topics: Sports, Winning, Player

I think I am a complete player. I can play well on all the surfaces. For me, the clay might be easiest, but I am not a specialist on clay.

Topics: Player, Thinking, Might, Specialists

I would love to learn other languages, maybe French? My uncle speaks German so maybe also German? Chinese seems to be too difficult.

Topics: Uncles, Chinese, Language

I am lucky because my family are comfortably off. My father has his own glass business.

Topics: Father, Glasses, Lucky

Even if I have already peaked, I have to believe I can improve. I wake up every morning, and go to practice, with the illusion that I'm going to get better that day.

Topics: Morning, Believe, Practice

I'm always searching for new music, and I change what I listen to on a regular basis.

Topics: Bases

I normally listen to Spanish music - well, Latin music. I like a lot of singers.

Topics: Latin, Singers, Wells, Latin Music

I love the crowds in Miami. I feel that is one of the tournaments where I get more support. That helps me a lot.

Topics: Support, Crowds, Miami

I only ever run when there's some point to it - say, if it's in a game of tennis.

Topics: Running, Games, Tennis

You just try to play tough and focus point for point. Sounds so boring, but it's the right thing to do out there.

Topics: Play, Focus, Trying, So Boring

My motivation is tomorrow, just one day at a time, right?

Topics: Motivation, One Day, One Day At A Time

I will do as I usually do. Tomorrow is going to be a day like any other day.

Topics: Tomorrow

For me, it is important to win titles and for that I need to work hard, stay healthy and be able to compete. The rest, I always say, it comes.

Topics: Hard Work, Winning, Healthy

I always had the theory that the most important thing is be happy, enjoy what are you doing, and be fresh mentally.

Topics: Important, Theory, Enjoy

I am a guy who likes to do what I am doing with passion, whether it's a soccer match with friends or golf.

Topics: Soccer, Passion, Golf

I have the same bedroom I've always had. It's clean and tidy when I get home, and after two or three days it gets messy and my mother nags me.

Topics: Mother, Home, Two

I like fishing. Not actual fishing - I like the peace and quiet of being at sea. It's different.

Topics: Sea, Fishing, Different

I am not the most courageous guy in the world outside of the court.

Topics: Guy, World, Courageous

I don't have any idols, any heroes, nothing, no.

Topics: Hero, Idols

I have no interest in becoming a tax exile and living somewhere I don't want to - I just want to be at home with my family.

Topics: Home, Want, Becoming

Everybody likes to say that Roger Federer is the Greatest Player of all time because its so nice to watch him play...but you have got to throw in Nadal's Mind as well...and That's the GREATEST OF ALL TIME!!!

Topics: Nice, Player, Mind, Federer, Nadal

Everyone is entitled to have their own opinions.

Topics: Opinion

He's a fantastic player and he's going to be around so much longer so I'm happy with every one I get before he takes them all

Topics: Player, Fantastic

I'm delighted with the way I'm playing at the moment

Topics: Way, Delight, Moments

Stay healthy, do sports and above all have fun while doing sport. Competing or just for fun, whatever, simply enjoy and try your best. Working hard, working well with achievable goals normally pays off. Believe in the people that are with you and listen to those who have more experience.

Topics: Sports, Fun, Believe, Just For Fun

In your career you have a lot of good moments and bad ones. The important thing is to have enough motivation to keep working all the days with humility and trying to be a better player than before. I am going to try to continue doing this.

Topics: Motivation, Humility, Player, Good Moments

Two weeks ago, I was in a fantastic situation, winning at Roland Garros. Now, losing in the first round, it's tough. The tour continues. Life continues. This is a sport of victories, not a sport of losses. Nobody remembers the losses. I don't want to remember the loss.

Topics: Sports, Loss, Winning

I've stayed calm when I'm winning and I've stayed calm when I've lost. Tennis is a sport where we have a lot of tournaments every week, so you can't celebrate a lot when you have big victories, and you cannot get too down when you're losing, as in a few days you'll be in the next tournament and you'll have to be ready with that.

Topics: Sports, Winning, Tennis

I just try to win the match by fighting for every point, and running down every ball.

Topics: Running, Fighting, Winning

The thing, when you're down two sets to love, is to stay calm, even though it's hard, because people are freaking out, people are worried for you.

Topics: Love Is, Two, People, Freaking Out

I am decidedly unfriendly during a golf game, from the first hole to the last.

Topics: Golf, Games, Lasts, Unfriendly

Is only a tennis match. At the end, that's life. There is much more important things.

Topics: Tennis, Important, Ends

I have lived my whole life with high intensity.

Topics: Intensity, Whole Life

I live where I would like to live. I live in Majorca, Spain, and I am not sure there are better places.

Topics: Spain, Not Sure

It's not the time to look for excuses.

Topics: Looks, Excuse

I was passionate about soccer. I still am. Odd, though - playing soccer always made me much more anxious than playing tennis. On soccer days, I'd be out of bed by 6 in the morning, all nervous. But I was always calm when it was time for a tennis match. I still don't know why.

Topics: Soccer, Morning, Tennis, Playing Soccer

I just wanted to see how the shorts felt again.

Topics: Shorts, Wanted

I'm not the best player in the history of tennis. I think I'm amongst the best. That's true. That's enough for me.

Topics: Thinking, Player, Tennis

I played almost four hours today, ... Im very, very tired.

Topics: Tired, Four, Today

I dont have good luck in the match points.

Topics: Good Luck, Luck, Match Point

That's painful always to lose.

Topics: Painful

I am very lucky because when I come back home, I have a completely normal life. I can relax, playing golf, fishing - doing what I want. I know when I finish a tournament, I am going to relax at home.

Topics: Home, Golf, Fishing

I used to wear sleeveless T-shirts all the time on court, but now I've got a brand new look - I've moved on to polo shirts. Sleeveless T-shirts give you real freedom of movement and they keep you cooler in matches, but I just thought it was time for a change.

Topics: Real, Giving, Looks, Real Freedom, New Look

You fight, you try your best, but if you lose, you dont have to break five racquets and smash up the locker room. You can do those things, but when youve finished, nothings changed. Youve still lost. If something positive came from that, I probably would do it. But I see only negativity.

Topics: Fighting, Negativity, Trying, Try Your Best

I am happy with being a tennis player and the choice I took when I was 12. But clearly, if I wouldnt have been a tennis player, I would have loved to be a soccer player. But again, I am happy with the choice I made.

Topics: Soccer, Player, Choices, Tennis Player

I'm really, really emotional.

Topics: Emotional

I like a lot of sports. Especially football - it's my favourite sport. My uncle played football in Barcelona for nine years and played for Spain in three World Cups.

Topics: Sports, Football, Uncles, Nine Years

I would like to believe there is a God, but I think it is better to say I'm not sure there is a God and live your life with kindness and respect for people than to say I know there is a God and then do bad things,

Topics: Kindness, Believe, Thinking

I learned during all my career to enjoy suffering.

Topics: Careers, Suffering, Enjoy

If you are playing bad you are going to lose here, on clay, on ice, or on the beach.

Topics: Beach, Ice, Clay

I'd rather lose an argument than get into a long discussion in order to win it.

Topics: Winning, Order, Long

I'll never have a tattoo - I just don't like them, and when you're old they can look a disaster. As for piercings, I don't like them on men.

Topics: Tattoo, Men, Piercings

It's hard to say, 'I don't believe in God.' I would love to know if God exists. But it's a very difficult thing for me to believe.

Topics: Believe, Difficult, God Exists

I admire a lot of people, but in terms of sport I've always loved the mentality of Tiger Woods on a golf course. I always love his eyes when he's setting himself and focusing on his decision; he has a really strong, focused face and believes that he can make the shot.

Topics: Sports, Strong, Believe

I'm only superstitious on the tennis court.

Topics: Tennis, Tennis Courts, Court

Hard courts are very negative for the body. I know the sport is a business and creating these courts is easier than clay or grass, but I am 100 per cent sure it is wrong.

Topics: Sports, Creating, Negative

Some people get very confused about my game. They think it's better if the court is slow, because I have a good defence. But the faster it is, the better for me. My spin is more painful for my opponents, my aggressive game works better.

Topics: Confused, Thinking, Games

You know, a lot of things changed. What never changed is the illusion to keep playing tennis, the illusion to keep doing well the things, and the illusion to be in a good position of the ranking and play these kind of matches.

Topics: Play, Tennis, Ranking

My goal is to improve my game, stay healthy and be competitive. If I have that, I know I can be able to win tournaments, which in the end is what it counts.

Topics: Winning, Games, Goal

My tennis is aggressive, though I wouldn't say that it's more physical than technical. I rely more on technique than physique, but being physical is always a help to me.

Topics: Tennis, Technique, Helping

It's more a tennis problem than a mental problem. The transition is difficult. It depends how much time you have. Playing on grass can sometimes be a bit of a lottery.

Topics: Tennis, Transition, Sometimes

In tennis, because of the way it's scored, I don't think that scoring one point out of luck is ever decisive in winning. But, of course, it depends on the moment.

Topics: Thinking, Winning, Tennis

In Majorca, I can be myself. I go to the supermarket and the cinema, and I am just Rafa. Everyone knows me, and it is no big deal. I can go all day - no photographs.

Topics: Cinema, Photograph, Bigs

I play because I have fun, if I don't have fun on the court, there is something wrong. I am just a 19 year old boy that likes to do what he likes, nothing else.

Topics: Fun, Athlete, Boys

However great your dedication, you never win anything on your own

source: - Rafael Nadal, John Carlin (2011). “Rafa: My Story”, p.68, Hachette UK

Topics: Winning, Dedication

I was shy when I was a kid, I was very shy, but now I think I've improved a lot. I can speak OK with the media and with the people. My English is still bad but I feel a little bit better now than before.

Topics: Kids, Thinking, Media

I doubt about myself. I think doubts are good in life. The people who don't have doubts I think only two things-arrogance or not intelligence.

Topics: Thinking, Two, People

New York is a special place; it's a city that I love.

Topics: New York, Cities, Special

For sure, with golf it's not a physically demanding sport like tennis. That's what makes tennis great - you combine both things. It's a very mental sport and at the same time can be dramatically physical. But I do admire the mentality of sport more than the physicality because physical performance is much easier to practice than mental performance.

Topics: Sports, Golf, Practice

Why would I want a place of my own? Then I would have to things worry about, like doing laundry and having food in the fridge.

Topics: Worry, Want, Laundry

We'll try and be very aggressive, we'll try and speed up and change gears, and we'll see who's going to win.

Topics: Winning, Trying, Gears

Tennis is a hard sport. There is a lot of competition all year and you play alone.

Topics: Sports, Years, Play

Last four months were great for me, was probably one of the best four months of my career, playing unbelievable in the clay court season.

Topics: Careers, Four, Lasts

My serve can get better, for sure. It's not just about serving bombs, but positioning, variation in speed, in spin.

Topics: Get Better, Variation, Bombs

It is important to recognize the small successes.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Important, Small Successes

It is the small steps which bring you satisfaction at the end of the day.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: The End Of The Day, Steps, Satisfaction

Anyone could become a star, but everyone must be a human being.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Stars, Humans, Human Beings

You have to accept both losing and winning well. I've stayed calm when I'm winning and I've stayed calm when I've lost.

source: - Interview with Victoria Coren, www.huffingtonpost.co.uk. July 25, 2012.

Topics: Winning, Calm, Losing

I am not a person who I am thinking about what I achieved or what I don't achieve. I am a person who try to enjoy the moment. That's what I do.

source: - Source: rafael.nadal.over-blog.com

Topics: Thinking, Who I Am, Trying

Tennis is beautiful when you can see tactics, when players don't just react but are able to act and think.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Beautiful, Thinking, Player

There are many moments during a match when you are tense, wrestling with yourself. Tennis is a lesson in self-control.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Wrestling, Self, Tennis

If you want to belong to the best, you need good technique and, perhaps even more importantly, a good eye. If you see the ball sooner, you have more time to think about how and where to return it.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Eye, Thinking, Technique

It's important for the young players to practice other ball games as well, basketball or table tennis. On the tennis court, you can improve your eye through a kind of overexertion.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Basketball, Eye, Player, Tennis Courts, Ball Games

Don't think about being the number one in the world, try instead to get through today's program as well as you can. Then we will see whether one day you'll end up as number one or number 100.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Thinking, Numbers, Trying

When you get older, if you are healthy, is not a problem. If you don't have the health, then you go home.

source: - Source: rafael.nadal.over-blog.com

Topics: Home, Healthy, Problem

We should try to teach the young people values that are useful to them whether they become professional athletes or not.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Athlete, People, Trying, Professional Athlete

I will work day after day like I did my whole life ... I'm not going to change anything.

Topics: Work Day, Whole Life, Whole

What distinguishes tennis is respect for one's opponent, one's conduct on the court.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Tennis, Opponents, Court

A lot of times I had some problems, but I always had the passion and the personal motivation to keep going, to keep working hard, keep fighting for the things that really motivates me. That's all.

source: - Source: rafael.nadal.over-blog.com

Topics: Motivation, Passion, Fighting

Certainly I would like to have some of the qualities of other players and obviously from Roger Federer. But believe me, there are plenty of other abilities that are important, particularly mindset and strength.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Believe, Player, Quality, Federer

I have always tried to avoid regrets. Could I have done differently some things in my career? Maybe.

source: - Source: www.vanityfair.com

Topics: Regret, Careers, Done

I became a player who goes to a lot of effort while training, who can rely on his will and his mental strengths.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Player, Effort, Training, Mental Strength

My uncle developed the training philosophy. His idea of good tennis training is basically quite simple: you must try to gain time.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Uncles, Philosophy, Simple

What happened happened. Important thing is what can come.

source: - Source: rafael.nadal.over-blog.com

Topics: Important, Important Things, Happened

I think is about confidence. Is about doing the right things. Is about being healthy. Is not about if I want to work or if I don't want to work. Is about if I can work or if I can't work.

source: - Source: rafael.nadal.over-blog.com

Topics: Thinking, Healthy, Doing The Right Thing

Most important thing, I am not a player who win the serves because I serve aces or free points, no. When I winning a lot of serves is because I am playing well from the baseline. That's why.

source: - Source: rafael.nadal.over-blog.com

Topics: Player, Winning, Important

Win 10 times in an important event like Monte-Carlo is something difficult to describe the feeling. Every year have been a different feeling. At the same time is always a unique moment every time I have this trophy with me.

source: - Source: rafael.nadal.over-blog.com

Topics: Winning, Unique, Feelings

If you are healthy, you can work. If you can work, then the chances of success are higher.

source: - Source: rafael.nadal.over-blog.com

Topics: Healthy, Chance

I don't expect never an easy match. I always expect difficult matches.

source: - Source: rafael.nadal.over-blog.com

Topics: Easy, Difficult

I do notice that I am tired.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Tired

If I am not playing at one hundred percent, it is going to be very difficult for me to win.

Topics: Winning, Hundred, Difficult

I take pleasure in tennis and the hope that it requires.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Tennis, Pleasure

The US player Andy Roddick reaches speeds of 220 kilometers per hour when he serves. If I train with him every day, I will later be at an advantage against a player whose service crosses the net at 190 kilometers per hour.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Player, Speed, Hours

Is always the motivation to play better and better. But I think we are in a very good way to keep winning matches. That's most important thing for me.

source: - Source: rafael.nadal.over-blog.com

Topics: Motivation, Winning, Thinking

All sports are continuously developing, but what they all have in common is that the speed is increasing. That's also true of tennis; the ball is getting faster and faster.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Sports, Tennis, Balls

For me, that's the most important thing, feel myself happy when I am playing. If I am healthy and I feel myself competitive, I am happy. Then is obvious I would like to win. But I know if I am in finals of important events, the normal thing is I finally win titles.

source: - Source: rafael.nadal.over-blog.com

Topics: Winning, Healthy, Important

Something that works for one person could be a disadvantage to another.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Disadvantages, Persons

I am satisfied the way that I am playing. Is obvious that there is always things to improve.

source: - Source: rafael.nadal.over-blog.com

Topics: Obvious

Seriously, I am not a person that I think much about what happened or what didn't happen or what could happen. I happy about the things that happened to me. I'm a lucky person, for sure, for all the things that happened to me during my life.

source: - Source: rafael.nadal.over-blog.com

Topics: Thinking, Lucky, Persons, Lucky Person

It is no longer enough to play very well. You need to be able to give an answer at all times and everywhere. You cannot hide. This has something to do with maturity, and that is something you only acquire over the years.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Maturity, Play, Years

Since I was a kid, I've wanted to do sports for a living. In the beginning, I played a lot of soccer, but in the end I chose tennis. I love sports in general ... But tennis is my passion.

source: - Source: www.vanityfair.com

Topics: Soccer, Sports, Passion, Sports In General

The young athletes are supposed to mature, to improve their personality.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Athlete, Personality, Mature, Young Athletes

I don't think about how going to be the match. I think about try to do the right things to win. I don't think about how easy can say or how tough can say. I go on court. I try my best.

source: - Source: rafael.nadal.over-blog.com

Topics: Thinking, Winning, Trying

I am No. 8 in the world. I am not No. 100.

Topics: World

I am going to fight for important things.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Fighting, Important, Important Things

It's the same old story, all you think about is money.

source: - "US Open 2011: Rafael Nadal leads revolt over 'dangerous' courts" by Kevin Mitchell, www.theguardian.com. September 7, 2011.

Topics: Thinking, Stories

The bad thing about the [tennis] calendar is how it is made and obligates you to play tournaments all year. If you want to achieve the most you can (and) go as high up (in the rankings) as you can, you have to play from the start to the finish because there are important tournaments from the beginning to the end.

source: - Source: in.reuters.com

Topics: Years, Play, Tennis

Barcelona, the tournament is, for all the Spanish players, an amazing event. I think is one of the top events on tour because is a historic event with a lot of tradition. A lot of years of the tournament, a lot of great players have been playing there. And it's in a real tennis club.

source: - Source: rafael.nadal.over-blog.com

Topics: Real, Player, Thinking

There is some moments on the career of everyone that are important ones. Is obvious that first title on clay makes a big difference. After that, I was confident enough to keep going, winning in Barcelona, in Rome, then in Roland Garros.

source: - Source: rafael.nadal.over-blog.com

Topics: Winning, Important, Moments

I feel lucky to keep playing tennis, being healthy all those years, to compete in one of the most beautiful events of the year, without a doubt.

source: - Source: rafael.nadal.over-blog.com

Topics: Beautiful, Tennis, Healthy

Everybody is doing the best things possible to still healthy and to play as long as possible.

source: - Source: rafael.nadal.over-blog.com

Topics: Long, Healthy

If the girls and boys have talent and feel like working on themselves, they can become champions.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Girl, Boys, Champion

Every girl has her own character, every boy his own mind.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Girl, Character, Boys, Every Girl

It should not be a child's only goal to become the best player in the world. That would be a bad, a harmful attitude.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Children, Attitude, Player

Today people hit the ball with much more strength. Almost every player is capable of playing a winning stroke from any position. This means the balls arrive more quickly. If you want to reach them, you have to slow down from a high speed or suddenly change direction. These are moments when you can injure yourself, and that's what wears us out.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Mean, Winning, Player, High Speed

Honesty, willingness to exert oneself, friendship - all these things shaped me too.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Honesty, Oneself, Willingness

Some people may learn something from the way I play tennis. But there are also players who are better than me in certain techniques.

source: - Source: www.spiegel.de

Topics: Player, People, Tennis

I feel that love. I feel that energy. I always felt that energy when I'm playing in New York.

Topics: New York, Energy, Feels

I'm delighted and feel incredibly happy with what have been an amazing two months.

Topics: Two, Months, Feels

Always I believe that I can play better. But I am happy.

Topics: Believe, Play, I Believe