In Reply to: OT: Rafa Nadal retires posted by hotspot on October 10, 2024 at 08:16:39
For all the reasons you gave.
Rafa is the ultimate competitor. Whether he's winning or losing, he plays each point to the max. He could be down 0-5, love 40, but if the point is a long rally and he hits a running winner, there's gonna be an uppercut and a "Vamos!" He's the epitome of being in the moment. If you want to improve your mental toughness and competitive greatness, emulate Rafa.
Rafa had a number of issues to overcome. He's missing a bone in his left foot that has required him to wear a special donut in his shoe since he was a kid. And then there's his ocd. He can't sleep in the dark. He has to have the lights on. His family is his armor against the outside world, so when his parents split up, he was unmoored.
But he just kept fighting, over and over and over.