ARTICLES:

• Best Off-court Moments: No. 1 Celebration; Nadal & Djokovic On Ice (via ATP)

(N)Ice Court – After six meetings this season, including the championship match of the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic  concluded 2013 on a court in icy Patagonia… “My parents suggested I visit the glacier,” said Nadal.

• Tidbits On The Top 50 (via ATP)

… Rafael Nadal – Ranked in the Top 5 the longest of any active player (since 9 May 2005) and owns 60 career titles, second-best among active players (Federer, 77).

• Australian Open: Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams holding court (via smh.com.au)

… Who will win the Australian Open men’s singles?  Todd Woodbridge: I felt Novak was going to do it again but the last couple of weeks I’ve been hitting with the Open ball and it feels pretty lively this year. That is going to come ripping off Nadal’s racquet particularly well. Given he wasn’t here last year and the form he had last year in winning two slams, he’s the one to beat.

• No gain without strain for world No 1 tennis player Rafael Nadal (via thenational.ae)

… Now 27, normally you would think he still has two, maybe three good years in him. With Nadal and his muscular, fragile symphony, you cannot say. “I don’t have a set idea, but I know that as long that I am competitive and I can have the chance to win, and my body holds up, I will be playing at the highest competitive level.” The choice, his uncle Toni told him, is between enduring and giving up. It was never a choice.

• Rafael Nadal: Writing Tennis History (via tennishead.net)

… It is an era in which superlatives are thrown about like confetti, but after his astonishing comeback season Rafael Nadal could just be on the brink of receiving the ultimate accolade. Even though the dust has only recently settled on the debate over whether Roger Federer or Rod Laver should be regarded as the greatest player of all time, the moment may have come to re-open the discussion.

• Coaching really matters: Explaining the Coach of Year poll nominees (via tennisreporters.net) Don’t forget to vote for Toni!

… Toni Nadal did a fantastic job helping Rafa adjust to Djokovic’s newfound strengths and helping his nephew add a few new elements to his own game while he was out with an injury, which is why Nadal had the best year of any player out there, won two majors and finished No. 1.

• Las 50 personas que nos inspiraron en 2013 (via anuario.lanacion.com.ar)

… El tenista argentino, amigo personal del español, dice que detrás del dispositivo técnico y la fortaleza mental de su colega está –siempre– la familia

• Nadal se une al movimiento #Reimaginaeltenis (via tennistopic.com)

PHOTOS: Rafael Nadal Plays Golf In Mallorca

VIDEOS:

• Pat Cash speaks out about the Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal rivalry 
• Who will be the tennis ace of 2014? CNN’s Open Court meets the three grand slam winners of 2013 and asks who will rule next year?
• Mats Point: Sergi Bruguera on Rafa Nadal – Mats Wilander sits down with two-time French Open champion Sergi Bruguera to talk about Rafael Nadal’s 2013 season.
• Getty Images 2013 Award Winning Imagery (Rafa’s photo shows up at 1:20)
• L’Equipe names Rafael Nadal ‘Champion of Champions’ in 2013 – Athlete of the Year

ICYMI: RESULTS! 2013 RAFA AWARDS