ARTICLES:
- Nadal Captures 62nd Title In Rio (via ATP)
… “Always when you win a title, it’s special,” said Nadal, who celebrated his triumph with Brazilian legends Ronaldo and Gustavo Kuerten. “I’m not very happy with the way I played yesterday, but I think today I was able to play with a little bit more calm, play a little bit longer and go a little bit more for the points. I played a more solid match today.”
… World No. 1 Nadal leads the way over the past 52 weeks (as of 19 February) with a 23-7 record (.767) in tie-breaks, according to the FedEx ATP Win-Loss Index, while Djokovic is a close second at 22-8 (.733).
… “Could Rafa [Nadal] eclipse my [Grand Slam] record? Yeah, absolutely,” Federer said on the eve of participating at the Dubai Tennis Championships, which begins on Monday. “But the good thing is I am still playing and my goal is to add more titles to my count – and not just Grand Slam titles. I love any tennis tournament I play in and Dubai is an important tournament for me.”
- 17 years after their first photo, Rafael Nadal posed for another with soccer star Ronaldo (via USA Today)
… Back in 1997, when Rafael Nadal was a 10-year-old junior hitting two-handed forehands, he took a photograph with Ronaldo, the Brazilian soccer star in the midst of leading FC Barcelona to a Copa del Rey title.
- Nadal, el maestro del día a día (via El Pais)
… “No se consiguen las grandes cosas sin pasar antes por las pequeñas. Hay que contar con el día a día, con el esforzarme de cada día. Pensar en trabajar y esforzarme al máximo cada día y desde ahí en intentar conseguir cosas mayores.”
- Falcão e Rafael Nadal trocam camisas após partida do Rio Open (via globoesporte.com)
- Uncle Toni gives his take on Rafa’s relationship with French fans (via tennis.com)
… “I think Rafa still has a good image in France. L’Equipe gave him the award for best sportsman of the year, he often makes the front page of the newspaper…No French [athlete] makes the “A” sports newspaper in Spain…Except [soccer player Zinedine] Zidane, when he played for Real Madrid. I conclude that the French still enjoy a little Rafa.”
More PHOTOS: Rafael Nadal wins Rio Open to claim 62nd career title
VIDEOS:
- Rafael Nadal vs. Alexandr Dolgopolov – full match, hotshot, highlights, trophy ceremony
- Check out Rafa’s message to you in celebration of his win!
- Rafael Nadal fala sobre as Olimpíadas no Rio
- Beautyfull HOT GIRL of Rafael NADAL – funny moments tennis Rio Open 2014
- Simpático e amigo dos rivais, Rafael Nadal elogia Brasil: ‘Energia positiva’
ICYMI: New Rankings 2/24/14: Rafael Nadal tops, widens gap between himself, Novak Djokovic and others
I don’t care for Rafa to be on top but I will like to enjoy him playing tennis for some years more, tennis is boring to look at and Rafa sure knows how to excite a crowd also fans all over the world looking at the games on TV. just hitting ball back and forth is really boring Rafa add the pepper to Tennis hot shots all the fist pumps ,all the Mi Amor, the emotion is what I love about Rafa. I will really miss Rafa when he retire or stop playing, I can see I will not be interested in tennis any more.Rafa is the reason for me to love tennis.
hope Rafa does break all records. Unfortunately read a prediction by Octozone saying that Rafa’s form will spiral down in 2015 and will most probably retire. Fed could go on to win 20 grand slams. He had predicted Rafa’s brilliant come back in 2013 too. So Rafa fans, hope and pray this does not come true and Rafa plays for a long time to come and stays on top.