ARTICLES:

• Organisers receive ‘strongest endorsement’ that Rafa Nadal will play in Abu Dhabi (via The National)

Health issues will not prevent Rafael Nadal from appearing at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship (MWTC) at the beginning of 2015 in Abu Dhabi. … “The latest [with Nadal] is that we’re in touch with his team on a regular basis,” said Greg Sproule, the Middle East head of IMG, which organises the tournament. … We’re in touch with his manager Carlos Costa, who has said he is coming to Abu Dhabi.

• Playing through pain barrier part of life for Nadal and co (via ESPN)

There are people out there who are amazed that Rafael Nadal could even consider playing on after being diagnosed with appendicitis, but he will know how his body is feeling better than anyone and would be the first to pull out if it was a problem he couldn’t handle.

• Serena’s linesmen, Nadal’s appendix, Kafelnikov and more mail (via SI.com)

One of the cardinal rules of sports media: don’t question an athlete’s injury. A lot of you inquired about Rafael Nadal’s decision to play in Asia despite being diagnosed with appendicitis. I will grant you that this decision is confounding, with the (understandable) caution he usually exhibits and his decision NOT to play July through September, as well as his decision to pull out of the IPTL (see below). But I think you have to chalk it up to the individual decisions individual athletes can make in individual sports.

• The top tennis babes and heartthrobs of all time (via Yahoo)

The loud colours, the tight capris, the sleeveless tops (which the female audience is happy to see taken off after the match)—if you were not paying attention to tennis before, chances are Rafael Nadal would make you sit up and watch. Aside from this Spaniard’s good looks and rock-hard abs (which he’s bared in countless magazine covers), the currently ranked world no. 2 is the only male player to win a single Grand Slam tournament nine times. We wonder if he’s shown off his ripped chest in magazines as much?

• “Yo estuve a punto de morir por lo mismo, Nadal tomó un riesgo”, dijo Santiago Giraldo (via pulzo.com)

Yo a Rafa (Nadal) le aconsejaría que se opere ya. Lo que está haciendo es muy peligroso y yo, que sé lo que pasa, me hubiera operado el mismo domingo en Shnghái. Si le explota el apéndice y se infecta la zona puede estar más de seis mese fuera del circuito”, dijo el colombiano.

• Rafa Nadal undergoes some “advanced” training ahead of The Duel (via pokerstarsblog.com)
• El Ayuntamiento de Palma y la Fundación Rafa Nadal firman la cesión de un terreno para un centro de inserción social (via Mallorca Confidencial)
• Quick Hits (via The Slice)

VIDEOS:

• Rafa Nadal wishing you to Think Big!
• Shanghai 2014 Hot Shot Review (via ATP World Tour)
• Rafa Nadal – Amnesia
• Rafael Nadal arrives in Mallorca