ARTICLES:

• Rafael Nadal isn’t just playing tennis in Indian Wells (via LA Times)

“I always play [doubles] with someone with whom I have a relationship,” he said. He struggles a bit with English. Sometimes you have to translate. He meant he likes to play with his friends. Weisner got him to be typical Rafa when she asked about the most important parts of tennis — “serve and volley,” he said, not even looking bored — and followed up by saying he does not have a great serve. “I have a weak serve,” he said. “When you have a weak serve, pressure is on you all the time.” Of course, 99.9723% of mankind would die for his weak serve, but that’s another story.

• Sunday Matches To Watch (via BNP Paribas Open)

Nadal, who has 14 Grand Slam titles and three BNP Paribas Open trophies, had reached at least the semifinals in Indian Wells before he was upset in the third round last year by Alexandr Dolgopolov. Nadal comes into the BNP Paribas Open after winning the title in Buenos Aires.

• Federer, Nadal, Wawrinka Open Title Quests Sunday At Indian Wells (via ATP World Tour)

Nadal and Federer are the two standout performers in ATP Masters 1000 history, with the pair combining for 50 titles and 592 match wins. Nadal has won the most titles at this level (27), with Federer in second (23), while the Swiss leads the way in matches won (311), with the Spaniard in second (281).

• Como una pista a medida (via Tennis Topic)

“Siempre ha jugado bien aquí”, recordó Francis Roig, el técnico que acompaña al español en California. … “Está con muchas ganas. Ha costado un poco ir ganando partidos, pero cada jornada trabaja duro y con los objetivos bien claros. Está todo el día pensando cómo hacerlo mejor, entrenando duro y con mucho diálogo. Con mucha ilusión, que al final es lo importante. Estoy convencido de que si tiene la suerte de pasar los primeros partidos lo puede hacer realmente bien”.

• Rafa Nadal promocionará los alimentos de España (via El Pais)

El tenista Rafa Nadal es el personaje elegido por el Ministerio de Agricultura para la promoción de los alimentos de España en el exterior. El departamento ha adquirido los derechos de imagen del deportista por una cifra no hecha pública, pero que podría superar el millón de euros. La campaña de promoción, con la imagen de Nadal, se realizará bajo el eslogan, Nacido en España, admirado en el resto del mundo. En principio, se han adherido a esta campaña las interprofesionales del vino, aceite de oliva, aceituna de mesa y del jamón.

• Nestlé and Rafa Nadal Foundation join forces to promote healthy lifestyles (via sweetpress.com)

Ana Maria Parera, president of the Rafa Nadal Foundation explained that “it is a pleasure to join forces with Nestlé Spain; the two organizations working to improve the lives and everyday youth and, clearly, Health Plan Train is a valuable tool to introduce and promote healthy habits, inter alia, practice of physical activity among themselves and their families”.

• Tweets of the Week (via tennis.com)

PHOTOS: Rafael Nadal practices in Indian Wells (via Harjanto Sumali’s Flickr)

VIDEO: 

• Super Sunday in Indian Wells (via Tennis TV)
• Nadal practices in Indian Wells (via Wellciak)