“You need to fight,” Rafael Nadal shares candid advice to NextGen ATP stars in Jeddah
Rafael Nadal tasks young players to take responsibility on the court and accept every challenge in the sport.
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Rafael Nadal (via X)
Rafael Nadal has retired from professional tennis, but his legacy will continue to teach upcoming stars on the court. Recently, he was in attendance at the NextGen ATP Finals in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Despite being a spectator, he took time to share candid advice with Joao Fonseca, Jakub Mensik, and Alex Michelsen, who were competing at the event.
Nadal retired from professional tennis at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. Unfortunately, the 38-year-old lost his final match against the Netherlands’ Botic van de Zandschulp, which eventually led to Spain’s elimination in the quarterfinals. However, his mind-blowing achievement on the court overshadowed the defeat as he received a heartfelt farewell ceremony from the organizers.
Nadal is one of the best players to ever grace the court. The Spaniard’s achievements on clay court, especially winning 14 Roland Garros titles, set him apart from other ATP stars. Recently, he sat in a round table chat with Michelsen, Mensik, and Fonseca at the NextGen ATP Finals. The three Tour talents asked him questions about his career.
During the chat, Fonseca asked him the source of his strength to remain competitive on the court. Nadal said that he always takes responsibility on the court and accepts every challenge in the sport.
For me that is the key at the end, to have the personal responsibility to give your best regardless of the situation. Sometimes giving your best is a disaster, in terms of you are playing so badly… If you are mentally there and able to accept the challenge, accept that you are playing terribly, but you need to fight with what you have today, a lot of days, you have the level to win that match. Then the next day, you play a little bit better and win the match, and somehow things can change quickly in our sport.
Rafael Nadal said via ATP
Nadal added that young players ought to be hungry enough to give their best every day on the court, as that will only give them a long-term satisfaction. The Spaniard did that during his playing days and won 92 tour-level titles.
Joao Fonseca establishes himself as U-21 Player of the Year after winning NextGen ATP Finals
Joao Fonseca became the 2024 NextGen ATP Finals champion after defeating Leaner Tien 2-4, 4-3, 4-0, 4-2 to establish himself as the best Under 21 Player of the Year. The Brazilian star, ranked World No. 145 in the ATP, defeated the likes of Arthur Fils, Jakub Mensik, and Luca Van Assche to claim the title.
He was awarded the largest prize money in the event’s history being $526,480. Before the match, the 18-year-old had only accumulated $290,000 in prize money since his first professional appearance in 2021 in the ATP Challenger. When asked about the prize money, he said it was ‘huge’ for him.
I can just say it doesn’t sound bad. I’m young. Thankfully my parents are helping me win this kind of money… it’s huge. Thanks a lot.
Joao Fonseca said via TennisUptodate
At 18, Fonseca becomes the third player of his age to win the Next Gen ATP Finals, joining Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Both players are currently among the top-ranked stars in the ATP Tour. Hopefully, Fonseca will be aiming to follow their footsteps.
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Victor Okechukwu
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