5 Rafael Nadal superstitions the player is always seen doing
World No. 2 Rafael Nadal recently won his record-extending tenth title at Roland Garros last week. In that win, he extended his own record at the French Open, his record for most clay-court titles of all time, and the most Grand Slam singles title at any venue in the Open Era. He is now only three Majors short of the record set by Roger Federer earlier this year after the Swiss won his record 18th Major at the Australian Open.
Nadal has certain tics or peculiarities that he must do on court each time; although the player is not known to suffer from OCD or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, he needs things to be done in a certain, very exact way before, after and during his matches – including by himself.
Here are some of his most well-known on-court tics:
Toweling off after each point
Sport is a sweaty business, and playing sustained tennis at the level that Rafael Nadal does, day after day, generating power every serve, requires energy. It’s a taxing business and when you’re standing in the sun for hours on end, match after match, you’re bound to perspire.
But while other players will usually towel off after a service game, Nadal towels off after each point.