Some call Rafael Nadal's ticks crazy and eccentric, others see them as a silly expression of a deep superstition. Nadal himself says that the rituals help him to maximize his concentration for the game. Here are his ten craziest ticks.
Cold shower before every match
Before he steps onto the court, Rafa always has to take an ice-cold shower. Why? Refreshing himself is a "point of no return" for him. "Under the cold shower, I enter a new space in which I feel my strength and resilience grow," Nadal wrote in his biography.
Right foot always first
Nadal always steps onto the court with his right foot first. Sometimes a small intermediate step is necessary so that he doesn't have to go first with his left foot. This is particularly curious because Nadal is left-handed.
Where is the family?
When he arrives on court, he immediately looks for his family in the stands - the match can't start before then. "I don't let them into my thoughts during a match," says Nadal about his family. He only checks on them once. But knowing that they are there gives him the security on which his success is based. "I build a wall around myself while I'm playing. My family is the cement that holds this wall together."
Chair parallel to the line
Nadal can often be seen rearranging his chair before the match. This happens when the chair is not exactly parallel to the line.
The bottle trick
Rafa sets up his drinking bottles diagonally rather than parallel. He always has two with him: one is chilled, the other at room temperature. The Spaniard only takes a sip from each before switching back to the other. Before returning to his seat, he turns the two bottles until the labels are facing in the same direction.
The hectic plucking
Butt-t-shirt-ear-nose-ear. No serve until Rafa has completed his famous plucking ritual. Superstition? No, says the world number one: "If it were superstition, then I wouldn't always do it the same way, regardless of whether I win or lose. It's my way of positioning myself in a match, of organizing things around me the way I would like my head to be organized."
Brush the line (only possible on clay)
The baseline must always be spotless. At the French Open, it happens time and again that the clay "soils" the line. Then cleaner Nadal comes and sweeps the sand off the line with his shoe.
The lines are lava
Have you ever seen Nadal step on a line between points? No, you haven't. Because Rafa always knows how to prevent that. He always crosses the lines with his right foot first.
Change of sides: opponent first
Nadal is a true gentleman when it comes to changing sides. The Spaniard always lets his opponent pass first. Sometimes he has to wait a little longer.
"Last man sitting"
Once he reaches the chair, Nadal always allows himself a slightly longer break than his opponent. Only when his opponent has stood up after the umpire has called "time" does the Spaniard get up.
