Rafael Nadal

John Carlin

Published to coincide with the 2011 US Open, this first personal, candid look into the life of tennis's #1 player, Rafael Nadal, who, an intensely private person, is known for his discipline, respect and kindness, traces his childhood, growth as a player and his extraordinary career.

Rafa

What makes a champion? What does it take to be the best in the world at your sport? Rafael Nadal has the answers. In his memoir, written with award-winning journalist John Carlin, he reveals the secrets of his game and shares the inspiring personal story behind his success. It begins in Mallorca, where the tight-knit Nadal family has lived for generations. Coached by his uncle Toni from the age of four and taught humility and respect by his parents, Nadal has managed the uncommon feat of becoming an acclaimed global celebrity while remaining a gracious, hardworking role model for people in all walks of life. Now he takes us behind the scenes, from winning the Wimbledon 2008 final-described by John McEnroe as "the greatest game of tennis" he had ever seen-to the family problems that brought him low in 2009 and the numerous injuries that have threatened his career. With candor and intelligence, Nadal brings readers on his dramatic and triumphant journey, never losing sight of the prize he values above all others: the unity and love of his family. From RAFA: "During a match, you are in a permanent battle to fight back your everyday vulnerabilities, bottle up your human feelings. The more bottled up they are, the greater your chances of winning, so long as you've trained as hard as you play and the gap in talent is not too wide between you and your rival. The gap in talent with Federer existed, but it was not impossibly wide. It was narrow enough, even on his favorite surface in the tournament he played best, for me to know that if I silenced the doubts and fears, and exaggerated hopes, inside my head better than he did, I could beat him. You have to cage yourself in protective armor, turn yourself into a bloodless warrior. It's a kind of self-hypnosis, a game you play, with deadly seriousness, to disguise your own weaknesses from yourself, as well as from your rival."

Akanksha Chattopadhyay

As I sit to review Rafael Nadal’s autobiography, fresh from having watched del Potro triumph over Wawrinka in a hard fought Wimbledon second round (an unfortunate fixture for this stage of the tournament with both men capable of winning Grand Slam finals on their days), memories come flooding my mind. Nearly six years from where the book leaves off and Nadal being far from the top of the ATP rankings, “Rafa-my story” doesn’t fall short of putting into perspective all it says, all Rafa Nadal comes to signify, and perhaps some of the key values that everyone must embody. Mildly Puritanical as the overtones may suggest, and starkly in contrast with my present Postmodernist bearings, Nadal’s book is a wholesome experience. However, I don’t regret not having read it immediately after publication, for though the sixteen year old me might have clutched it harder in fanatic enthusiasm, the raw information the book provides is scarcely novel to an ardent fan. The achievement of the book lies in revealing the sensitive and clear-headed Rafael behind Rafa Nadal, the tennis champion.
One fine morning more than eleven years back, while watching a match, probably in Rome Masters, in the run-up to his debut French Open, I chanced to get a glimpse of the player who was to become the biggest hero of my growing years during which tennis remained my singular obsession. Keeping this in mind, an objective judgement of this memoir of my superman is fairly impossible, and when I go over the top in adulation, which I frequently do, I do so unapologetically.
“Rafa: my story”, though compared with Andre Agassi’s “Open” for its popularity, never for once becomes controversial or explosive, and the only attacks that ever ensue are wrapped in affection and aimed at his “uncle, coach and friend”, Toni. It narrates along smooth anticipation a tale of struggle and love for struggle, and human endurance raising itself to the superhuman. Nadal is neither a swan-like Federer nor a dazzling-blasting Djokovic. He runs runs and at the baseline hitting incessantly and knows exactly when to send that charged curling forehand past his opponent, leaving the whole world gaping. It’s the story of the boy, who though uncomfortable with the dark and dogs, had had to learn to go out and play a Wimbledon final, aged twenty.
The narrative technique doesn’t fail to intrigue either as it alternates between fist person monologues and third person reports. Though I had initially found Carlin’s interruptions slightly annoying but comprehend in retrospection, their utility and symbolic value. Nadal’s part is chronologically non-linear. Through two of the biggest matches of his career—Wimbledon final 2008 and US Open final 2010—he revisits the whole of his life: the loving family and happy childhood, his love for football, the beginnings of tennis and subsequent conquest of the world, his many injuries, but most of all, the shaping of his trademark morale. To be “good people” was ingrained in him right from his childhood by his parents and the fierce uncle Toni. And that resulted not just in his good-natured persona off the court, but also his on-court humility which he describes to have taught him to respect the good balls and consequently know which ones to kill. 
The two matches, especially the Wimbledon final of 2008, have been described with meticulous details, facilitating an insight into the brain of a tennis player in action at the highest level, which might at times seem to drag for non-tennis readers, but lovers of the games must find them a treat. Carlin comes in at every nerve wrecking juncture, mostly to take him home to the island of Mallorca, when the gladiatorial stance becomes too dominant. Though personally, I would have loved an uninterrupted monologue just as well. The prose deserves a mention of its own, especially Nadal’s parts—carefully crafted, it retains an echo of his voice, which makes the text all the more effective.
The book deserves to be read, read widely. Or so I believe. And as for myself, I’m definitely going to reread it and love it everytime. “Rafa: my story” stands out as does Rafa Nadal himself—not for literary genius and beyond sporting genius—with its unique human appeal.
Vamos!

Rebeca Keren Nuñez

Interesante para saber más sobre uno de los mejores tenistas de la historia, sobre todo para conocer más de su vida familia y mas intima, siendo él tan reservado. Disfrute mucho su lectura, ayuda a entender al hombre detrás del tenista.

Fran Martinez

Alistair James

Hellboy TCR

Patrick Baumann

The Sunday Times bestselling autobiography from the greatest tennis player of his generation 'A winner' Independent 'A terrific sporting memoir, full of memorable anecdotes' New Statesman 'As exciting as Rafa himself' Woman's Own No tennis player since Andre Agassi has captivated the world like Rafael Nadal. He's a rarity in today's sporting arena - a true sportsman who chooses to let his raw talent, dedication and humility define him. With a remarkable 16 grand slam victories under his belt, and with friend and rival Roger Federer's record haul of 20 in his sights, Nadal is an extraordinary competitor whose ferocity on court is made even more remarkable by his grace off it. This book takes us to the heart of Nadal's childhood, his growth as a player, and his incredible career. It includes memorable highs and lows, from victory in the 2008 Wimbledon final - a match that John McEnroe called the 'greatest game of tennis ever played' - to the injury problems that have frequently threatened his dominance of the sport, to becoming the youngest player of the open era to complete a career Grand Slam in 2010. It transports us from Nadal's lifelong home on the island of Majorca to the locker room of Centre Court as he describes in detail the pressures of competing in the greatest tournament in the world. It offers a glimpse behind the racquet to learn what really makes this intensely private person - who has never before talked about his home life - tick. And it provides us with a story that is personal, revealing and every bit as exciting as Nadal himself.

Rafa

Reviews