Watch Rafael Nadal Sign Autographs, Pose for Pictures and Cart His Luggage Around the Airport [Video]

Tom,
Same here. I love it that RAfa feels so natural around people and doesn’t mind all the attention. Jon Wertheim of SI wrote once that there was not one kid in the RG that asked for RAfa’s autograph and did not get it. Hope he does well in Wimbledon.

June 15th, 2011 at 7:23 pm

Cutie-pie Rafa feels comfortable because, after all, he’s at home in Palma, and appreciates his fans.

Best of luck, Rafa!

June 15th, 2011 at 7:37 pm

I cannot resist the ones of him in the grocery store!!!!

June 15th, 2011 at 9:09 pm

Yay!! He’s on his way!!

June 15th, 2011 at 10:46 pm

he’s also flying on EasyJet, a budget airline — very humbling

June 16th, 2011 at 2:37 am

Rafa, YOU R IN IT TO WIN IT!!!!!!
GO get the third crown!!!

June 16th, 2011 at 12:14 pm

Rafa has a burn out. Or is starting to show the first signs for it. He could only barely hold on tot his clayslam. He is not reaching the semis or the draw must be very gracious for him.

And I do not dislike Rafa

June 16th, 2011 at 12:50 pm

Rafa reached 3 hardcourt finals this year, and if it were not for a red hot djoko, he probably would have won atleast 2 if not all three. So there is no sign of a “burnout”..
Could it be that he is slighty modifying his game yet again.

June 16th, 2011 at 2:35 pm

go rafa, you can win it!

June 16th, 2011 at 2:51 pm

Nadal all the way!!!

June 16th, 2011 at 3:05 pm

The signs are there. He speaks about it. He loses sets on clay. He is a bit slower than last year. It is al a litle less. I don’t care him reaching those finals. Those finals come the hard way. Notat all like the 2010 RAFA. Remember 2010 USOpen that was his best. I haven’t seen him that good. He certainlyis no favorite for Wimbledon.
Last year he won the French without breaking a sweat.

June 16th, 2011 at 4:03 pm

Michel – And that is exactly what made this years win so much more satisfying. He had to overcome some of his own demons. Breaking a sweat, or not breaking a sweat, he still won. A good challenge is motivating for Rafa.

June 16th, 2011 at 4:52 pm

Rafa says he thinks of himself as a normal guy who plays tennis for a living. I don’t know about him travelling on Easy Jet though, he should travel in comfort, it’s so easy to get a trapped nerve on those squashed airplane seats as I know all too well myself and he doesn’t need that, he needs to be fully fit.

Rafa is not burnt out at all. Players have their ups and downs, they can’t be at top peak all the time, and after a bout of flu, anyone is bound to be a little bit slower. The body takes a while to recover. I remember when Rafa continuously lost in SFs in 2009 after he came back from injury and most people thought he would never win another title until MC, the clay slam and the rest….

June 17th, 2011 at 10:49 am

Anna
I agree with you. But on grass he would not be able to overcome those issues. I don not see him reach the semis and if he were and Murray was there also… Then it’s Murraytime

June 17th, 2011 at 12:15 pm

Rafa’s play has been shakey.. If he can find that 2010 USO SERVE and run the opponents — he always has a CHANCE! I have a feeling Federer wants to prove something though. It will also be interesting to see how Djokovic bounces back; whether play more free-er now that the streak is done or go back to his old old ways. Murray just seems to fizz out at the end of tourneys and gets too passive. If he doesn’t change that, he will never win one :/ Delpotro will probably be feeling the grass good this year too’ American wise, I think Roddick might make it to the quarters!

June 17th, 2011 at 5:01 pm

It is not Rafa game. Not alone, but also him talking about being tired an feeling like it is a job. Federer just gave an interview ina Dutchnewspaper expressing his hubger en feeling like he would go on well after 2012 Olympics. The mindset of this 29/30 year old player is better than Rafa’s who just turned 25.
It is not only about playing mathces. Rafa is a warrior on court but he can learn a thing or 2 in how Rodger has balanced his life. That is also a great achievement of team Fed. I think Rafa must take care of hier privatlife in order to really challenge the legacyvof Federer.

June 19th, 2011 at 5:50 am

Rafa has always said tennis is his job and there are other things in life besides tennis. He balances his private and pro life well, with all the fishing, golfing, spending time with family and loved ones he does, but he says he is lucky to be playing tennis for a living.

He is allowed to feel tired after making 7 finals in a row (did fed do that?). He has 3 titles this season (how many does fed have?). Just because he didn’t demolish everyone during the clay season, people are now writing him off, saying he is done. I laugh at that because people did the same thing when Rafa came off his injury and didn’t win a title for 11 months….and we ALL know how he has done since then!! fedfans whine when people say fed is done because of his erratic play (shanking balls alot, mental walkabouts, etc..), yet they are so ready to do it to another player because he WON the French Open, even when he wasn’t as dominating as in years past.

June 19th, 2011 at 10:20 am