Rafa

When Jimmy Connors stopped playing tennis, I quit watching. When Rafa beat Federer in Miami at age 18, I started watching again. Many commentators say Rafa plays with the same fighting spirit as Jimmy. I’ve always wondered where the fight comes from, how he keeps on winning and what motivates him. There are obvious answers given in articles and by broadcasters during a match or interview. Reading this book. . .(finally!) I understand a lot more. It’s a fun read, learning little details about what he was thinking during specific matches I’ve watched more than once. Mostly, it is as inspiring and motivating as Rafa himself when he’s playing every ball as if it were championship point. It’s the kind of book that makes plain what is required of a Champion besides talent. It is well written and makes me want to go do something. At 80. After this read, I believe it’s possible to still achieve something with a natural God-given talent I’ve been told about and recognized in myself most of my life. Will I do it? If I do, Rafa Nadal will be mentioned in the credits.

I am enjoying the Rafa memoir. Initially, I wondered how a memoir could be written so early in this young man's life, and not be "fluff" for over 270 pages. I quickly learned that not only is there no fluff, it sucked me in as a reader.The format is almost like "Forrest Gump" in print. It starts with Rafa prepping for his 2008 Wimbledon match against Roger Federer, the slam he's always wanted to win. Rafa writes somewhat of a diary/journal entry of his thought as he gets ready for the match. And as he goes through these motions, he has "flashbacks" of times earlier in life that has gotten him to where he's at: lessons he's learned, the family's who's been a solid foundation of support, and the human side of of who Rafa's become of these things. The flashbacks come back to the present match and integrates itself whole.Once a short entry of that match is read, John Carlin interjects with words and mini vignettes/interviews from family and friends who fill the "gaps" of the thought processes of how Rafa thinks and what he's become.The story then heads back to that Wimbledon match and Rafa writes more. The cycle continues.I bought this book right as I was about to go to sleep and ended up reading nearly 20% of the book and took it to work to read during my lunch. I could not put it down, but had to because the eyes were drooping. At this rate, the book will not make it to the weekend. Rafa draws me in and paints a story of an every day man who happens to do something extraordinary professionally. Nadal speaks with desires of a simple life and yet, with a profound sense of thought of in how to approach it. Tennis is the backddrop of this story, but many life lessons are learned as well as we watch someone grow into their own.UPDATE 9/9/11:I finished the book and it was quite satisfying. The memoir covers the first 25 years of Rafa's life, but there was much that's happened within that time: mentally, physically, and emotionally. Rafa and Carlin explain the moments in time and their impact upon who Rafa is today and will become.Is the book premature in its writing? Yes and no. I thought that the book should have been done after his career was over so we get the "full scope." However, by writing the book now while still actively competing, Rafa lets the readers understand who and what he is now. I have been following Rafa throughout this 2011 U.S. Open and the memoir has shed a different perspective on how I view Rafa's mentality on court, for the press, and how he carries himself. In short, it's an even more intriguing 'front row ticket' into someone's life.

RAFA is a remarkable book which gives amazing insights into the mind of a tennis legend. The way he prepares before a game, his mental state during a game, his methods of handling the disappointments and the successes of the tennis court - all of this makes RAFA a fascinating read.The book has a unique format in which the first person account by Nadal is interspersed with chapters by John Carlin. The chapters by Nadal mainly talk about some of the important matches of his fledging tennis career, starting with THE MATCH - the Wimbledon 2008 final; his surprisingly strong family ties and its impact on his game; his domineering uncle and coach for 20 years - Toni and of course, his never say die spirit which is visible in most of his matches, among other things.As the chapters go on, the book slowly uncovers the duality of Rafael Nadal - the one on the tennis court and the other off it. The one on the court is a gladiator who fights till the end, never gives up, doesn't know what fear is and ruthlessly decimates his opposition. The one off the tennis court is a soft, insecure lad , a boy next door, who is scared of dog, who is uncomfortable driving a bicycle or a motorbike and one who is scared of flying in a helicopter ! The contrast cannot be more starker.The importance he gives to his family and friends and in turn their impact on his game is mentioned throughout the book. After a remarkable year of 2008 when he won both French Open and Wimbledon and became No.1 for the first time, 2009 was a big let down, when he was dogged by injuries, when he lost in French Open for the first time and eventually lost the No.1 ranking. As he writes, this dip in his career was as much due to the separation of his parents as due to external factors like injuries and loss of form. In fact, according to him, the mental trauma he experienced due to his parent's separation was actually the root cause for most of his injuries during that time.In the final part of the book he also mentions his rather strange relationship with his uncle and coach - Toni. Though he gives a lot of credit to Toni for installing in him the fighting spirit of a gladiator and making him the tennis player he is now, he also mentions couple of incidents where he thinks Toni crossed the line. There are nuggets spread throughout book about their relationship and if you connect the dots you feel as if Nadal is only 'tolerating' Toni because of his gratitude towards Toni for making him what he is now. But again, that is only my interpretation.Overall, RAFA is an inspirational read. Through a living example the book tells that to succeed you have to make sacrifices, to succeed you need to have discipline and dedication, to succeed you have to fight till the last point. Nothing comes easy in this world, but if you put an honest effort, nothing is too difficult to achieve !

I totally enjoyed having a hard copy of 'Rafa' as well as listening to it on Audible. The Spanish accent voice was quite delightful. I relied on the hard copy to review details that seemed to be very informative that I wanted to revisit. If you are a tennis fan or even a competitive spirit, I highly recommend this book to get the insight of what makes successful athletes get through the ups and downs of competition.

Prazo cumprido, bem embalado.

Fantástico, motivador y mucho que aprender de la mentalidad de Rafa, quien es para mi el mejor del mundo por lo que expresa en su libro.

Le livre est arrivé sans la protection en plastique. Vue que le couverture est blanche et souple cela n'est pas terrible, surtout pour faire un cadeau. Mais le livre en soi est sympa.

Even though his tennis education borders on child abuse, this book is a pleasure to read, because it shows extremely well how Rafael Nadal became who he is, on court and off court - two obviously very different personalities...