(Why) Nadal is a Wimbledon Champion
Rafael Nadal won a thrilling 5 set marathon match today to beat defending champion, Roger Federer, and win his first Wimbledon title. Nadal has improved several aspects of his game including his serve, backhand and volley, but what won Nadal this title was his head and his heart. Nadal never gets down on himself and never gives up - on a rally or on a match. When was the last time you saw Nadal smash a racket in anger? Never. Have you ever seen Rafa’s broad shoulders slump or the look on his face seem dejected? Maybe for a moment, but never for longer than that. Many players would have had a
very tough time in the fifth set after having blown a 5-2 lead in the fourth set tiebreaker with nervous play as Nadal did and then subsequently losing two championship points later in the tiebreaker. However, Nadal stayed positive and kept fighting. As Nadal said after the match, he continued to simply focus on playing the match point by point and tried not to think too much, e.g. think about winning the title. As Boris Becker once said about the fifth set, “it's all about the mind.” Nadal and Federer both missed opportunities during the course of the match and also played brilliantly under pressure at other times. In the end, the match was decided by a few points, but it only stayed that close throughout the fifth set because Nadal had both the head and the heart of a champion.
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