What Makes Rafael Nadal So Nadal

Rafael Nadal is easily considered one of the best tennis plays in the world and of all time, and while he’s recuperating off the courts, fans have sent in some of the things that makes him so dear to them. It’s not just his amazing playing style, but his habits before and during a match that endear him to many. Here they are below.

Fans pay very close attention to who they like, and Rafael Nadal is no different. I had always noticed a few of his special habits before and during a match, but the fans that sent in there special likes about the tennis phenom were very specific. Rafael, your fans do pay attention to you very closely and while you’re recuperating, here’s what makes you so special to them. After having to pull out of both the 2012 London Olympic Games and the 2012 US Tennis Open, fans are having some Nadal withdrawal, so hopefully this can fill that void.

As the image above shows, fans have noticed that Nadal can be a little particular, and his socks get the same attention as he gives to all those other habits. Now, I can understand wanting them just right since socks fall down easily enough when you’re running. He does get a little more extreme with pulling them up, pushing them down and over again.

Many women and men like that he doesn’t just like to kiss his trophy, but he gives it a special love bite. Naturally this has created some ‘interesting’ fan fiction dedicated solely to the RafaBite. You can see him in action in the video below.

His famous water bottle placement is the cute one for me and many of you fans. I noticed that he’ll take a drink from one that is just a little bit warmer than the other, and then put the lid on, careful placement with Evian lable out, and then a drink from the other rinse and repeat. He’s very steadfast in this throughout the game. At first I thought it was just product placement, but it fits right into the growing list below of his game rituals.

The hyperactive jumping and running even during the coin toss reminds me so much of my little nephew after he’s snuck into a box of Milk Duds. As you can see in the video below, he’s got plenty of energy to spare and when that coin is tossed it doesn’t stop.

Nadal, the Wedgie King. This one has gotten much attention from everyone, but when you’re lucky enough to be packing that much heat in the back, things are gonna stick a little bit more…like the attention to that area. By picking at it, it just draws the fans eyes back to his famous posterior.

Right Foot First. This one just reminds me of the Tony Shaloub show Monk when Nadal is working his way around the tennis court lines. I had never noticed it before, but a superfan sent this over yesterday, and it was like watching those cute little dogs that keep moving around in a circle before finally settling in. This is definitely a ritualized habit after this many years, and it makes me wonder what would ever happen if he had to play on a badly cracked court where you couldn’t help but hit one with your left foot first.

Above is the full Rafael Nadal personal habit checklist that a fan created. It’s very cute and I’m sure many of you fans can appreciate this. Hey, we’ve all got those peculiar things we do in our daily lives that probably would look odd if put under the Nadal microscop.