Let me get this out of the way first: I'm a huge fan of Roger Federer. Always have been, always will be. In my mind he's the GOAT. So naturally, that makes me dislike the player that is Rafael Nadal. He's always been Roger's kryptonite, with this defensive/high-spinning/lefty style of play. Every time he beats Roger, it makes me dislike him (as a player) even more.
But as a person, I like Rafa. He seems very humble, honest, and modest. He almost always gives credit where credit is due, and even though he's been accused of bad sportsmanship at times, he's usually a very respectable player on the court. Not to mention the fact that he grinds out every point, which shows us that he never gives up.
So when he started his return back from injury earlier in the year, I surprisingly felt more happy than sad about it. Although I realize once he's fully healthy, he'll probably be beating Federer again, I think his return is good for tennis. Heck, he's already won a few tournaments since his return, including a demolishing of World No. 4 David Ferrer in Mexico, 6-0, 6-2. I'm pretty sure it is safe to say that he's fine now.
And just for good measure, check out his interview below with ESPN's Chris Fowler. In it, he talks about the state of his game amongst other things.
Glad to see you back, Rafa.
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