LIVING

Nadal goes about his business unassumingly, checking out the buffet spread, bobbing his head to the music on his iPod, all the while patiently waiting to fill up his dinner plate. When he’s finally seated and ready to eat, a horde of autograph seekers descend upon him. Nadal is happy to oblige, and offers up a smile and a “Thank you” to each and every one of them. His English is improving, he told Metropolitan: “It’s a bit better all the time, it’s very important to learn English. I don’t take any lessons, but I am really working on it.”

Only two hours ago, Rafael Nadal was busy crushing his opponent, on the stadium court, to a packed house. This Rafa Nadal, the one casually sitting in the dining room, is soft-spoken, shy and even prone to staring at the ground as he answers questions. The wardrobe isn’t even right. He’s wearing khaki shorts, a T-shirt and flip-flops. But, if you look a little closer and a little deeper, you can spot it—it’s all in the eyes. They’re a dead giveaway for the other Nadal—the tremendously powerful tennis player who destroys his opponents with a combination of aggressive shot-making, fist-pumps and on-court acrobatics.

So what’s with the on-court and off-court personalities? “It’s the way I am,” said Nadal, smiling. “I love to play tennis and compete 100 percent, and I want to be the best. But, my ambition is also to be a very normal guy, a regular guy.”

Since he officially turned pro and joined the Associated Tour of Professionals (ATP) in 2001, Rafa Nadal has already achieved what most other tennis players could never aspire to in the course of an entire career: back-to-back Roland Garros Grand Slam titles, a Davis Cup Trophy for Spain and 20 ATP titles (17 singles, three doubles). To top that off, factor in year-to-date prize earnings of over eight million dollars and a number of lucrative sponsorship contracts, including Nike and Kia.

Preceding Rafael Nadal’s arrival on the sporting scene, his uncle, Miguel Angel, was the athletic superstar in the family. A top footballer first with FC Barcelona and then Real Madrid, he was nicknamed ‘the beast of Barcelona’. Miguel Angel Nadal played on the Spanish National squad and in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. “My uncle played in Barcelona for eight years,” said a beaming Nadal. “I was lucky enough to watch some of the games in Camp Nou. It’s one of the best stadiums in the world—beautiful, open and with a special feeling to it. I am a Real Madrid fan, though, and every time I am in Madrid they treat me very well.”