Rafael Nadal: The Professional

A few days ago, Rafael Nadal lost in the first round of this year’s French Open, a tournament he’s won 14 times. To put it in perspective, that matches the total number of grand slam titles held by the great Pete Sampras. In total, Nadal holds 22 major titles, second most among male singles players, and two Olympic gold medals. With that first round loss, the sports world is starting to reflect on the career of one of tennis’ all-time greats.?

My favorite sportscaster Chris Fowler recently said, “Of all the athletes I’ve covered across many different sports for almost 40 years, Rafa is the athlete I admire the most.” Fowler noted Nadal’s hunger and fighting spirit but also mentioned his humility and humanity. Nadal is known for the intensity in which he plays each and every point. He never “phones it in.”?

For sports fans who enjoy controversial athletes who brag and beat their chest, or who scream and yell at officials, or who love to talk smack, Rafa’s probably not your favorite. He does his talking on the court, and he plays every point like it’s the most important of the match. While rival and friend Roger Federer played with the grace of a dancer, Nadal is a blunt force instrument, grinding opponents down physically and mentally. Win or lose, he’s always humble and gracious. After losing in straight sets to world number four Alexander Zverev in the first round of the French (a very unfortunate draw which Nadal didn’t whine about), he praised his opponent, even when organizers and Zverev went out of their way to give Rafa his moment on court to reflect on his illustrious French Open legacy.?

I don’t want to project my beliefs onto Nadal, but his approach to tennis reminds me of this scripture:?“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” –?Colossians 3:23-2.?

When I think about Nadal’s tennis career and his approach to his job, to me, he is an excellent example of what it means to be a professional. Rafa has always taken his job seriously. He respects the profession. He always respects his opponents. He never seemed to consider himself as being larger than the sport. And while he was obviously blessed with uncanny abilities, he never took that for granted. To paraphrase a quote from a business leader I know, “You can’t control the price of oil or the unicorn population, but you can control your attitude.” Like Nadal, I have a choice in the way I approach each day. Am I going to just get through the day, or am I going to bring my “A game”? I’m lucky to work with a lot of people who bring excellent attitudes and work ethic to the office each day, and that inspires me. At the end of the day or at the end of my career, I want to look back and be proud of my effort and attitude. After all, time is a limited and precious resource.?

Some days won’t go our way, but when we’re persistent, consistent, work hard, and treat others with respect, good things will happen, especially in the long run. To me, that’s what it means to be a professional.?

Nadal fought hard and competed well in his first round loss, but Zverev was the better player that day. In his post match press conference, a relaxed Nadal said, “If it’s the last time that I play here, I am at peace with myself.” He went on to say that he’s been working very hard over many months to recover from injury with the goal of returning to Roland Garros. “At least I did. I lost, but that’s part of the business.” He seemed like a man with no regrets and nothing left to prove. His career speaks for itself.

Each work day morning when our alarms go off, we have the opportunity to approach our profession the way Nadal approached his. To borrow Rafa’s battle cry — “Vamos!”