Why does Rafa jerk the shorts before each serve as though he has something stuck there ? (maybe he has) and then push the hair back through the head band and why does he keep jumping up and down when the umpire is about to toss the coin then runs back to the baseline ready for the hit up ? Routine , it's why he is so good , he has a 'ritual' that he has found to be a formula for success and that's only his on court routine , imagine what he does off court prior to a match ? I would guess it would be just as pedantic. Whilst I am not a fan of the on court rituals of many players which include the towel wipe after just about every point , I am a fan of on and off court professionalism , it makes Champions of the game of Tennis .
Bjorn Borg was superstitious , he never shaved through the two weeks of Wimbledon , it worked for him , he won five straight from 1976- 1980 and missed by a whisker in 1981, Bjorn was onto something . Rafa I believe took a leaf out of Borg's book and why not ? Borg was the 70's version of the modern day Rafa , the similarities are evident .
Tennis is a sport that requires repetition , in practice and in tournament play, things that work for players in both become habits that are hard to let go , especially if it takes them to victory.
Find a routine , make it your own , look forward to the pre match and pre practice things that make you want to play the game. We are all different tennis players and some do it for different reasons than others but it all comes down to the same ideas; It's a challenge , life would be boring without it......
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