Rafael Nadal’s ability to switch off and enjoy life heralded by young rival and protege

Grand Slam legend Rafael Nadal knows how to switch off from things that happen on the court, according to one of his young rivals.

Casper Ruud, who has formed a close relationship with the Spaniard, having attended his academy has noted that Nadal is able to switch off the tennis side of himself to enjoy downtime and time with family.

The young Norwegian has even played a few clay court exhibitions with Nadal and has also spent a lot of time at his academy.

Ruud believes that Nadal’s ability to turn on and off his competitive edge helps him live a balanced life.

“It’s great,” Ruud said of the ability, “but he has a sort of switch.

“He switches on and off on his personal side. I’m not going to go into all the details or whatever, but it’s really fun to be around.

“He’s not as serious and dedicated as he is on court. He likes to have fun. He dances around a little bit and enjoys a good glass of wine, for example, for dinner. I don’t think he will be bothered me telling this, but he’s a fun guy.

“We had a lot of fun and he has sort of taken me under his wings a little bit with the [Rafael Nadal] Academy and it was fun to be very close to him. Of course, we were in the same hotels all the time, flying around together, so we got to see him up close more and it was fun. He’s a really relaxed guy.

“He was talking back home with his wife and his kids, showing me some nice videos of his son and stuff. So, we’re just normal guys. That’s what we all are in the end.

“People think that athletes are like super strict or super serious all the time, but it’s not always the case. We can have fun, we do other stuff in our personal lives as well.”

Ruud believes that the era of big three domination will give way to a more open field in Grand Slam tennis.

He has taken part in two Grand Slam finals but fallen short on both occasions, but he feels that his time may yet come.

“The amount, if you ask me, of talent around on the tour these days is great, and I think more players will have the opportunity and chance to win Grand Slams in the future than what we have seen the last 17 or 18 years.”

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