Sunday 17 October 2010

Japanese Documentary

http://kuuchuu-sampo.blogspot.com/2010/10/documentary-on-rafael-nadal.html

Here is a full transcript of the videos.

Part 1



Part 2



Part 3



Part 4



Part 5 - Sorry, no embed code

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4_gCEb2ujY

Here is some translation:

They also published a transcript of some of the interview portions on their website. Twitterer Hana_chan_ was kind enough to translate for us.

Prior to his first appearance in the “Rakuten Tennis Japan Open,” Rafael Nadal sat down for an interview for the documentary, “Non-fiction: Man of the Sun, Rafael Nadal~ Origins of the #1 Tennis Player”, which aired on Sept. 27 in Japanese TV network, WOWOW.

Why have you always lived in Mallorca?

Although I’ve been to different places, there is nowhere like Mallorca. I have never thought once about leaving.

What is so special about Mallorca?

In comparison to big cities, Mallorca is quiet but I am still able to do same things as one can in big cities. Well, except for skiing. The climate is great so there are many things that you can enjoy outside. I love the sun, and in Mallorca, it’s sunny all year round.

What is your family like?

In my family, we are very close and many things [about himself] are because of them. Of course, my relationship with parents and younger sister is great. In addition, my extended family and I are on excellent terms. My family is different from most, but for me each person [in my family] is irreplaceable.

So far in your athletic career, has there ever been a big match that you can call a turning point for you?

In the 2004 Davis Cup final against America, I was luckily selected to be a part of the team. In that competition, it was important to win every match. In that same year, Federer won the #1 world ranking, but for me, [Davis Cup Final] was my first big match. For my match in the Davis Cup Final, I played against Roddick.

Since 2005, you’ve been rapidly rising [in the rankings], right?

Roughly from the beginning of the 2005 season, I was doing well. In Doha and Auckland tournaments, I did not play that well, but I improved in Latin America. I won both the Brazil and Acapulco tournaments.

In the Miami Masters 1000, I played Federer in the finals. I won the first 2 sets but due to Federer’s amazing play, he came back [in the match]. I could not compete with him, so I lost. From that point on, I have been doing better.

Afterwards, I won in Monte Carlo, which was my first Masters 1000 victory. I had also won in Barcelona, Rome, and the French Open. I think at that point [those victories] brought my game up a notch, especially on clay. During that summer, I made a breakthrough because I won titles in Sweden, Stuttgart, and my first hard court title in Montreal.

Approximately, when did you start gaining confidence?

When I reached the finals of Wimbledon in 2007, I finally felt confident that I could play in any type of court. Even though things did not work out for me in that match, I felt my confidence rise greatly. As things went, I won the Olympics and Australia. With good fortune, I had been ascending the ladder of success one-step at a time. Of course, there were also times when things became difficult.

So what is your coach, Uncle Toni’s role [in your successes]?

Well, it is obvious that my uncle is a very important. If my uncle were not here, perhaps a successful tennis player Rafael Nadal would not be having this interview today. Most importantly, I must be grateful for these things.

My uncle has devoted himself to nurturing me as an athlete and teaching me different things. I am grateful to him because my uncle is an indispensable part of my successes, may it be in education or tennis. I could never think about changing coaches.

You are able to use both hands, at what point in time did you decide to play with the left hand?

I only use the left hand for tennis, soccer, and other sports. For everyday things, I’m right-handed. When I started playing, I used both hands to hit both backhand and forehand. When I was 3 years old, I didn’t have enough power so Uncle Toni taught me to do that. After that, when I was about 9 or 10 years old, I had to use only one side, and it became that it was natural to use my left hand.

At what age did you think about becoming a professional athlete?

Ever since I was a child I always thought, “If I practice tennis, I could become a pro. My life is tennis.”

As a child, were there players you admired?

It was Carlos Moya, who is from Mallorca. Even though, he is a friend of mine. In addition, I remember watching various finals that Sampras and Agassi played.

Is there any method of practicing that you recommend for children who are just starting tennis?

My advice is to love tennis and to enjoy playing it. You have to practice a lot, right?! However talented [the person is], a ton of practice is necessary to be a top player. Sometimes even loving the sport is not enough, especially if you cannot stand the hard training. It’s better to have fun with the sport.

Professional players of this sport love it, and when they play they have to enjoy themselves. I don’t have any [specific] advice when practicing. There are many ways to go about being a top player; my method is not the only one. I think Soderling, Berdych, Federer, Murray, and Djokovic have their own variations of style in their play. There are many paths to reaching the top.

During difficult moments, how do you motivate yourself?

If you mean [the difficult moments] is when I’m on court, I just think about wanting to win and things like that. I love everything about winning. However, apart from thinking of wins or loses, I think about playing well. Playing well is the feeling of battling until the very end.

Courtesy: NadalNews

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