The true greats of international sport project confidence, which contributes to their aura; but, what we see from our idols does not necessarily reflect their true emotions.
We would never have imagined Tiger Woods having self-doubt while he was at the peak of his career, and the same would be true for Lionel Messi, Michael Jordan, and Michael Schumacher when they were making winning appear so simple.
However, all of the greats, including the three best players in men’s tennis history, had periods of self-doubt.
Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic maintained a vice-like grip over their emotions during combat, but one of the ‘Big 3’ has acknowledged that our perception of him was not always accurate.
Nadal announced his retirement last month after playing for Spain for the final time in the Davis Cup, and in an interview with The Players Tribune, he revealed how his mind was racing even when he was projecting a calm demeanor.
“For 30 years, the image that I was transmitting to the world was not always what I was feeling inside,” Nadal told reporters.
“Honestly, I’ve been apprehensive before every match I’ve ever played; it never goes away.
“Every night before a match, I went to bed thinking that I might lose (and when I woke up in the morning!) In tennis, the margin between players is razor-thin, and between rivals even more so.
“When you go out on the court, anything may happen, so keep all of your senses aware and alive.
“That feeling, the inner fire and anxieties, the excitement of stepping out and seeing a packed court, is tough to convey. It is a sensation that only a few people understand, and I am confident that it will never be the same now that I am retiring as a professional.
“There will still be periods when we play exhibitions and maybe other sports. I’ll always compete and do my best, but it won’t be the same as coming out in front of a stadium full of supporters.
Nadal also said that he considered taking extensive absences from tennis to ‘clear his mind’, providing a startlingly candid look into his thoughts.
“For the majority of my work, I was skilled at managing these feelings. “With one exception,” he explained.
“I had a pretty terrible mental time a few years back. Physical agony was something I was used to, but there were times on the court when I struggled to control my breathing and couldn’t play at my best. I have no issue expressing that now. After all, we are humans, not superheroes.
“The person you see on center court with a trophy is a person. Exhausted, relieved, delighted, and grateful—but only a person.
“Thankfully, I didn’t get to the point where I couldn’t handle things like worry, but there are times when every player finds it difficult to control their head, and when that happens, it’s impossible to have complete control over their game.
“For months, I considered taking a complete break from tennis to clear my head.
“In the end, I worked at it every day to improve. I overcame it by pushing forward and gradually regaining my identity.
“The thing that I’m most proud of is that I may have struggled, but I never quit. I always gave the maximum.”
Tennis will miss the three great players who have given us so much joy over the last two decades, but the legacy they leave will continue as they look back on how they rewrote the record books.
