Rafa inspires young netters, to open own school here

MANILA, Philippines - From nada to Nadal.

That in a way is how Rafael Nadal preached the virtues of hard work and discipline through sports like tennis and nurtured his dreams until he reigned supreme in the slow surface of Roland Garros.

Starting out as a nobody to reaching the pinnacle of success as the amazing tennis King of Clay, the power-hitting Nadal, winner of nine French Open and five other major titles, is in town as part of the star-studded International Premier Tennis League, playing for three days as one of the stalwarts of the Philippine Mavericks.

He also staged a tennis clinic among age groupers in a session at the San Agustin gym in Makati and later announced that he would soon establish a tennis school for kids bearing his name.

His exhibition was handed by Globe.

“You must preach by example. To be a model to everybody, be of help to be able to inspire and give opportunities to the kids,” said Nadal.

As soon as Nadal came into the building, he walked straight up to an air-conditioned room where he rested for a bit before going down again for another secluded area for a brief press conference.

Nadal, one of the greatest players who ever lived and arguably the best on clay, and his uncle, Toni Nadal, took turns in hitting some shots with selected kids from various schools, including fast-rising age-grouper Rafaella Villanueva, who was incidentally named after the Spanish champion.

“I just want to improve my level of tennis – year by year, day by day,” said Nadal,

“It’s true that having great players in front of you sometimes helps you see how much you need to improve, but at the same time, my motivation is always personal,” he added.

To achieve that, Nadal said “it is important to enjoy the sport, but it’s also important to have the right people around you.”

“It’s not only about teaching the techniques, but also helping the athletes hone their character and dedication to the sport to become successful. Maturity is really important even at a young age,” said Toni Nadal.