The real reason behind Rafael Nadal’s bizarre tennis ritual revealed

Avid fans of Rafael Nadal will miss his masterful serve and lightning speed reactions as the tennis ace announces he’s soon to retire after a 20 year career. 

Nadal is a 22-time Grand Slam champion and is considered one of the best tennis athletes of all time. 

He has struggled with injuries over the last few years but his final act on court will be playing for Spain on home soil in the Davis Cup at the end of November.

But after the 38-year-old athlete from Manacor, Spain, announced his intention to step down in a shock statement this morning, some fans have reminisced over the bizarre ritual he used to perform ahead of and during matches, which they’ll soon see for one last time.

This includes obsessively touching his body and hair multiple times and adjusting his shorts. 

Rafael Nadal carefully line two Evian bottles alongside one another, ensuring the labels are always facing the court as part of his routine 

Legions of fans watching Nadal’s matches have picked up on the star’s torturous routine over the years and have commented about it online. 

The ball boys and girls of the All England Club know about this quirk and they are even trained in the Spaniard’s eccentricities.

The routine ahead of a serve follows a pattern that includes adjusting his shorts at the front and back, touching his left shoulder, then right shoulder, before tucking his hair behind his ears and tweaking his nose and touching his cheeks. 

A final wipe of the forehead with his forearm appears to signal he’s ready to serve. 

On second serves, Nadal will drop the touching of the shoulders. 

Nadal went into the reason why he undertakes his regime in his 2011 autobiography, Rafa: My story. 

He wrote: ‘Some call it superstition, but it’s not. If it were superstition, why would I keep doing the same thing over and over whether I win or lose?

‘It’s a way of placing myself in a match, ordering my surroundings to match the order I seek in my head.’

His routine also includes removing his jacket facing the crowd, jumping as he does so, and carefully line two Evian bottles alongside one another, ensuring the labels are always facing the court.

And when heading for his chair, Nadal will only step over the line using his right foot and once he has received his two towels.

During his routine, Nadal will tuck his hair behind his ears and tweaking his nose and touching his cheeks

The ball boys and girls of the All England Club know about his superstitious routine and they are even trained in the Spaniard’s eccentricities

On second serves, Nadal will drop the touching of the shoulders

Videos of his routine racked up many comments from fans who said they enjoy watching Nadal when he plays matches

However, some opponents find Nadal’s regime irritating. 

Nick Kyrgios, who lost to Nadal in an emotional encounter in July 2022, complained about him during a match at the Mexico Open in 2019.

The Australian said complained to umpire Damien Dumusois about Nadal’s slow play in between points. ‘Tell him,’ he shouted. ‘It’s only taken you 20 years — all of you — to tell him.’

However, Kyrgios reacted to Nadal’s retirement news today and wrote on X: ‘Rafa don’t retire I wanna play you one last time.’ 

Nadal’s fans have made videos filming his ritual at several matches and have posted them online. 

One fan, sat in the stands, filmed him during a match at the French Open, also known as Roland Garros.

She posted the clip on TikTok and wrote: ‘Rafael Nadal at the Roland Garros — & famous ritual before every single point.’ 

The official Roland Garros TikTok page even acknowledged it and said: ‘The routine we all know.’

Nick Kyrgios, who lost to Nadal in an emotional encounter in July 2022, complained about him during a match at the Mexico Open in 2019 (both pictured)

Rafael Nadal has announced he will retire from tennis, bringing an end to a storied career in tennis

The Spanish great has had to endure a trying two years in terms of injuries and consistency

Nick reacted to his retirement news and said he wanted to play him ‘one last time’

 This racked up many comments from fans who said they enjoy watching Nadal’s routine when he plays matches.

One wrote: ‘We all know it. I am a really big fan of him, I am French so I saw him play in person at the Roland Garos, it was insane.’

Another penned: ‘Sometimes he’s putting back his headband too.’

A third said: ‘His way to play tennis, the big Nadal.’

A fourth commented: ‘Love it because it’s Rafa.’

Today, Nada posted an emotional video on his social media account announcing the decision, reflecting on a career that was ‘longer and more successful then I could ever have imagined’. 

In a video message, Nadal said: ‘Hello everyone, I’m here to tell you that I am retiring from professional tennis. The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially. I don’t think I have been able to play with out limitations.

‘It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me a long time to make. But in this life everything has a beginning and an end.

‘And I think this is the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could ever have imagined.

‘But I am very exited that my last tournament will be the finals of the Davis Cup an representing my country. I’ve come full circle because one of my first great joys as a tennis player was the Davis Cup final in Seville in 2004.’    

Nadal’s decision to join Roger Federer in retirement will leave Novak Djokovic as the last man standing from the triumvirate who have dominated tennis for two decades.