Rafa Nadal, Unwatchable?

[sapelesam]

Thought I would watch a bit of US Open, Federer playing Nadal, forgot about Rafa's affectations, that man really needs some professional help. I could just about tolerate the bum picking but he's just gone too far. Have to watch the depressing News instead.

[chelle7272]

I love Rafa, couldn't care less about his little twitches :)

I really thought at Wimbledon he had calmed them down, seems not!

[Ama16]

I find him very watchable, his little foibles don't bother me one bit.

[New Judge]

As much as I love tennis and as much as I admire Rafa's play, I had to stop watching him about two or three years ago. Apart from his scratching, ball bouncing, clothing adjustments, hair grooming, have you noticed that his water bottles have to be equidistant apart beneath his chair with all the labels centred to the front? And nobody, but NOBODY, must touch them.

I caught a glimpse of him recently and he really has got far worse. He really has some serious psychological problems and he should seek immediate help for them asap. Once he stops playing tennis he will have no outlet for these ridiculous foibles and they will manifest themselves somehow else in "ordinary" life with possibly life-ruining consequences.

[Garaman]

I too find some of his rituals irritating to watch.

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/06/rafael-nadal-ritual-tic-pick-water-bottles

[New Judge]

Yes the link provided by garaman makes for disturbing reading.

Rafa insists his habits are "to help him concentrate on tennis". I disagree. They show all the features of obsessive compulsive behaviour which, if left unaddressed, can develop into a nasty mental illness. A neighbour of mine suffers from OCD. Her marriage disintegrated, her teenage son has left to live with his father, she cannot function properly. Only in her mid-40s her life is a disaster. It started with the sort of foibles displayed by Nadal (in fact in many respects his behaviour is worse that hers was). There are some aspects of it which are truly worrying. I can understand adjusting his attire to prepare for the serve (though nobody seems to find it as involved as he does). I can almost understand the toweling down (though don't see why he needs a towel after serving an ace). But what's this with the bottles, the lines and the court pass that must stay face up? I believe he really needs to seek some help before he ends up like my neighbour.

[dreamer56]

I share your irritation. There is of course the grunting with every shot. The elephant in the room for professional tennis. It is intimidatory gamesmanship. It should be banned. I noticed that, during Djokovic's invincible period, Djokovic would grunt back when playing Nadal. I also noticed that Nadal does NOT grunt during practice. Sharapova is equally annoying. She has the added affliction of a little 'pause' at the back of the court to mentally talk to some entity she perceives!

[Smowball]

Just watched Garams link - god I knew he was bad but didn't realise just how bad!

[Cloverjo]

Sharapova avoids walking on the lines by doing little diddy steps as she gets close to them. I also can't stand her shrieks and habit of giving her opponent a steely glare before she serves. In fact I can't bear her at all and refuse to watch her.