He comes across as just another humble, level-headed 20-year-old bloke who lives down the road and cares only for his bowlful of pasta after a hard day's work. Rafael Nadal arrives sans the baggage associated with a world No 2 player. “I’m a normal guy. I don’t think of myself as the No 2 player outside court,” he says while helping himself to a mouthful of the Italian cuisine inside the VIP Lounge at the SDAT Stadium here. The VIP Lounge located next to the outside courts is a noisy place today. The tables are neatly laid out in green and white cloth — the tournament’s colours — and almost all are occupied. After adding a couple of nan slices to his plate and surveying the Rolex beauties perched inside the showcases, Nadal obliges a few select journalists for a good 20 minutes. Seated across the table, Rafa would surely have noticed Karan Rastogi enjoying his big day with friends and family, and if his post-match comments — “I don’t normally miss these balls” — were anything to go by, the Spaniard still looked a wee bit upset with the way he played against the Indian.They say life changes once you become famous. Not so for the young boy from Mallorca. “No, life doesn’t change. I live with my family. I have the same set of friends from kindergarten whom I hang around with. On the Tour, my best friends are Carlos Moya and Feliciano Lopez,” says Nadal dressed in blue sleeveless tee and shorts. With the translator sitting beside him, the talented left-hander says his second title at Paris remains his most prized, “because I was coming back after injury. The first one was special too, but when you have been out of the Tour you have doubts, you don't know if you’ll win a Grand Slam again.” Experts have their own reasons for the Spaniard’s success against the near invincible Roger Federer, pointing to the former's mental strength as one. The player himself is not too sure if a magic formula exists. “I don’t think there’s any secret,” says Nadal, who possesses a 6-3 career head-to-head record against the Swiss world No 1. And who is the better player — Pete Sampras or the Swiss native? Nadal, who never played against the American great, picked Federer. “Federer is a more complete player. He has more shots in his game. Sampras has more Grand Slam and ATP titles than Federer, but as the world No 1 Federer has 8000 points while Sampras had only 5000 when he was at the top,” reasons Nadal. Nadal and Federer have fought many battles on various surfaces, including the finals at Roland Garros and Wimbledon last season, but for Nadal “the Rome Masters final and the season-ending Masters Cup semi-final were the best matches,” says Nadal who triumphed on the clay-court event in five grueling sets. Unlike other clay specialists, the Spaniard says he wants to do well at Wimbledon. “I love Wimbledon. I want to give my best there,” says last year’s losing finalist. So what is the world’s second best player looking to improve on ahead of another grinding season? “Lot of things. My serve, volley, in fact every aspect of my game,” he says. Does he think for someone his age, his arms are the strongest on Tour? “No, I don't think so. It’s just that my biceps are more well-defined than others. But there are other stronger guys on the Tour,” the translator comes to the Spaniard’s rescue. And, what does he have to say about the attention that he gets, especially from his female fans? “Oh, I quite like it when people come to me for autographs and cheer for me. But, I don’t think I’m sexy,” says Nadal matter-of-factly.Finally, how does he take his mind off from the pressures of the Tour? “I like playing golf and football. I like to go fishing, to the beach. I like to party with my friends,” says the Spaniard. Is he fashion conscious? “Not really. I just dress well,” says the man whose piratas and sleeveless tees are quite a rage with millions of young fans across the world.
