This book is priceless. Open, straight and deliciously honest, this gives a first-hand account of both - Rafa the tennis champion and Rafa the human being. It also depicts how these two people are so different from each other - Rafa the human is beset with doubts and insecurities, is indecisive, is scared of thunder, lightning and the dark and is wary and scared of any small incursion that can upset his tightly knit family life. Rafa the tennis player, in stark contrast, is a decisive, ruthless, super-competitive champion and is the epitome of endurance - something that has been etched into his conscience by his uncle, coach and friend - Toni. The book offers a deep dive into every aspect that makes Rafa who he is today - the fiercely protective and closer-than-close family that gives Rafa the emotional stability he needs and thrives on, the dogmatic Toni who brings Rafa to train at 9 AM despite any late-night sojourns or a match the previous day and who keeps him grounded by constantly reminding him that he is nothing special and that to endure when all seems lost is what will set him apart, his team - Titin, Tuts and the rest who always manage to keep him game ready and the mental make-up of Rafa himself.
Written uniquely - the Wimbledon 2008 finals interspersed with Rafa's words on his childhood and growing up years and those of someone else who has seen and worked with him lends a beautiful lucidity to the book. The bits about the Wimbledon 2008 finals, in particular, are gripping and give us a glimpse of what usually transpires in a player's mind during one of the biggest matches of his career. It not only confirmed my belief that tennis is a game of mind over matter but also demonstrated in more occasions than one, how Rafa's single-minded concentration, his ability to endure, his desire for victory and his never-say-die attitude overcame all - injury, history, rankings and expectations. Rafa, unlike Federer, always gave the impression that he was human and prone to error and injury - something which Rafa admits to on more occasions than one. How he admits to all his flaws and opens up his private emotions and thoughts at the most definitive moments of his life is endearing, to say the least. In addition to all this, the book offers valuable life lessons in endurance, hard work, grabbing opportunities, never giving up, discipline and humility more than any others that I have read in recent times. Vamos Rafa! You have converted me.
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