Rafael Nadal
Topping our chart is the Spanish Bull from Majorca as the 16-time Grand Slam champion has an obsession with his routines. The World No. 1 takes a cold shower on every occasion when he is about to play a match. He conscientiously places his pair of water bottles – one chilled, one at room temperature – right next to each other on the ground, in front and the left, to the left of his chair – with the brand name facing in exactly the same direction.
Throughout the bout, time and again he drinks from one bottle, followed by the other, but never with the same bottle twice in succession. What is weird is the fact that nobody else can touch them and it is not something that is limited to change of ends.
That’s not all from the Nadal desk as he carries out an exacting ritual before each point as he touches his ears, his nose, his shoulders and the front and back of his shorts in a specific order and after the conclusion of each point, he towels his face and the left arm. The 10-time French Open holder wears his socks so that the logos on the socks are facing in an exact position.
Before warming up, he goes out on the court and sweeps it with his feet along the baseline and the service line (even if it is a hard court). The King of Clay makes certain that his headband is pulled out of his kitbag an hour before any match begins, but he doesn’t put it on until just before he takes to the court.
Even though the man who has claimed 75 titles on the ATP tour scampers all over the lines, while the ball is in play, he is deathlike scared to put his footsteps on the lines after the point gets over. In addition, he is constantly stepping in front of the line with his right foot first.
