Should Rafa have swallowed a bagel?

This article isn’t easy for me to write because more than loving Rafael Nadal, I also tremendously respect him. I respect his hard-assed determination, his bull-like persistence when playing a tennis. I like that he thinks for himself, rarely looks up at his box as his mind whizzes along, coming up with strategies and calculations to help him figure out how to crush his opponent. I like that he shows no mercy, that he will force-feed you a crushing loss even if he has to reach across the net and comfort you afterwards. I like my tennis players to have grit and determination and fighting power.

I do not like my tennis players quitting on an incomplete match. There is something wrong with that. It tastes of an awareness that a loss is on the horizon but an unwillingness to confront it. It’s a cowardly way out. And it’s unfair to the opponent.

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