Great book!

A few days ago, my colleague Rafa Ramos told me about Andre Agassi’s book: Open, an autobiography. I have to say that Andre Agassi wasn’t one of my favourite players, but Rafa insisted saying that the book was worth it and that it was a very interesting story. I thought, then, that maybe I would give it a chance.

Days later, Rafa opened his backpack and took out this book and he gave it to me. He said it was a present for me. Even though I was reading another book that Rafa recommend me long time ago: A Short History of Nearly Everything of Bill Bryson, I decided to make a pause and start reading my new book.

I read the first pages in the plane when we went to London and I continued when we got back. Once I was back in Barcelona, I couldn’t leave the book. The story of Andre Agassi is great! He starts saying that he hates tennis! One of the best players of the last years, number one of the world and he says that he hates tennis? I couldn’t believe it.

Since the first page, the book catches your attention: his father trying to build a champion after failing with his older brothers and sister, his experience at the Nick Bollieteri’s academy, his hair problem, his behavior, his wins, his defeats, his mentality… And, of course, his career as one of the best tennis player who won eight Grand Slams, the Davis Cup or a gold medal in the Olympics.

As I said, I wasn’t very keen on Agassi even tough, as he got older, I did start to like him. Obviously, he had talent but, in the other hand, he was forced to play a sport maybe he would have never chosen. In the end, he became a great tennis player and a nice guy who won the respect of all of his rivals. And, as Rafa said, he has a happy ending marrying the woman he always wanted to: Steffi Graff.

The biography of Andre Agassi is a great book. You see how a great champion is built and all the episodes he has to overcome to achieve all the success he did. If you can, don't miss the opportunity and read the book.

Sir Roger Federer

I have to start writing that I am not really keen on Roger Federer. It is not a man who inspires me confidence and I don’t like the way he acts. If I could choose, I would prefer to meet Rafa Nadal before him. Rafa is more temperamental and he is an example because he always fights in the tennis court. For me, Nadal is one of the best sportsmen I have ever seen in my life.

Therefore, there are some facts in life you can’t deny. You can like more or less, you can prefer one or other, but there are things that you can’t argue about. Cristiano Ronaldo or Messi are great players even I don’t like any of them, The Starry night of Vincent Van Gogh is one of the best paintings in the world or the Coliseum is a place that reflects thousands of years of history. All of them are incredible. Something similar happens to Roger Federer.

I have to admit that he is the most elegant player I have ever seen. The way he hits the ball, all his moves, the way he runs… he doesn’t ever sweat! If you like tennis, you have to enjoying watching Roger Federer because he is great. I think we are very lucky to see his matches with Rafa or Djokovic.

 

On Sunday he gave one more step after winning the Davis Davis Cup . On Friday he lost his match against Monfils and many thought he was finished because of his injury. However, on Saturday he won the double game with a fantastic Wawrinka and on Sunday he beat easily Gasquet. His last point is incredible!

I think Federer deserved to win a great tournament like the Davis Cup. He has almost won all the most important tournaments but he had never got to the final of the Davis Cup and he hasn’t won a gold medal in singles. After his success, he can be very happy because there aren’t many tennis players that have achieved so many victories.

I honestly thought that Federer was going to retire. Every year he was getting more defeats and it look like he had lost his ambition, but this season has been incredible. He has won many tournaments and has given some of his best performance in years. What will happen next year?

Rafa Nadal, the best

I am a real fan of sports. I have always liked them. I imagine that, in a way, I admire those sportsmen, who are able to do things I can’t. I have dreamt a lot of times with being an Espanyol’s football player in a derby, a tennis player winning Roland Garros or an athlete winning the gold medal in the Olympics. As I said before, I know I will never have the chance, but dreams are still free.

I remember when I was younger, that I admired a Miguel Indurain a lot. He was a Spanish cyclist who won, for the first time in history, five consecutive Tours of France. He was incredible and an example for everybody. Probably, he was one of my first idols and he made me love a so exciting sport as cycling.

However, I think I have found a better sportsman than Miguel Indurain: Rafa Nadal. A few days ago, Nadal won his ninth, yes his ninth, Roland Garros. Nobody has one so many Grand Slam in a row and  he also has been able to win one of the big four in the last ten years. I really admire Nadal, I love seeing him play, his effort, his ambition.

At the start of the season Nadal arrived to the Australia Open final. He lost against Wawrinka because a back injury. When the clay season started, he surprised us loosing in one of his favorite tournaments, Montecarlo, against David Ferrer. In Barcelona, he didn’t do better but in Madrid he was able to win despite Nishikori effort. In Rome, again, he got to the final but he lost against Djokovic.

As usual, a lot of people started to say that he was finished, that Djokovic will win easily his first Roland Garros and that Rafa wouldn’t get very far. Again, Rafa showed everybody that he is a number one; the best. He arrived to the final winning Murray or Ferrer and still some people thought he would lose against the Serbian. When the first set went for Djokovic, in all the forums you could read that the tournament was for Nole. But, again, they were wrong.

Nadal played his best tennis and finally won Djokovic in four sets. Once more, he showed everybody that he is one of the best tennis players ever and that he is the king of clay. I thing he is an example and a lot of people should take him as one. Maybe he is not the player with more talent, but he never ever fails; he always does his best.

What I admire more from him is that he keeps on fighting. He has his life resolved, plenty of money but he likes to win, he doesn’t get tired. I think this is something everybody should take note. The way he plays, he runs, he fights… we all should take example. Obviously, we will never become super champs as him, but in our lives it will be very good to make an effort as he does playing. Probably, everything would work better.