Thanks to DtL reader Sonja for tipping me off to the latest Rafael Nadal news!
The world's top baller, who flew straight to Melbourne after winning doubs in Doha, is featured in TIME magazine this month.
According to his site, the feature article called "Nadal's New Spin" discusses his personal life, game, and people who surround the world's top baller.
Unfortunately the link to the actual story on his site isn't working but I'm doing some research and will post it once I find it.
In the meantime, here's some behind-the-scenes footage of Rafa's photoshoot for the issue. If you enjoy long camera shots focused squarely on the Matador's bronzed face, flowing locks, and sexy, broad shoulders then you might enjoy this video. Might.
CHECK IT:
UPDATE - Read the full article here - thanks anon! A couple of interesting points from the piece:
* "After studying the exotic wildlife of the Galápagos Islands, Charles Darwin surmised that animals can develop unique traits when they evolve in isolation. In the tennis world, Rafael Nadal is such an animal." - I love this analogy since it plays against the picture of his personal life he describes as down-to-earth, ordinary, and low key.
* Rafa's quote "I've always liked the competition more than the tennis."
* Uncle Toni working on flattening out his forehand. I don't believe it will be a complete change but part of mixing up his shot selection on that side. It's always good to have options on either side and overall.
* "Better now is Rafael, he is No. 1 in the ranking. But who has the best game? Federer." That's a brutally honest assessment from Uncle Toni, eh?
* Is Rafa, his handlers, or both pushing his image to mimic Roger Federer's? The article makes it sound like a combo platter. Bad move IMO - discuss!
(image via rafaelnadal.com)
Monday, January 12, 2009
(UPDATED) MEDIA MASHUP: It's RafaTIME! (behind-the-scenes video included)
Labels: magazines, Rafael Nadal, tennis, TIME magazine, video
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Wow Rich, you're FAST. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI gotta say though I don't really like the picture on the cover. Don't really love what they've done there - he came out all pale and overly tired and with some kind of weird and unfortunate look, even though he looked his usual fine self in the video doing the shoot.
Someone's gotta be drinking over there at Time Mag...
Can't wait to read the article though!
Here's the link to the article read it a few days ago didn't like it and yeah the picture is horrible.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1870373-1,00.html
He looks stoned in that pic. HA! :D
ReplyDeleteWhatever I still Rafadore this news, esp in the morning when I'm cranky. Thanks for the Rafa Latte dose, Rich!!
Agh! After reading the article I can't help but feel for our Spanish hottie. Seems everyone's trying to change who he is. Hopefully any changes he's making are done because he genuinely wants to makes them, and not because he's told to. Unfortunately that's not the sense I got from that article. BOO!! :*(
ReplyDeleteI LOVE YOU RAFA!!!
Just a bit of background is needed here: the author of this piece is a certain Eben Harrell, a self-confessed Federer fan, who wrote a sobbing article after his hero lost The Final at Wimbledon.
ReplyDeletehttp://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/web/COM1141795/index.htm
So, this TIME piece is indeed a spin, but Herrell's spin. Yes, Rafa tries to hit his FH flatter for HC, but that's nothing new and he certainly is not trying to emulate Federer's game - other people have flat FH too. Yes, he's wearing sleeves, but again does this mean emulating Federer, supposedly the only man wearing sleeves?
Note how the author actually never quotes anybody - there was NO interview with Rafa nor his entourage, only conjectures, spin and a supposed quote taken out of context. And then that shite about alleged instructions of Toni to Rafa during practice, to "be/hit like Roger" - was that shouted in English for the benefit of the author? Lame invention.
Typical spin. And from a Federer's fan to booth. Accompanied by a bad photo of Rafa.
Bad journalism.
anon1:16: your post just made me feel better, so thank you :)
ReplyDeletethanks for that giving us that very interesting background on the author and your take on the piece.
ReplyDeletegood stuff!
one more thing: on Rafa's site it mentions this piece was going to be the cover story until the Israeli-Gaza conflict.
ReplyDeleteReally??? Based on your read ANON, it seems a pretty flimsy cover story for TIME.
TIME is a piece of shit for a magazine.
ReplyDeleteTrue about the photo. It was taken at that photo session covered with the vid here, and you can see how tanned and good he looks.
ReplyDeleteThe photo is simply over-exposed and over-lighted, so he comes up pale as a ghost. Why? To conform with the sinister article?
What a lame photo to pick. And a Spanish tennis star on the cover of TIME?! Wait, tennis getting any coverage at all? That HAS to sadly, unfortunately, very unfortunately, be a mistake. I would love it if it were true.
ReplyDeleteConspiracy or coincidence?! DO TELL!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Anon 1:16 for that insight. I hated the article, too. It was so obvious it was written by a bitter Federer fan.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe Rafa's site is actually promoting this. The article is totally dissing him. They make every quality he has come out badly (just like the photo)!
For instance: they make being down to earth seem like being a hillbilly ("he is a simple guy."), his evolution as a player and a person (which is natural in his situation and considering he is only 22 - should he stay a teenager forever??) seem like being forced and only imitating Federer, and they make Uncle Toni look like a control freak à la Pa Djokovic or Sharapov. And there's lots more.
ICK!
Another thing I need to say: I hate the whole rant about Rafa changing.
ReplyDeleteLike noone has ever changed before in his life.
His success and grateful behaviour is making us forget how young he still is. I sure ain't the same person anymore as I was as a 22 year old. Of course he is evolving as a person, adapting his style. And of course he might be doing it with advice of his PR guy. I'd want some PR advice too if I was as publicly exposed as he is. That doesn't mean he's changing his beliefs, which he apparently hasn't. He still is that decent, humble guy with that unending fighting spirit we all love.
He just needed a change of scene, sporting gear wise. And he is growing up.
Just remember that it wasn't so long ago Federer wore a ponytail (!). He sure didn't look like the gentleman-tennis-ambassador he is now. How old was he back then? 22?