Rafael Nadal: The ocean gives me positive vibes

Rafael Nadal has enjoyed plenty of success on the tennis court over the last 15 years. Nadal, along with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, have dominated the men's tennis circuit thoroughly of late; the 'Big 3' group has accounted for 56 of the last 67 Grand Slam titles.

The Spaniard, however, has a very physically taxing schedule every year, so the current coronavirus-enforced break would have come as a blessing in disguise for him. And a good chunk of Rafael Nadal's downtime, whenever he gets it, is spent in the waters around his hometown of Mallorca.

During his appearance on the BOAT Briefing podcast, Rafael Nadal talked about how tennis players stay active on the court from January to November, playing various tournaments all over the world. The 12-time French Open winner revealed that to counter all the stress of his profession, he usually likes to go on his boat and relax.

The pressure of competing every single day is high: Rafael Nadal on his busy schedule

Rafael Nadal won the Mexican Open in February 2020

Rafael Nadal turned professional in 2001, and over the course of his legendary career he has won 19 Grand Slam titles. He has held the World No. 1 position in the ATP singles rankings for vast stretches of time, and is currently in the second position. Nadal has even claimed two Olympic gold medals for Spain.

Since all the ATP players have such a hectic schedule, it becomes tough for them to take a break from the sport. Important competitions take place every month in different parts of the world, and even though Rafael Nadal is the cream of the crop, he still feels the pressure in every match that he plays.

"The pressure of competing every single day is high, you can't hide that," he said.

Being a passionate ocean lover, Rafael Nadal recently bought a luxury yacht for himself. Nadal explained that staying on the ocean gives him positive vibes; the energy from the waters helps the Spaniard train with more intensity and equanimity.

"When I come back home, I have the chance to go out and spend maybe just one day away from everything without thinking about tennis, just diving and spending the night on board. It gives me positive vibes. When I am on the ocean, I normally come back with positive energy," Nadal continued.

Will Rafael Nadal play the US Open this year?

Rafael Nadal at US Open 2019

The tennis authorities are keen to conduct the US Open this year. However, the quarantine rules and extreme restrictions have prompted the European players to reconsider their participation.

Rafael Nadal is the defending champion of the US Open and the French Open. His recent clay-court training sessions have all but confirmed that the Spaniard is inclined to skip the hardcourt season - even though he is officially entered for the Cincinnati Masters.

It will be intriguing to see when the World No. 2 returns to the tour, and which of the two Slams he manages to defend this year.