Nadal cuajó ayer un partido intachable para alcanzar su sexta final del Open de Australia. El premio está a la altura de su tenis: se encuentra a un paso de alcanzar su two1 Grand Slam y dejar atrás los two0 de Federer y Djokovic. Pero el tenista nos solo nos ha mostrado su pundonor y fuerza mental en este torneo, también nos ha desvelado su última manía, algo por lo que el español es sobradamente conocido.

Rafael Nadal is a more superstitious athletes.Thousands of rituals ago, but their recipe to win before starting to compete is to take a cold shower 45 minutes before each game, as well as place two bottles of water near its seat, each with the label pointing to the edges of the field.Nor does he like to step on the lines and when he is going to sit in the breaks, he combines steps with large steps to avoid doing so and, of course, the mythical that everyone knows about accommodating underwear at each point.As a tradition it premieres a new watch in each tournament and, in this Australian Open, it has added a new routine to its usual.From the pandemic, the collects do not give the towel to the tennis players as they had always done.They are the ones who carry them and place them in a corner to remove sweat between point and point or when they want.The majority, it releases it there a gurruño, but Rafa does not, take its time, extend it and until it is not well stretched, it is not aim to take out or subtract.

Athletes usually have routines or hobbies that serve to maintain concentration or that systematically do for superstition.There are those who always use the same socks or underwear or the same boots.Some do it on the grass or track and others that begin with their "magical rituals" in the locker room or even when they have not yet left home.These are some of the most amazing hobbies of elite athletes:

1."The magic beard" by Borg

A player well known for his rituals was Björn Borg.«I did not shave during the tournaments.In the games I threw my hair tape between point and point, pinched the strings and hit the racket against the shoes.They were small rituals that helped me to leave my mind blank and be pending only the game, ”said the Swede long ago.From 1976 to 1980, in each Wimbledon he played, he left his beard and used the same row brand;He won them all in those five years.

two.From Djokovic to Federer

Novak Djokovic, from time to time and maybe to disrupt them, mimic their rivals on the court.John Isner passes the balls between his legs just before taking.The male champion of Grand Slams (matched with Djokovic and Nadal), Roger Federer, not only has eight rackets in his bag, but in heating he has to perform the same amount of “ACES” before starting the game.

3.Iker Casillas and the sleeve cut

The goalkeeper was undoubtedly one of the most superstitious players in Real Madrid.He didn't like to step on the line when he went out to the field and cut the sleeves and neck neck before each match.In addition, he touched the crossbar with his left hand every time the team marked somewhat.

4.Maria Sharapova

The Russian, between point and point, does not step on the "strailes", accommodates the bull -back to the court, turns around and some small jumps before playing the point.Also before his serve, he does not forget to accommodate his hair and give soft boats to the ball.

5.Michael Jordan and University Short

Michael Jordan did wonders with the Chicago Bulls, but he had a secret: Jordan won the NCAA championship with the University of North Carolina in 198two, and during his career in the NBA he used the short of his university under the Bulls uniform.Of course, his amulet had an effect.

6.Laurent Blanc: Kissing a bald

The most frequent rituals are usually to enter the grass with the right foot, saints, avoiding the line or looking and playing the trophy that fights, sitting in the same bus seat or listening to the same music, but some go further.During the 98 World Cup we could see Laurent Blanc kissing Fabien Barthez's bald looking for good luck and, the truth is that the French did not go wrong.It started as a affectionate gesture but became essential before home I find.This goalkeeper instantly became a mythical bald, only in the shadow perhaps of referee Pierluigi Colina.

7.Julio César Chávez and his Red Band

Julio César Chávez is one of the best Mexican boxers.The fighter always climbed the ring with a red band on his forehead, since he believed that he was moving away from the bad vibes and protected him from the blows.

8.André Agassi, without underwear

André Agassi forgot his underwear prior to a duel of Roland Garros 1999;The tennis player played and won his game.From that moment on, and until his retirement in two006, Agassi did not wear underwear on the court, either for comfort or superstition.

9.Serena Williams and her socks

Serena Williams bases her success on a curious tradition: the tennis player uses the same torque of socks throughout the tournament she is playing.We do not know whether or not to wash them (hopefully), but the technique has worked.

10.Pepe Reina and the deposit with gasoline

The now Lazio goalkeeper confessed in an interview that among his crazy rituals he is that before each game he has to throw gasoline into the car.

eleven.Wade Boggs: "Eat chickens"

Wade Boggs was nicknamed "The Chickn Man".Such was his obsession that his wife had more 40 recipes to cook it.

1two.Sergio Goycochea: urinating in the field

Argentina arrived at the Final of the World Cup in Italy 90 thanks to Sergio Goycochea's stops, but he had his own spell.In the previous penalties against Yugoslavia ‘Goyco’ he could not go to the bathroom and urinated to the side of his goal, without being seen.The ‘Albiceleste’ won and the goalkeeper repeated this ‘trick’ before penalties against Italy.From there he became his ritual.

13.José Roberto Guimarães: Touching a hump

This is the ritual of the Brazilian volleyball coach, José Roberto Guimarães, the only Brazilian to win three Olympic golds for Brazil.This coach attributes his previous triumphs to touch the hump to a hunchback before competing and tries to do it shortly before the important matches.

14.Morghan King, always with the same panties

American weightlifter Morgan King always carries the same pair of socks and the same panties when competing.He believes that they bring him luck and in these cases hygiene is not the first, although he ensures that he was conscientiously lava before competing.