The superstar in dialogue with his body: what Nadal can learn from the Inuit

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The entire tennis world will be watching Rafael Nadal when he finally hits balls again in Brisbane. But no one, not even the Spaniard himself, can estimate how long this comeback will actually take. Just a game? A tournament? A few months? Or is it – as we all hope – the whole season?

Nadal doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone anymore. He has won every Grand Slam tournament at least twice and survived countless thrillers. In this new and final chapter of his career, his biggest opponent will no longer be the man on the other side of the net, but his own body.

This will clearly be the signal for him: “What you are doing is not good for me.” Nadal will definitely wake up in pain the day after the match. The extra tension always makes the body react.

And that is exactly what he could not simulate during the preparation. The acceptance of pain quickly decreases if you are not bothered by it for a short time.

I still remember a meeting with Nadal’s press officer Benito Perez-Barbadillo. That was during a previous injury layoff. He told me it was incredibly frustrating: Rafa was putting in so much effort and yet he was still in pain while playing. I explained to him that it wasn’t about playing without pain. It’s about knowing how to handle the situation.

I then thought of a study where a pain test was administered to Inuit people. On the first attempt, the Inuit said they felt nothing – while the control group in California, who were tested at the same time, found the attempt painful. They then put the Inuit in a nice hotel for a few weeks and tested them again. What came out was that it suddenly hurt them too.

The conclusion was: Because the Inuit – in their harsh environment in the Arctic – are constantly exposed to pain, the body learns to deal with it better and sends different signals.

Perez-Barbadillo said he had to pass this story on to Nadal. Because he could only make a comeback if he also learned to accept the circumstances and live with the pain. In 2024 this will be more the case than ever.

Returning is the right thing to do anyway. Because the very thought of a comeback is proof that there is still one last spark smoldering within him. Let’s breathe new life into him! And no matter how it turns out, he can leave in peace.

Source : Blick