Rafael Nadal's friend reveals tennis star's unknown, big belief that keeps him grounded

Rafael Nada's childhood friend and secondary coach Bartolome "Tomeu" Salva-Vidal has revealed the one thing that makes the World No. 2 one of the best in the game. Just five months younger than Nadal, Tomeu Salva first met Rafa in the junior tennis circuit in Mallorca. In their first game against each other, Salva lost 0-6, 0-6 to Nadal. The two went on to have a long rivalry that evolved into a close friendship.

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Tomeu Salva reveals what sets Rafa apart from others

Salva and Rafa's paths split early on but they kept in constant touch. While Rafa went on to dominate the world of tennis, Tomeu Salva dropped out of the circuit at 21 to become a coach. Apart from being a part of Nadal's coaching team, Salva is the head coach of rising ATP stars Jaume Munar and Casper Ruud. Jaume Munar, ranked 108, almost upset World No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas going up two sets to love in round one of the French Open 2020. 

Speaking to journalists after Munar's title win at the Lisboa Belém Open on Sunday, Salva revealed the one thing he thinks sets Rafa apart from his competitors. 

“I think a player has to believe in those around him, in his technical team, in good times and bad. Rafa thinks like that and we all think in a similar way. But only time will tell ” he said.

Salva added that he believes young players these days are very fond of making continuous changes to their team but the culture among Mallorcan players like Rafa is one of stability and trust in the people around them. 

This stability is well reflected in Nadal's team. Rafa trained under his uncle Toni Nadal from the age of 3 (1989-90). The pair split ways in late 2016 after Rafa's disappointing season had led to a call for his replacement. He was replaced by former Spanish player Carlos Moya. At the press conference, Vidal also said that “Rafa will not last forever. I hope he still plays for 3, 4 or 5 years."

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Rafael Nadal French Open record and future events

After his record 13th title win and 20th Grand Slam win at French Open 2020, Rafa confirmed his participation at Paris Masters 2020. With Djokovic and Federer both choosing not to take part in the tournament, Nadal is a definite favourite to win. A win at Paris Masters 2020 will mark Nadal's first title at the event and his 36th ATP 1000 Masters win - a record he will share with Djokovic.

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Rafael Nadal net worth

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Rafa's net worth post his French Open win is approximately $200 million. Of this, $122,905,214 is just his career prize money earnings (figures from ATP website). The rest of the value comes from his endorsement deals with Kia Motos, Babolat, Telefonica and many more, and real estate portfolio. He also owns a yacht and several luxury cars. 

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Disclaimer: The above mentioned Nadal net worth has been sourced from various media reports. This website does not guarantee 100% accuracy of the figures. 

Image Credits: Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar Twitter