Abstract from RAFA

From book Rafa

He always stressed the importance of endurance. "Endure, put up with whatever comes your way, learn to overcome weakness and pain, push yourself to breaking point but never cave in."

I learn to internalize that anger too, not to fret at the injustice, to accept it and get on with it.

Success for the elite sportsman rests on the capacity "to suffer", even to enjoy suffering.

"It means learning to accept that if you have to train two hours, you train two hours." ...... That's what separates the champions from the merely talented.

"Don't say you can't," he said, "Because anybody who digs deep enough can always find the motivation they need for anything. ...... It's up to you to find the motivation."

If you are born with certain talents but you don't train and passionate about what you do, you won't get anywhere.

To keep competing you mush never break your established patterns. You have to carry on training hard, long hours whether you feel like it or not, because any slack in intensity will reflected in your results on court.

"There're a lot of people who have problems in life but keep going," he said. "What makes you so special that you should be the exception?"