After a lengthy absence, Rafael Nadal is back, both at the top of his game and playing in Abu Dhabi, with an electric, eclectic arsenal that is more gripping than ever.
He is again the undisputed world No 1, a player who continually wows observers with his startling array of practised, tactical and crisply executed moves. At times, it feels like a triumph of choreography. Some might even call it a clinical exhibition.
Moreover, Nadal is impressive during live action, too.
After missing last year’s event, Nadal begins play on Friday night in the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, where he is a two-time winner. A packed house of approximately 5,000 will file into the Zayed Sports City tennis venue to watch the most riveting player in tennis, if not all of sport.
Behold Nadal, the man who puts the tic in ticket.
Already at the top of his craft with 13 grand slam titles, and coming off a transcendent, 10-win season in which he put a seven-month battle with a balky knee behind him, Nadal is more watchable than ever. We are not necessarily talking about ground strokes or footwork – unless his personal imperative to step across baselines and sidelines, always right-foot first, is the topic of discussion.
Rarely has an elite player been more interesting between the shots, if not between the ears.
What began as a handful of peculiarities has grown into a list of habits that is difficult to catalogue. A few months back, ESPN listed some of his pre-serve compulsions, and stopped at 12.
An Australian paper identified 20 on-court rituals. There was little overlap between the lists.
“Athletes are taught that routines are important,” said Dr Gio Valiante, a sports psychologist and author in the United States. “But don’t forget that a rut is nothing but a bad routine.”
At what point do rites become wrongs?
The Spaniard, 27, is a winning machine, a career grand slam winner, yet as the victories have piled up, so have the quirks. It begins with a cold shower, 45 minutes before every match. The foibles then are carried onto the court, packed like the multiple rackets in his bag, for full view.
“He has told me before he can stop doing them,” his uncle and coach, Toni Nadal, told a Spanish website, “and I have told him to do it.”
As the fidgeting continues, it is easy to understand how a player could fall into the comfort of routine. Sport is all about repeating physical patterns and finding the proverbial groove.
What was noticed years ago as a single, particularly odd habit – Nadal must pick at the back of his shorts before every shot – has become a laundry list that is almost impossible to recite.
“That is something I am doing all my career,” the Spaniard said of his undershorts, “something I cannot control.”
That phrase says it all, really. Some experts say rituals are a way to establish some sense of familiarity, if not outright domain, regarding the uncontrollable. Few occupations have more high-stress variables than a sporting event.
From the weather conditions, to the mood of the chair umpire, to the degree of execution by their opponent, sport is an unscripted drama conducted in a fishbowl.
Routines are often an illusion of order, a degree of compartmental management, over the proceedings. Ever-evolving, Nadal’s indulgences seem to work.
Between points in particular, he seem to be strung more tightly than his racket, with folded towels positioned across his knees just so and two water bottles carefully positioned between his feet. He is fastidious.
While Nadal goes through a 30-second checklist of ingrained habits before every serve, including pulling the hair over both ears while touching his nose in between, plus knocking the dirt from his shoes and adjusting both shirtsleeves in an arranged order, the real oddities begin during the changeover.
Parked in his courtside chair, it is fair to question whether Nadal is in control of his rituals, or whether they are controlling him. Two bottles of water, labels facing the court, are placed between his shoes, which are tied in regimented fashion and worn over socks that are incessantly adjusted to exactly the same height. A fresh headband, crisply folded and retrieved from a plastic bag, is tied into place.
The water bottle on the left must be placed a few inches in front of the one on the right. One contains warm water, the other cold. He takes a sip from each, and quite deliberately replaces each bottle in the same sweat ring on the court, adjusting their position to within a fraction of an inch. He once was overheard warning a ball boy, “Don’t touch the water.”
Earlier this year in Monaco, opponent Marinko Matosevic intentionally knocked over Nadal’s bottles, though Nadal merely laughed and shrugged. Probably a good sign. No sense being manic about it. Of course, moments later, he repositioned the bottles.
When it is time to start playing again, Nadal waits until his opponent stands first, then avoids walking on the court lines, stepping across the stripes with his right foot first, even if it means breaking stride.
On YouTube, a fan chronicled five Nadal quirks taking place, in rapid succession, solely as he walked onto the court.
It has become a parade of unavoidable twitches.
“He will tell you what you want, but I am zero obsessive,” Toni Nadal said in the Spanish interview.
“At first I didn’t mind, but a player who puts bottles in line with the court and will not step on lines is obsessive.”
Whether it has become a disorder is a clinical call, but the oddities have begun to carry over into his personal life, which is often the point when red flags start climbing therapeutic flagpoles for some, Valiante said.
Nadal has been seen hopping through hotel lobbies, careful to avoid stepping on cracks in the tile. Earlier this year, when he won the US Open, he reportedly ate at the same New York restaurant every night he wasn’t playing. Not only that, he ordered the same meal.
“A routine is not always a habit of excellence,” Valiante said. “It can be an addiction. There is no clinical line. It depends on what people in your life are willing to tolerate.”
Perhaps Nadal is an artiste who is merely expressing himself, both eccentrically and successfully, through a different prism.
After all, Pablo Picasso, who often avoided straight lines, was a Spaniard, too.
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SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
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From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Lexus LX700h specs
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Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
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More about Middle East geopolitics
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
Chinese Grand Prix schedule (in UAE time)
Friday: First practice - 6am; Second practice - 10am
Saturday: Final practice - 7am; Qualifying - 10am
Sunday: Chinese Grand Prix - 10.10am
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
PRESIDENTS CUP
Draw for Presidents Cup fourball matches on Thursday (Internationals first mention). All times UAE:
02.32am (Thursday): Marc Leishman/Joaquin Niemann v Tiger Woods/Justin Thomas
02.47am (Thursday): Adam Hadwin/Im Sung-jae v Xander Schauffele/Patrick Cantlay
03.02am (Thursday): Adam Scott/An Byeong-hun v Bryson DeChambeau/Tony Finau
03.17am (Thursday): Hideki Matsuyama/CT Pan v Webb Simpson/Patrick Reed
03.32am (Thursday): Abraham Ancer/Louis Oosthuizen v Dustin Johnson/Gary Woodland
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
AUSTRALIA SQUAD v SOUTH AFRICA
Aaron Finch (capt), Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, D'Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Adam Zampa
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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AT4 Ultimate, as tested
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
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