The little prince and the king of tennis

By Emilio Sanchez, CEO and Founder of the Academia Sanchez-Casal.

When you read the masterpiece of The little prince from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, depending on your personal stage the outcome is different. It does not have an end. The Rafa of today with the trophy represents the little prince, it has been reinvented.

Rafa is already the best player in history; he is one slam away to overcome Roger Federer but is only a matter of time, in my opinion on 2020. He is already the best not only for today’s win and be closer but to have turned more every detail in each one of the pillars and have won against a new player.

Mentally, he has always been an inspiration, the best. Here, the big artist has been his uncle Toni, he educated him so that the frustration did not get into his mind, that danger of today’s youth, from most of his rivals, from setting false expectations, it has been a big masterpiece. He learned to be humble, and to be preservative, but most importantly he learned to play the next point as if it was the first one he had mistaken, or like if it was the last one he had to play in his life.

Physically, he has always been the best. Forcades has been able to mold this super athlete in the face of adversity of not being able to practice like the other ones, but being able to overcome and be the best version of him on the though moments. Maymó is the key that on the day of the battle he is able to balance the motor like a F1 to maximize his result.

Tactically, the arrival of Moya with his idea of modern tennis, to change the patron and turn Rafa into an aggressive player that uses his strokes to compete throwing and winning with them, was a big shock. Create a new habit at something that was already working, to somebody that is a walking habit, what a challenge. Roig made a team and with them all they achieved the impossible. With the triumph of Roland Garros this year and now this US Open they have shown us a masterpiece. Win winning.

Tecnically, he serves better, stronger , better angles, his forehand inside the court is comparable to any of the other’s best ones, the crosscourt backhand is ultimate, his volley penetrates and defines, basically to the whole amazing defense game just multiplied with the attack game as well.

For the little prince the fox, the rose, are his motivations, his team and the snake his rival.  Rafa leans on his team, but is the how of the little prince that has the ability to create this ideal stage where sometimes the values, other times his head, other times his talents and his passion to find out solutions, his fortitude and his warrior heart makes him special and we can rewrite his story. The snake and the dark ideas of difficulty are his rivals, the barriers, but with his habits he turns them into motivations and his goals.

Rafa you will break all the records, you will be the best, the KING of tennis, but for me, you will keep being my little prince, reading you each time inspires me and I learned that each day I can be better at what I do and that I can also be the little prince. I wish that as with me, your legacy creates an impact on young people and they take you as a role model , that they learn and become young  Rafa’s little princes that in the face of difficulty they reinvent themselves. Congratulations to fight, preserve, triumph and thank you for showing us that to reinvent and to achieve results is possible.

Emilio Sánchez
CEO and Co-Founder of the Academia Sánchez-Casal