'The chocolate was over!' - Rafael Nadal reveals he had to cut down on treats to get fit for Australian Open
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ByEurosport
Updated 19/01/2022 at 13:21 GMT
Rafael Nadal is pursuing his 21st Grand Slam title in Melbourne and has had to sacrifice eating chocolate in order to stay sharp for the Australian Open. Nadal also explains to the Cube how golf has helped him maintain his competitive edge during his five-month foot injury lay-off. Stream the 2022 Australian Open live and on demand on discovery+.
'Chocolate is over!' - Nadal laughs about his diet after victory at Australian Open
Rafael Nadal admits he had to cut down on eating chocolate in order to be fit and healthy for the Australian Open.
Nadal only recently returned to court from an ongoing foot problem that saw him miss the US Open, the Tokyo Olympics and the ATP world tour finals.
The Spaniard progressed to the third round of this year's Australian Open after beating Yannick Hanfmann in straight sets, but his tour comeback has come at a cost.
The 35-year-old says he has had to cut out one of his favourite treats: chocolate.
“The chocolate for the last couple of months was over,” he told Eurosport's Alize Lim, Mats Wilander and Johanna Konta in the Cube.
“I changed a couple of things in my diet. After all the things I went through with my foot I just tried to lose some weight and to work the proper way to be ready for the season.
“Matches help and I need it. Today was a tough one. He [Hanfmann] was playing well and that’s a positive thing for me. I hope to be ready for the next one.
“Today was a victory. After today I’m going to have a tough match so I need to play better than today.”
Nadal said in his post-match interview on court that he was “not a gym guy” but is a lover of different sports to stay in shape.
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'I play golf, I've never been a gym guy' - Nadal jokes about his fitness training
He explains that he has been able to play a lot of golf to keep himself occupied while dealing with his foot problem.
“I love the competition in general,” he added. “I have always been a multi-sport guy. I like to practise different sports. Unfortunately the last few years I have not been able to play football anymore, even different kinds of sports.
“Golf helps because it’s not crazy, not dangerous, spend time with the people I like and in some ways I feel I am competing when I am not able to play on the tour.”
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Highlights: Nadal battles past Hanfmann in test at Australian Open
'Nadal has learned to be flexible' - Konta
Eurosport expert Johanna Konta said in the Cube that she is impressed by Nadal's ability to change physically over the years, but is still backing Daniil Medvedev to win this year's title in Melbourne.
“For me what really stood out from hearing him talk at the end was how he talks about being flexible," she said.
"You look at Nadal and you think of him being very regimented and very strict in routine. But he’s learnt throughout his career how to be flexible with his body and work around that.
"That really shows his prowess, his competitive nature and that he is able to adapt like he has to with his body and things going on outside of the court.
“For me I’m still picking Daniil Medvedev [to win the Australian Open]. I love that guy. Since he had that run at the US Open where he literally turned the crowd around... I adore that guy. He’s my pick still.”
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'Nadal has learned to be flexible and adapt during a match' - Konta
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You can stream the 2022 Australian Open live and on demand on discovery+. A subscription for discovery+ is now £29.99 for the first year for UK users, down from £59.99.
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