Rafa determined to recover "mental strength" ...

There's an article that is fair old doing the rounds on the internet now, but it originated here on El Mundo. Good old Rafa. I just love his honesty in interviews. OK, sometimes it can be judged that he gives too much away, but he shoots from the hip and speaks from the heart and interviews such as this and his pressers are always such an honest reflection of how he feels and a great source of information for us.

As usually happens, various news agencies pick up these interviews and this is just one example of its translation which reads like a collection of Rafa sound bites. But read it, and enjoy what he has to say.

Just to pick out a couple of quotes ...

"I have lacked a bit more passion for the game, intensity in my strokes, strength in my legs and mental strength. But the most important thing that is missing is mental strength, which makes all the rest possible."

Its interesting that Rafa holds such a stall by this - mental strength. And its because he believes that his opponents have those stand out shots that they can rely on that just pull them out of difficult moments. Rafa may think that they have have those shots, but he believes that he has the mental strength to draw on instead, and its that strength of will that sees him through - but he lost it somewhat in 2011, hence the confidence in his game went. But the match against Del Potro last weekend, people ...

"This will be a year for bettering myself internally. Not for beating Djokovic or anything like that. It is a question of going beyond myself personally, all the rest is secondary. The problem is internal, it is about personally wanting to take a step further, again."

I'm liking this quote, because he's not fixating on beating one player. He's seeing 2012 as a time to look within himself, and to find that motivation inside to move himself on to find a better level again.

"Over the last seven years, it has often been said that I had injuries, or whatever. It is true I have obviously had physical problems, but if I had had some serious physical problem, I could not have been among the top two players in the world for the last seven years."

*waves to the haters* As Rafa says, yes ... he most certainly has had physical problems. But for those who want to write him off regarding his longevity or bring up the chronic knees (for example), he's still there regardless, and has always been in the top 2 for seven years. Fighting talk, which is great.

I would suggest you try and run the El Mundo version of the interview through some translating tool, as it does include more questions and more of Rafa's insight than the English link I've provided, particularly on his game and the physical aspect. I kind of like this one the best ...

Do you mind being told that your mind is your best 'shot'?

"I do not mind, but people are very wrong when they say that I am a physical player. There are many people who can run faster than me."

Attaboy, Rafa ...