Mischa Zverev warned Rafael Nadal that he will probably have to make some changes to his daily routine and training after becoming a father. Two weeks ago, Spanish media reported that Nadal, 36, and his wife Xisca became the parents of a baby.
“Life will change extremely, for the woman, but also for the father. You have to train for two, three hours every morning, then it’s regeneration or fitness. Normally you warm up for half an hour, then you train for two hours, then an hour of regeneration.
I know for myself: when you have a child, sometimes you also say: ‘Tomorrow I will do regeneration and I don’t need to warm up today.’ So three and a half hours of training in the morning turns into two or one and a half hours,» Zverev told Eurosport Germany.
Zverev warns that Nadal will probably experience changes
Zverev, who has been married since 2017, says that his family has always been above tennis. But he understands that may not necessarily be the case with other players. “You have to think about how you want to approach it, how selfish, even that sounds stupid.
Tennis or family? It is not easy to combine the two. For me, family has always come first. You have to get up at night and help, that’s not ideal before a game. It may be different with Rafa,» Zverev added. With Nadal doing extremely well financially, Zverev believes that may be the advantage the Spaniard can use to his advantage in this given situation.
“However, when you are as successful as Rafa, you have the financial means to take so many people with you that everyday life can run smoothly. That makes it easier. It’s different with players who are 50th or 60th in the world rankings. You have your wife and the coach with you, and suddenly also the child,» Zverev concluded.
