Why we love Rafa

by Carly

Are you kidding?? How could you not love a guy who fights like a cornered tiger, looks like a Greek God, plays like a dream, and despite being in the "Rock Star" category of ATP players with all the attention and craziness that go along with that, is still unselfconscious enough to pick his pants in public?

Well, okay then… If you’re not satisfied with that for a reason, try these:

He’s entertaining: Watching Rafa play tennis is the most fun you can legally have on a tennis court. From the coin toss to the fist pumps to the Vamos!-ing to the impossible passing shots, there’s never a dull moment when Rafa’s on court. As Mary Carillo once said: "This guy is a walking highlight reel!"

He’s a great player and he’s going to get better: Disagree? Want to dissect his game? Come to the Rafa Tennis threads and tell us about it. There’s a bunch of knowledgeable tennis fans (and one scary mod armed with a paella pan) who’d like the opportunity to debate it with you.

He’s easy on the eyes: There, we said it. So sue us. But check the Photo Galleries first, you might find yourself changing your mind.

He’s a nice guy: Really, he is! Don’t let the on-court aggressiveness and media super-stardom fool you – off court Rafa is a polite, friendly, semi-normal (as normal as someone with his lifestyle and celebrity can be, anyway) down-to-earth 20 year old who likes fishing, playing golf, Playstation and kicking back at the beach with his friends. Take a look in the Fan Corner for our first-hand experiences meeting Rafa (and be sure to add yours if you’ve had any).