Rafa

Anyone that reads my Facebook feed or that knows me very well, knows that I love tennis player Rafael Nadal. I've lost many a night's sleep watching him play in some far away location. He's been injured for the last 7 months and not playing. I've missed him terribly.

In watching his return, he's definitely not the Rafa of old. He's older (only 26, but that is fairly ancient for professional tennis players) and his body has been put through quite the tortuous schedule for too many years. His step is not as quick and his once thunderous swing is missing some lightning.

When he lost last year at Wimbledon and started his hiatus, I had this terrible feeling he would never return. He is back on the court, and I'm grateful. But it is difficult to watch him struggle in matches that he would easily have closed out before. It begs the question, would it have been better for him to have never returned than to come back and be less than the king he once was.

I will forever be a fan of Rafa, win or lose. It is not just his play, but his humble nature. He might be a Spanish bull on the court, but off the court he frequently shows his soft underbelly. And the sheer will and determination that he shows on the court is an example to all that hard work pays off.

I know players can't be on top forever. I will definitely miss him when he's gone. Until then I will continue to lose sleep watching my favorite tennis player of all time and savor every win along the way.