We all have them. Those little quirks that make us unique, like stirring a cup of tea clockwise, saying a little prayer before taking flight, or even listening to your get-up-and-go song before an important test.

But you don’t have to feel embarrassed in the slightest, because where your quirks are private, some tennis players have no qualms showing theirs to the world – from the locker rooms to the court.

On CNN, sports journalist Pedro Pinto meets with world number three, Rafael Nadal, ahead of the US Open, which starts later this month.

The King of Clay already won this year’s French Open, and with the world numbers one and two each winning the other grand slams, the question is who will win at Flushing Meadows.

Before you tune in for Pinto’s interview with Nadal, we thought we’d bring you some of the quirks tennis players bring with them to the tennis court.

Whereas some tennis players have quirks for each match, Björn Borg’s quirks were restricted to Wimbledon.



Each time he’d play at Wimbledon, Borg would grow a beard and wear the same Fila T-shirt, throughout the tournament! But it clearly helped the Swedish player, as he won the tournament five consecutive times between 1976 and 1980.

2012 has been a great year for Serena Williams. With a Wimbledon title and a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, Miss Williams’ routine probably helped her all the way.



First, she takes her shower sandals with her to the court and her shoelaces are tied in a specific way. When she’s ready to play ball, Serena bounces the ball five times before her first serve, and then twice before her second serve.

And if she makes it past the first round, Serena will most likely wear the same pair of socks throughout.

World number two Novak Djokovic is a bouncer. Before any serve, he can bounce the ball up to 25 times! He starts off bouncing the ball with his racquet, before bouncing the ball with his left hand.

And if that isn’t enough, he is well known for his impressions of the other players.



Rafael Nadal’s routine starts way before he even reaches the court – with kangaroo jumps in the changing rooms. He is known for incessantly using his towel and wiping off between points. He even uses his tennis shoes to wipe the lines of the court.

Who can forget former Wimbledon champ Goran Ivaniševic, and his preference for using the same ball, especially after he just hit the ball for an ace? And we know how good he was at hitting those aces.



And then there’s Maria Sharapova, who is always immaculate on the court. But apparently, this isn’t good enough for the Russian beauty who will always tuck her hair behind her ears, even if no hair is out of place.

If you remember a quirk or two that we’ve missed out on, please let us know in our comments section.

Tune in to CNN on Thursday, 16 August for Open Court at 11:30.



Sources:

Mens Fitness
New York Times