I put the two bottles down at my feet, in front of my chair to my left, one neatly behind the other, diagonally aimed at the court. The post “It’s a Numbers Game” – Emma Navarro Channels Rafael ...

His pre-match rituals, the neuroses evident in the way he arranged his water bottles and picked at his shorts and his face before each point, were a way to transform Nadal the person into Nadal ...

Roger Federer has penned an emotional tribute to Rafael Nadal, joking that he “secretly loved” his long-time rival’s rituals, including “assembling water bottles like toy soldiers” and ...

It included how Nadal likes to assemble his water bottles "like toy soldiers in formation," how he constantly fixes his hair, and adjusts his underwear. "I'm not a very superstitious person ...

The white headband, marked with the red bull logo Nadal made famous. The white tape wrapped around all four of his left, racket-holding fingers. The water bottles by his sideline bench ...

Federer admitted he "secretly" loved Nadal's superstitions and rituals —from assembling water bottles in formation to fixing his hair or adjusting his underwear midway through a match.

The match was enjoyable as an occasion, offering plenty of fan excitement and one last glimpse of Nadal’s famous quirks: the pant-tugging, the line-walking and the water bottle-fiddling.