Rafa actually enjoys working his ass off. (And don’t worry, that’s only a figure of speech – check out the gallery for proof that the booty is still going strong!)

Rafa’s practice court was near the field the players use for footwork drills and general horsing around. The ball in this photo flew onto his court during a random pick-up game, and Rafa did some nifty tricks before kicking it back over. Of course the ball flew over the crowd and back onto the field in a perfect arch that ended right at the feet of the guy who sent it over to Rafa in the first place. Bend it like Rafa!

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Here’s some footage from Rafa’s Sunday practice session. He’s both intense and lighthearted while he trains – when the crowd cheered one of the few winners his hitting partner scored, Rafa pretended that his feeling were hurt. And then he ripped the ball even harder. Amazing.

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