Rafael Nadal: Fading into the shadows?
#1 Get back his mojo
Nadal has always been known for his physicality, hence his nickname ‘The Bull’.
But his mental strength and resilience have always set him apart from the rest, and contributed to his legendary status. Nadal would never go down without a fight – even if you put him into an 8 foot pit with no weapons, he would scratch and claw his way out of it.
But that was then. Nadal lost to Fabio Fognini after winning the first 2 sets and with a commanding 3-1 lead in the 3rd. Sure, the Italian took his chances, but the Rafa of old wouldn’t have given him those chances in the first place, or played the way he did in the deciding 5th set.
Apart from a few flashes of brilliance, the passive way in which he kept getting his service games broken and hitting the ball back into the middle of the court – a few times, Fognini did not even have to move after shots – was disheartening not just for Nadal fans, but for tennis enthusiasts world over.
Nadal had said earlier in the year that he was facing problems with his confidence. Most ex-players and pundits scoffed at this – how can a 14 slam champion have confidence issues at the age of 29, they reckoned.
Only Nadal himself would know how to find that lost belief. We can only hope that he finds it soon enough, because to watch this watered down version of Nadal is heartbreaking.
#2 Rethink his tactics
Rafael Nadal is all about outlasting the opponent and employing his ‘fearhand’…at least that’s what tennis guru Darren Cahill appropriately calls Nadal’s forehand. But he actually has a complete game. He’s great at the net and has a pretty solid backhand. What he lacks in pace of serve, he makes up for in placement. These were the tactics drilled into him since childhood by his uncle and coach Toni Nadal. And together they touched all the pinnacles that the sport of tennis had to offer.
But now, he needs a fresh outlook. He still has a great basic game, but it just needs a few tweaks and twists in certain areas. That is where a fresh set of eyes can help, but it is also where Nadal takes offense – Toni is not just his coach, he’s family. So there is an emotional bond that goes beyond the regular student-coach relationship.
But they do not necessarily have to part. They can just include another professional into the team.
Just look at his contemporaries. The best example is Novak Djokovic. His longtime coach Marian Vajda still accompanies him. But he has now inducted Boris Becker into the group and this move has done him wonders.
Although Becker has been head coach since 2013, it is a new rush of blood throbbing through the old Djokovic game with Vajda still very much in the mix that is helping the World No.1 scale new heights.
Sometimes to leap forwards, its essential to take a few steps backwards. Nadal has a fantastic attacking caliber. He just needs someone to hone that further.
#3 Get motivated
Nadal doesn’t need to look too far for motivation. There are two players on tour who continue to defy their age and critics with enthralling success and have handled their careers brilliantly with no signs of fading into history. One of them is of course no stranger to him...
Roger Federer is a long time rival and probably the greatest player to have ever graced the game. Most naysayers wrote him off as early as 2011 due to his lack of any Grand Slam titles.
Then Wimbledon 2012 happened, and the world took notice. It has been 3 years but still there’s no signs of him slowing down. He may not have any grand slams under his belt after that but he came close so many times. And only ardent cynics would bet against the most popular tennis player in the world, adding to his massive haul of 17 slams.
There’s no secret to his success. Its all plain to see on the court. Constantly reinventing himself and his tactics, his new ‘All Out Attack’ game debuted as recently as Cincinnati a few weeks back, which quite literally blasted Novak Djokovic off the court. Whether he can continue that game against the top players over 5 sets in the ongoing US Open, remains to be seen. But the fact remains... Federer is 34 and still counted among the strong contenders for every trophy he plays for. He’s already the greatest. If he can stay motivated for more then why can’t Rafa…
Of course any inspirational note in sporting terms would not be complete without mentioning Serena Williams. She’s creating history with every match she plays.
She’s been through it all…Injuries, fatigue, mental breakdowns, heartbreaks… and still she fights. Against her own demons, heartless critics who poke fun at her body image issues. Despite this, she manages to be on course for the historic calendar slam, maintain a seemingly unassailable 6000 point lead atop the rankings AND bring the dance groove tradition back into existence at the Wimbledon Champions’ Ball.
If that isn’t motivation, then what is?
#4 Get off court sooner
The key to Nadal’s extraordinary achievements is his unique style of play. A right-hander by birth, he was trained to play left-handed to add variety and to give him extra strength for the backhand, and of course that ever scary top spin that gives every ball an extra zing on the bounce.
Yet he plays a defensive game. He outmuscles and outlasts his opponent from way behind the baseline. Even if it was 2 am in the morning, he would still try to run down every ball and continue the rally trying to force the error. And it worked like a charm.
The downside was of course the heavy toll it took on his body. The long list of injuries was testament to that. He has had to miss out on quite a few tournaments over his career. But still he came out of them stronger than ever and continued to thrive on tour.
Until the end of last year, that is. Since then it has been one step forward and two steps back for him. The phenomenal records he set for himself painstakingly were being broken by lower ranked opponents. Still he doggedly tries to stay in a rally. Even if it is not his day and his unforced errors are high, he would not attack.
That mentality has to change. He’s 29 now and continuing to play his old game is only going to further dampen his spirits and endanger his body to an earlier retirement.
Nadal has to put his energies into attacking the balls early, stop standing 10 feet behind the baseline, come to the net more often, finish the points quicker and just get off the court sooner.
#5 Get the \'Vamos\' back on
What sets Nadal apart from the rest and makes him such a popular figure in sport is his personality on court. Off the court, he is a true gentleman and likes to keep a low profile, whether it his family life or his life with long-term girlfriend Francesca Perello.
But once he’s on the court, he transforms into an absolute demon. His passion for the game apparent in each point; his exuberant celebration style and his trademark fist pump with a vociferous roar of VAMOS (Spanish for “let’s go”), made the crowds come alive in every part of the world.
Nowadays those shouts of “Vamos!” are more subdued and look forced somehow. The crowds seem more inspired to call it just to get him to believe in his shot-making and himself.
We all know Rafael Nadal has the game. He’s proved it time and time again. He almost single handedly ended the all conquering dominance of Roger Federer when he burst onto the scene as a fiery teenager. Time made him become the living legend that he is.
Losing is a part of any game. But the manner of losing makes a tremendous difference. Watching him meekly commit 2 unforced errors, both way off target, when Fognini was serving for the match was mortifying. Its best to go down with a fight, or go away from the game completely.
This is the most desperate time in his career. And like all athletes, time is a treasured element for Nadal too. It is high time he takes a long, hard look at himself and comes out firing on all cylinders again.
Whether he still has the zeal to recapture his former glory and find that fading drive to excel, only time will tell. But for now all tennis lovers would truly want to see him accept the motto of ‘carpe diem’…seize the day and just go for it.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
