Rafael Nadal's technical and tactical maturity reached its climax in 2018
In retrospect, we can say that Rafael Nadal's season could have gone even better than it was. Because his season was phenomenal. Despite the five titles he won this season, despite the triumphs, without the injury in Melbourne and the withdrawal in the last part of the year, perhaps things would have been better.
Nadal started his season at the Australian Open. The Spaniard swept away all the doubts about his physical condition in a convincing first week. However, he was injured in his match against Marin Cilic Who knows how it would have gone without that injury?
After the physical problem, Rafa came back for the clay swing where, as always, he was the great ruler. But we have to say more on Rafa's season; the Mallorcan's tennis was also very effective on other surfaces this year, although it was abrupt.
He played a tough semi-final against Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon where the match swung between the two players right up to the deciding point of the fifth set. Rafa reaching the semi-final was also memorable because he had failed to go beyond the first week at Wimbledon for the last few years. Then, during the American swing, Rafa reached and won his only title this year outside clay at the Rogers Cup.
If Nadal's body holds well, there is no way he cannot push for more Slams. He made an unexpected final at the 2017 Australian Open, where he and Federer gave a memorable match, nearly eight years after they played the final there. What will 2019 hold for Rafa?
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from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2BpiWAS
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