'Rafael Nadal was fist-pumping after every single point', says Grand Slam champion

The first Rafael Nadal was a player who beat like a savage and collected shots in all corners of the pitch, but who, relying on extraordinary athletic skills, camped above all near the stands. Nadal 2.0 no longer has the legs of their twenties, but experience has taught them to be more aggressive. He keeps his feet as close as possible to the back line, goes down to the net more often, taking advantage of a touch and a sense of position that he has always had. The two-handed backhand, the blow he clung to in the two years in which the hook by right seemed to have abandoned it, is no longer just a defensive shield, but also a very useful tool to close the trade. The attitude of the Spaniard has also changed profoundly in recent years. Speaking with The Guardian, former World number 1 Andy Murray noted this composed attitude of Roger Federer and juxtaposed it with the example of Rafael Nadal.

Murray on Rafael Nadal

“Some guys, like Roger Federer for example, he’s very relaxed off the court, and when he’s on it, that’s the way he appears as well. It obviously works for him. But maybe take someone like Rafael Nadal, for example. He is quite the opposite – although he’s toned it down a bit as he’s got older. But his first three or four years on the tour, he was fist-pumping after every single point, and using so much energy. Again, it’s getting that balance" - Andy Murray explained. Novak Djokovic could be on course to overhaul both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on the all-time list of men’s Grand Slam champions. Nadal is heading towards Roland Garros in pursuit of a 13th Coupe des Mousquetaires. He turned 34 this year but, providing he is fit and healthy, there are few who would bet against him. Thiem beat him in four sets and four hours in the quarter-finals in Melbourne, but in two Roland Garros finals the Austrian has not been able to find a defence against the suffocating pressure Nadal applies in every single point on the clay of Paris. It is a fact not lost on Djokovic. He has won 17 major titles; he has been in nine more major finals. He knows what it feels like to be on the verge of winning or losing a Grand Slam trophy. At 32 he feels physically strong enough to repel the eager, younger men and after 15 years on the road he feels old enough and experienced enough to deal with anything on a tennis court.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3hRFsGN