Paul Annacone on Rafael Nadal: His competitive spirit is just crazy

Former American tennis player Paul Annacone absolutely loves watching Rafael Nadal and his competitive spirit.

Last week at the Citi Open in Washington, Nadal played his first match in two months. 

In his Washington opener, Nadal claimed a tight 6-2 4-6 7-6 (1) win over Jack Sock. 

Nadal skipped the entire grass season and the Tokyo Olympics so he could focus on his troublesome foot. 

In his Washington opener, Nadal was once again hampered by his troublesome foot. 

"Rafa's competition juice has resurfaced," Annacone said, per We Love Tennis France. "We saw him suffer physically in a memorable match against Jack Sock. What we weren't sure was that he would even compete the next day which was pretty amazing. His competitive spirit is just crazy. Isn't it just amazing watching him fight?" 

Nadal hopes the condition of his foot will improve 

Nadal managed to survive a tight Sock clash but he couldn't do the same against Lloyd Harris in his following match. 

"Last week in Washington, the first round was tough with my foot, but in the second round, I felt a little bit better. Even if I lost, that is a positive thing for me. It is about trying to find the routine again on court. Trying to be competitive again. I need to have the feeling of playing a few days in a row without any problems," Nadal said during his pre-tournament press conference at the Toronto Masters. 

"I need to have a couple of weeks with less pain to have the confidence again with my movement. I am coming here to try and win, but also to keep feeling positive with my foot. I am not at my peak yet, but I have been practising better than I played in Washington, so I am excited to play here. Hopefully, I will be able to compete well.”

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2VNddmw