'Rafael Nadal's competitive juices once again came to...', says top coach

Rafael Nadal's preparation for the US Open didn't start in the best way. The Spanish champion left the stage in the round of 16 at the 'Citi Open' in Washington last week, being surprised by an excellent Lloyd Harris. For the Majorcan it was the first tournament after the semifinal of Roland Garros, which had seen him succumb to Novak Djokovic. The 35-year-old from Manacor had decided to skip both Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics to recharge his batteries, but the feeling is that he is still far from top form. Rafa himself admitted that he still felt pain in his foot, so much so that he had already risked a lot against Jack Sock at his debut in Washington. Nadal, who has just dropped out of the Top 3 to the advantage of Stefanos Tsitsipas, is hoping his conditions will improve in Toronto, where he will face Harris on Wednesday. Speaking on the Tennis Channel, well-known coach and analyst Paul Annacone explained that the Iberian’s choice to fly to Washington brought him a number of benefits.

Paul Annacone on Rafael Nadal

"I think it's pretty simple, we saw the practice courts. They were packed, everyone wanted to watch Rafael Nadal play," Paul Annacone told Tennis Channel. "He got to do a little bit of sightseeing, some of the great sights in Washington." Annacone, who has coached the likes of Pete Sampras and Roger Federer in the past, asserted that Nadal played at a good level in his opener against Jack Sock despite his physical niggles. "Rafa's competitive juices once again came to the surface, coming out on top in an amazing match against Jack Sock, where we weren't even sure if he was gonna compete the next day," Annacone said. "It was amazing to watch, his competitive spirit is amazing. Isn't it incredible to watch what he does?" Eugenie Bouchard, who is currently ranked 133rd, also gave her thoughts on Rafael Nadal's appearance in Washington. The Canadian said the Spaniard left it all out on court against Sock, despite visibly struggling with his foot. "In what is a smaller tournament for him, he's visibly injured and limping between points vs Jack Sock. But still, competing till the very end, even raised his level in that third set tiebreaker and that's why he's one of the greatest of all time," Bouchard said. After not succeeding at the Citi Open 2021, Rafael Nadal will begin his National Bank Open 2021 campaign tomorrow against Lloyd Harris. 

 

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