Has there ever been a tennis champion more relentless than Rafael Nadal? He’d begun his career as a chaser. Able to smother his opponents with speed and will, Nadal rapidly became something even better – an all-court player exceptionally adept at turning defense into offense with oppressive consistency.
Larry Stefanki, former coach of the likes of Andy Roddick, John McEnroe and Marcelo Rios, recently told CNN, “When he beat [Roger] Federer at Wimbledon, I said, ‘Oh my God.’ This guy is actually developing a tennis game and isn’t just a one-trick pony running every ball down and fitnessing the other guy to death.”
For so long, Nadal was the one who held the answers. But 2015 has been a year of difficult questions, without a doubt the most frustrating of the Spaniard’s career. Nadal’s ranking has dropped to its lowest spot in a decade. There was a quarterfinal loss at the French Open – only his second-ever defeat at Roland Garros – and for the fourth straight year, an early exit from Wimbledon. Even more telling, in many of Nadal’s defeats this year, he has been vanquished not just by fine play from his opponent but by his own struggles.
“When you see somebody like Rafa who usually has such big margins on his shots miss shots mid-way into the net or 10 feet long, it’s very disconcerting,” said Paul Annacone, former coach of Federer and Pete Sampras. “That’s about indecision and lack of confidence.”
Nadal has won at least one Grand Slam event every year since 2005. The US Open is his last chance to keep that streak alive. Yet as persistently consistent as Nadal has been over these last 10 years, no tournament more than the US Open reveals the fault lines of a career that has been brilliant but also riddled with significant periods of agony and exile. Consider Nadal’s last five US Opens: a title in 2010, a runner-up showing in 2011, out with a knee injury in 2012, title No. 2 in 2013 and out again in 2014 with a wrist injury.
In Montreal this summer, Nadal said, “I don't know if I have a chance at the US Open. I don't know if I have a chance here or not. The only thing that I know is that all the ups and downs I had during the whole season, the line is positive, no? Is not up and down with negative line.”
It is always interesting to watch how champions respond to the invariable adversity that accompanies the aging process. Some, like Jimmy Connors and Chris Evert, doubled down on training and persisted in pursuit of more positive results. Others, such as John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg, struggled to find the path back up the mountain.
Sampras, said Annacone, “even when he was in his big slump, not winning a title for more than two years, always believed he was going to win. Pete had this champion’s ego and mentality. But it’s different with Rafa. He’s very self-effacing. Now, when he is down on his confidence, it’s tough to fall back on that champion’s ego.”
Does it matter that Nadal has spoken frequently about his lack of confidence? According to former pro and tennis psychologist Allen Fox, “It doesn’t make any difference. Nadal talking about his anxiety is very honest and true. His opponents know they’re playing Nadal and that he’s still a very dangerous player.”
Yet as skilled as Nadal remains, the holes in his game have been exposed this year. Just a few weeks ago in Montreal, Nadal was beaten in the quarterfinals by Kei Nishikori, 6-2, 6-4. Nishikori thoroughly controlled the court, consistently and easily forcing Nadal into defensive positions far behind the baseline. Perhaps the most amazing part of this loss was that it hardly seemed extraordinary.
Nadal arrives in New York this year lacking the aura of intimidation. Never mind that the last time he competed at the US Open, in 2013, Nadal won the title. In the dog years that define tennis, that was long ago. Rivals such as Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have improved. The likes of Nishikori and defending US Open champion Marin Cilic have also made considerable strides. And let’s not forget that one-time rival of Nadal’s named Roger Federer.
The 2015 US Open will require Nadal to find skills he has not fully displayed all year. Hard-court tennis forces Nadal to build points more aggressively than on clay. His two title runs have been highlighted by bold serving, increased net play and more flat forehands struck down-the-line than his bread-and-butter topspin crosscourt drive. All of these tools will be required if Nadal is to thrive once again in New York and beat back the many opponents who smell blood.
It will be fascinating to watch Nadal attempt to stop the bleeding and regain the edge that has made him one of tennis’ all-time greats.
