Rafael Nadal didn’t just end 2017 as
the world number one for the fourth time in his career and with a multitude of
records in tow. He proved to himself and the world that the substantial blip of
the last two seasons was a thing of the past, and along with both tactical and
physical prowess he was able to solve the riddles the other players and the
ever-changing game and physicality of it presented to him. Along with his usual
team and the additional member in good friend Carlos Moya, introduced as a
further coach in team Nadal, Rafa pushed his career into unknown territory and
found the form he saw for most of his twenties. He turned 31 halfway through
the year and showed no signs of further physical issues until the latter stages
of the season.
So, what can we expect of Rafael
going into the 2018 season? Along with Federer, who perfectly managed his
schedule and demonstrated to others how it should be done as ageing takes a
hold and the body can resist less and less, there is always a chance for big
trophies for these guys. Federer missing the clay court season was a powerful
statement and inevitably left him in great shape for Wimbledon. With no
Djokovic or Murray at SW19, it was a straight forward equation. Nadal needs to
think, in the next season or two, how to be at his best for as long as
possible. That will mean playing less events. At the end of 2017 the ‘wear and
tear’ was evident. Rafa’s team needs to be savvy, needs to protect him and not
think of the fans, the events and the money, but his longevity and his game.
For the sake of tennis and keeping him near the top for as long as possible
this is a key decision in his career. Playing too much now will not help if he gets
another major injury, and how hard would that then be to come back from? While
his achievements of 2017 were something impressive indeed, trying to match that
and hang on to the top mantle for as long as possible will not benefit him in
the long run. Federer didn’t care too much about the top spot, as long as he
kept winning Grand Slams and other titles. Nadal needs the same approach now,
as he heads deeper into his 32nd year.
There’s no denying if Rafa can keep
up the strategic and physical game he played last year, with his serve as good
if not better than ever (especially his second serve), then he will cause
problems for anyone. Whether he can keep his returning nemesis Novak Djokovic
and Federer, who he lost all four of their matches last season to, off his back
is another thing. The kids are also coming on fast and strong. There are more
contenders perhaps all at once than for a long time, meaning strategy and form
will lift the best players above the others. Nadal did it time and time again in
2017, so we know he is capable. If he doesn’t play too much and burn his body
out, and if the absence of Toni Nadal, his recently retired life long coach,
doesn’t tell, and if he plays as he did last year then nobody can say Rafael
Nadal will not be there or thereabouts when it comes to the big titles of the
season ahead and a good ranking position at the year’s end. When it comes to
the clay, at least, it’s hard to see anyone that could topple him. The rest is
an open book and will depend on many factors. Hopefully, the injuries seen by
many players over the last season or so will not affect the coming one. Nadal
at his best is something we all want to keep seeing.
First published on tennisworldusa.org
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