It’s been an historic summer, a tearful summer, a lordly
summer. We’ll likely never witness a month of all-time achievements
like the one we just saw from Roger Federer. But it’s also been one-sided summer, because the person who has
defined this era with Federer, Rafael Nadal, has been missing. Like the months
when Monica Seles was away from the tour in 1993 and 1994, it seemed like half of
the sport—the grunting half—had vanished. Like Steffi Graf's then, Federer wins almost felt like an embarrassment of riches.
As you know, the other half will return next week in Montreal, as
Nadal will test out his achy knees for the first time in competition since his
loss to Robin Soderling in Paris two months ago. Rafa is in Canada now,
practicing without wraps on his knees, though we know that doesn’t mean
much—the pain might just have moved somewhere. New-father Federer will be there
as well, so we should have the sport back in full.
To celebrate the occasion, we’ve brought back the end-of-week
UTennis column. The first clip, above, is of Nadal playing the final of a
junior tournament in Barcelona at age 12; below it’s 11 years later, and he’s
in the semifinals of the Australian Open. It's just a little reminder of what the guy
brings to the game. But first, young Rafa:
—The first thing you notice is how skinny and long-limbed
Nadal was. He also, at least at this point in the match, doesn't have the fighter’s
chest-out bearing that we’ve come to know so well. He’s a little flat-footed and slump-shouldered,
like most kids.
—The second thing you notice is that this is a hard court. He obviously spent some time on them as a kid.
—The first ground stroke we see is a backhand that he sends
straight toward the moon: classic junior stuff. But then we see something
special. Nadal backs all the way to the opposite sideline to get a forehand, and he hits it
with surprising explosiveness—even his opponent looks stunned for a second—before
knocking off a textbook high volley into the corner. The pace Nadal got on the
ball seems out of all proportion to his size.
—How about that hat on Uncle Toni? He's less Buddha-like
and more agitated then he does now in the stands.
—Does Nadal lose this match? It looks like his opponent wins
it with a swinging volley and then points to someone in the stands to
celebrate.
—The slo-mos of Nadal show him with a bigger wind-up on
both strokes, and he uses a two-handed backhand slice when he’s pulled wide. He probably hadn’t
developed the one-hander yet. His racquet, the blue Babolat that I assume he
began using because Carlos Moya did, looks two sizes too big for him.
—The shrugs, the sighs, the eyebrow twitches: Those
mannerisms are all still there when Nadal is interviewed today. His face is as
expressive as his manner is guarded. I’m not sure what he’s saying, but Rafa
seems to have been a stoic from the beginning.
Remember this match? It’s funny how quickly the Aussie Open
can be forgotten—it’s like an island unto itself on the calendar, not quite
belonging to either season. But Nadal-Verdasco was the first of the three best
matches of 2009 thus far, along with the Nadal-Djokovic semi in Madrid and the
Wimbledon final. Based on these 9 minutes of exhausting highlights, I’d say it
remains the best. Certainly it offered the most great tennis.
We likely won’t see this Nadal in Montreal. He’s starting
gingerly, he’s lost his French and Wimbledon titles, and he’s no longer No. 1.
He even says he doesn’t care if he gets back there. He obviously doesn’t feel
entitled to the spot, which is appealing, but the long-term No. 1s, the
Federers and Samprases, always do feel entitled to it. Nadal's down-to-earth honesty and
stoicism helps him compete on a daily basis, but it’s not a mindset that
lends itself to ruling the sport. Still, all that's for the future; here's some of the best of Rafa's recent past:
—The first thing I notice isn’t Nadal, but his opponent, who
had never played this well before and hasn’t since. On this day, he's exactly as good as the then-world No. 1. After five hours, they would end up winning nearly the same number of points.
—The slow, rubbery hard courts in Melbourne, whether Rebound Ace in the
past or Plexicushion today, have always lent themselves to the long and
inspired classic. You can see that both of these guys have the time, and the
assurance of a perfect bounce, to show off their best games. Penetrating shots are rewarded,
but they can also be tracked down and turned into even better shots.
—The pace of the rallies seems to pick up as the sets go on.
Their confidence grew at the same rate as their desperation to get the ball
past the other guy.
—One of many peaks, playing-wise, comes at the 4:00 minute mark, when
Nadal tracks down a sidespinning slice and hits an even better sidespinning
hook over the doubles alley and into the corner for a winner. The announcers yell, “OHHH’ in unison and Nadal
backs up and fist-pumps Connors-style. Verdasco can only shake his head.
—The emotional peak comes at 0-40 in the final game,
triple match point, when Nadal’s eyes begin to shine with tears. I wrote at the time, “It was the face of a great tennis player on the
ledge again. Leave it to Rafael Nadal to show us how far the sport can push a
man.”
Whatever his form in Canada, it will be good to have him back.
***
Have a good weekend. I'll be back Monday to talk about L.A. and D.C. and do a—slightly belated—Montreal preview. Nadal is back, Federer is here, the women are in California: Let the new season begin.
That part about Rafa's eyes having tears in them at 0-40, it briongs it all back, the excitement, the stress, the knowledege that we were watching one of the great matches of our time.
Rafa may not do very well in Montreal but as one of his fans, we just want him to play tennis and feel well as he said last week himself.
Vamos Rafa!!
Posted by Dunlop Maxply
08/07/2009 at 02:02 PM
For some reason I absolutely cannot wait for a spanish speaking Nadal fan to weigh in with background on the 12s match, either from the tape or otherwise.
Who was the opponent? I agree with you Steve, I think Nadal loses. Its such a commentary on junior tennis. Imagine the discussions after the match, how when you are 12 it is all ahead of you as a player. Anything still is possible.
However, it seems that "anything" was only possible for one of the two players on the day. The other kid might by trying out the lower level of the tour now, or perhaps is in college somewhere. I can't wait to find out.
Posted by SRao
08/07/2009 at 02:35 PM
Steve,
so many things to sum-up/write upon.
1.I'm happy to see there are just a few readers above me,so chances of you reading my reply is 100%.I'm saying this as it's 12am/8th Aug here,in Bangalore/India and I almost never reply to your posts because,a million of them would have already given their feedbacks and I always wonder if you'll ever get to read mine if I reply the next day morning,which is a much saner time to write,right?
I also feel the need to mention this-L.Jon says that he receives many Phillipino mails and replies to them too,but he has never replied to me on his mailbag.Guess he's not much of an Indophile :-(
2.I cannot wait for your-book-release![pls write one]I just adore you,your posts and everything you write about.I'm so torn between my fav...you OR Mr.Bodo!I read and re-read them several times.
3.I'm a tennis nut,and maddddd about Fed.But these last few months,I'm quite saddd about the turn of events at the helm.Ofcourse,I'm so happy for-Fed.But not the way it all happened.Fed's success is beyond fairytale maddness too.
Your phrase of not rooting for the rival was something I could-relate to.I hated Rafa and wished for him to lose all the time,though I just adore the Kid.I hate his game,his style and at one point I felt that Rafa was murdering artistic Tennis,by beating Fed so many times.
4.So looking back,I wonder if the ol'world order,say till Dec'07 was better than all the up's and down's of 2008 and 2009 so far.Fed and Rafa were happy at being No1 and No.2 and world was a better/happier place.The so-called change at the top from Jan2008 onwards left everybody unhappy including Rafa and Fed.
5.So now that Fed is back,can we hope for World Peace too?
6.I repeat..pls write a book....on Fed!
Everytime I read your post,you make my day...THANKS
Posted by Cesar
08/07/2009 at 02:52 PM
Here what that video says. It was the final of a tournament in spain. The commentator says that Nadal was the surpise of the tournament, getting to the final. He did lose and then the commentator says that there's no denying Nadal has always preferred to play than to do an interview. Nadal says the other guy played much better than him and there was nothing he could do. He didnt play as well as he wanted, as well as the other days/matches, but oh well. Then he says something about school, I think, going to school from 9-12, and then playing tennis from 4-8. She must of asked him about soccer or "futbol", cause he says he does play, but that's more for fun. She says he had to overcome his shyness as that was his first interview w/ spanish tv.
Posted by Cesar
08/07/2009 at 02:55 PM
The opponent was Jose Antonio Sanchez. Awesome video. He was such a humble kid right from the beginning.
Posted by Pspace (Lestat Time!)
08/07/2009 at 03:05 PM
That Nadal-Verdasco match was somethin' else. One of the best matches I've seen in years....oh well, maybe 6 months. Rafa's mid-court forehand is just ridiculous. He handles the slice, hip-level ball and high ball equally well. Goes for the corners, and he never ever misses. I wish he would step in a little more on balls that are about 3 to 4 feet inside the baseline, rather than waiting for them to come to him. But, I guess it's difficult to hit that extreme forehand on the rise with depth from those spots.
Perhaps hindsight is 20-20, but when you look at him run around like a crazy guy for some of those points, you wonder how he's held up for so long. The Decco won't be as forgiving as the Plexicushion, so he'll probably have to attack a little more.
Anyways, it's probably the first time he'll get to the USO hungry and rested. SF last year. So, if he can recapture his form from Oz, it's hard to see who will stop him. But, from recent comments from Nadal and camp, it seems a tad unlikely that he will.
Posted by Dunlop Maxply
08/07/2009 at 03:51 PM
Thanks to the magic of the internet, I know more about Jose Antonio Sanchez-de Luna than I did earlier today!
He's bopped around the futures and lower tour level tournaments since 2001, which meant that if he was 12 in 1998, he started about 15 or 16 or so.
His career high was about 250, and he's currently about 450.
A very respectable tennis career.
And, of course, something that gives me an opportunity to point out what U.S. tennis needs to do to revive the glory days.
Easy -- far, far more lower level pro tournaments.
This kid has been able to play continuously for 8 years, get some respectable results, and probably never even had to get a plane ticket yet. There are so many futures and lower lever tour events in Europe now that there is no economic hardship.
He probably teaches tennis if not from a well off family, and at 23 or 24 can afford to stay at it for the three or four more years to find his true peak.
What if that peak is, oh, 102 or something? Enough to get a direct entry into a Slam? Hardly a waste of one's 20s, I would say.
This is why when you search the ATP rankings by "Spain" there are more Spaniards than Americans.
We used to have tour events plus the American intercollegiate system. Now, we don't have as many tour events, and the colleges are recruiting guys like Sanchez-de Luna who have a couple of years of pro tour experience and are better than 18 year old juniors from the U.S.
Posted by HK
08/07/2009 at 03:57 PM
Ever since Nadal shot into prominence in 2005, the media has focused on the power, spin and speed that Nadal shows on the court and this is no surprise since all these qualities combined with his atheticism are breathtaking and awe inspiring. However, this does a disservice to two other essential qualities of his game, namely his timing and his tactical/mental strength although the latter has become more recognized in recent years. You highlight both of these in your linked videos, the first with your young Rafa clip and the second with the AO clip.
The explosiveness with which Rafa was able to hit the ball even when young comes from great timing. No matter how strong he is and what racquet head speed he can generate, he cannot generate the kind of pace, spin and control that he does without immaculate timing. The clip of him as a youngster, takes away all the muscles and lays bare the timing aspect of his stroke-making.
The mental strength that he has shown throughout including in the AO semifinal is second to none in the history of the sport. However, it is not just the fighting spirit at which he excels. He is also a much smarter player than he is given credit for. While Federer has always been given credit for playing smart and using his variety, it seems to me that Rafa's tactical abilities are sometimes given short shrift. The changes in strategy at important junctures in matches including net rushes, suprising serve placements etc. are integral to how Rafa wins. And his mind never stops trying to figure out how to win and be a hundred percent invested in the next point. In addition, Rafa is one of the few players in the history of the game who can actually raise his game on the big points. Many greats simply seem to tighten their games and not let their level drop more than the opponent. But, Nadal, Becker, maybe Connors, are some players who come to mind who actually play better when it matters most. All this was in good display during this years AO.
Posted by lois
08/07/2009 at 03:58 PM
Missed all you guys, been sick but I am glad too see my favorite
player coming back. I hope he still has his drive and will too
win. Looking forward to seeing him and hopes he does extremely well, I was starting to get bored but I think for me the thrill
may be back. VAMOS RAFA
Stay Well and Safe Everyone.
Posted by Cathy in SD
08/07/2009 at 04:11 PM
think Nadal is way cute at 12 - like his hair better then (so important !)
Posted by Raven
08/07/2009 at 04:15 PM
Dunlop Maxply
Posted by Raven
08/07/2009 at 04:18 PM
Dunlop Maxply,
Let's try that again! Good observations on the different systems in Spain/Europe vs the US. There were a lot more opportunities at that level when we were younger. There was also a bit more stigma in those days about taking the time to pursue that level of a career. Today no one pays attention to it.
Posted by Holly
08/07/2009 at 05:38 PM
I can't wait to see him back on court!!
Posted by linex
08/07/2009 at 05:57 PM
A great youtube clip of Nadal aged 12. As Steve says the attitude and gestures are the same as today, quite amazing. It is good to see that fame has not changed his authentic true personality.
Posted by linex
08/07/2009 at 05:59 PM
And yes that semi between Nadal and Verdasco was in my view the best match in 2009 so far. Nadal Nole second best match. Third best match DElpo Roger in Roland Garros.
Although the Wimbledon final was exciting for the final score and the length of the match I did not enjoy the play involved very much. No long exciting rallies as let say in Nole Rafa or Rafa Nando.
Posted by Rwn
08/07/2009 at 06:00 PM
You must be a complete nutcase to compare this with what happened to Seles. Steve Tignor can´t be taken seriously ever again.
Posted by lollipop
08/07/2009 at 06:05 PM
Thanks for the video, Steve! Yes, it looks like we often forget the greatness of these matches. But looking over the highlights brings back so many memories. Just wonderful. I wonder when both those guys will be back to that level of play. I sincerely hope Rafa recovers well.
Posted by vc
08/07/2009 at 06:24 PM
Federer's slam wins an embarrassment of riches?
The rest of the article was a Nadalian embarrassment of riches. The first paragraph was merely an embarrassment.
The whole article would be richer without it.
Posted by VC
08/07/2009 at 06:34 PM
The Nadal banana shot was a great one, but a touch overrated, IMO. I also find it hard to enjoy matches where he retreats miles behind the baseline. Some of the rallying in the first four sets of the final (particularly in some of the long games in the 4th set) was better, IMO. I think Federer forces Nadal to play more aggressive than usual in the baseline rallies.
Posted by Mr. X
08/07/2009 at 06:48 PM
He is back indeed, although a sea of doubts surrounds him. I just hope he will be able to run, jumpo and bounce like he did in that AO SF soon.
I agree that's the best match of 09. Nadal-Nole in Madrid had the problem of Nadal's awful first set, Delpo-Fed the problem of Delpo slowing down in the final sets and the Wimbledon final was thrilling and significant, bu the actual quality of the shots wasnt at this level. This match just had everything. And as you said, the first thing you notice is Verdasco. It seems it was actually a once-in-a-lifetime tournament for him, but he was tremendous. What i remember most is his vicious reaction when he looked defeated in the 4th set, and the wild TB he played. But Nadal couldnt be denied at the AO. Little did we know what was coming in the summer...
It's certain that we wont see this Nadal in Montreal. Getting through Ferrer and Querrey would be a good performance, in my opinion. And you are right, he's not a ruler at heart. He has always seemed more confortable as the underdog. Well, he is back to that situation right now.
Let's hope his knees dont prevent him from playing more matches like that.
Posted by fay elisabeth coleman
08/07/2009 at 08:56 PM
Thanx for this steve, can always rely on youto right something gr8 about Rafael Nadal. He is my all time most favourite player, I adored watching him at the A0 but the rest of the season after Indian Wells even when he won on clay it was stressful yet rewarding when he won of course. For me there has never been a greater athelete on the court, when in form he is simply awsome to watch, last year was my absolute fave year for tennis, Nadal played some of the best tennis I have seen, he was amazing! I hope he refinds this form as no one else brings so much thrill, intensity and of course charisma to a tennis match, Vamos Rafa indeed.
Posted by Sher
08/07/2009 at 09:35 PM
That vid of Rafa is precious. So cute, and exactly the same manerisms as we see today. So cool and collected.
Steve: Well done again. I think you capture the sentiment of tennis fans, not just Rafa fans. I could watch that semi final match again and again and still shake my head.
The "banana shot" VC refers to is one of the best shots I have ever seen as a tennis fan. I try to look at it from the perspective of a tennis fan, not a Nadal fan...but I still drop my jaw at that one. If you are a fan of tennis, you have to admit that was an amazing shot.
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