'We listen to Rafael Nadal's body,' - Moya explains changes in Nadal's approach at 34

During an interaction with Spanish sports daily ABC, Carlos Moya said that now that Rafael Nadal has turned 34, it is important for the Spaniard's coaching team to listen to his body and head.

In an unusual season plagued by the COVID-19 pandemic, Rafael Nadal celebrated his birthday at home and not at his favorite stop of Roland Garros. It has been an atypical year for all tennis players and more so for Rafael Nadal, who has celebrated his birthday at the claycourt Major in all but one of the last 15 years.

On 3 June 2020, Rafael Nadal blew his 34th birthday candles from the confines of his home. With COVID-19 restrictions easing off in Spain though, Rafael Nadal has hit the courts for some light practice.

The ATP season stands suspended till the end of next month at least, depending on how the situation at the COVID-19 front evolves. With no firm date of a return in sight, Carlos Moya explained the predicament facing Rafael Nadal's coaching team in getting their player tournament-ready.

Hoy cumple 34 años @RafaelNadal y lo hace de una manera atípica, lejos de Roland Garros y sin competición a la vista. @Traban desgrana en @abc_es cómo se presenta el futuro para el balear https://t.co/l3ppAtpmwL

— ABC Deportes (@abc_deportes) June 3, 2020

"It is not easy, but we do it very little by little," Moya said. "Not having a close target, who knows if it may be for three months, because everything is complicated."

Moya then went on to say that since Rafael Nadal is no more a teenager, they need to look at him differently. The team takes care to ensure that their player stays injury-free.

"With an 18 or 20-year-old player you can do many things in such a setting, but with a player like Rafa, at this point in his career, it is different. We are going without haste; the important thing is not to fall into injuries, that is the main thing."

Moya also bemoaned the break in the season, saying it's harder to come back from something like this in your 30s.

"When you are 20 or 21 you are in full learning and it is also a chore. Everyone can feel hurt this year and we are in the same situation, but a year like this when you are 34," sighed Moya.

Rafael Nadal spends an atypical birthday in Mallorca

Rafael Nadal

For the first time in more than a decade, Rafael Nadal celebrated his birthday in Mallorca.

Muchísimas gracias una vez más! Habéis hecho que sea un día más especial aún https://t.co/iZ0jcvOL7W

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) June 3, 2020

In this regard, Carlos Moya threw a sneak peek into his ward's 'atypical' birthday.

"We train in the morning. It will be many years since he spent training in Manacor ... I don't think that when he lost with Soderling he started training after two days and in 2016 he was not to play after retiring ... It will be atypical, a rare birthday."

Moya went to further say that the coaching team is focusing on keeping Rafael Nadal fit and active, instead of making him go full throttle in training.

"We didn't spend a lot of time on the track either; we respect rest. When they say date (of restart), the idea is not to start from scratch, that you are already prepared. Meanwhile, we are keeping him in shape,” said Moya.

The 1998 Roland Garros champion further stated that there is now a different training regimen in place for Rafael Nadal - one that heeds the calls of his body ravaged by the wear and tear of nearly two decades on the tour.

“In fact, it is not that we have run every day with him, we have always respected the signals that his body sends him. It is a slightly different treatment, we highly respect your rest and that you can do things beyond tennis.

"For example, if we are a month away when we return, we do not train every day. Of course, we listen a lot to his body and especially to his head . Now we are based on what we see and during the week you have some day off."

While explaining that Rafael Nadal has been making the most of his downtime due to the COVID-19 lockdown, Moya said that the team has looked to innovate their daily routines.

“We have tried to make time pass quickly, we have looked for things that we did not usually do. We have been cycling for a few days and we have changed routines so that this does not take too long."

Carlos Moya also voiced concern about the exceedingly small gap between the US Open and the rescheduled French Open. If all goes to plan, the tournament in Flushing Meadows will be followed by a trip to Paris for two weeks of grueling claycourt tennis, with very little time to rest.

Incidentally, Rafael Nadal is the defending champion at both tournaments.

"Of course, as things stand now, the French event would come after the US Open," Moya said. "If you play in the United States, you will surely play Roland Garros. But what scares me is starting in New York with a five-set tournament after the break. There are many unknowns. It is difficult to be able to say something."