Has attrition set in for Rafael Nadal?

Rafael Nadal has had a year to forget

Tennis, by virtue of being an individual sport can be unforgiving, and Rafael Nadal is having to face the full brunt of its cruelty at the moment. The Spaniard has had a pretty disappointing season so far to say the least. The latest of those disappointments came recently at the Flushing meadows, where he crashed out of the tournament in the second round.

This defeat marks the first time Nadal has lost at majors after going two sets to the good. It also means that the Mallorcan will not win any major through a calendar year for the first time since 2004. Truly a year to forget for the 14 time major champion.

Is this struggle just a temporory loss of form? Will we ever see the old Nadal back again? Answers to these questions lie in the future but the past may give us an indication of what is happening currently with Rafa.

History tells us that tennis players on average begin their decline by age 30. In fact, 30 years is considered old in tennis terms. Only four times since 2000 has a man over 30 ever won a major and only three men have accomplished this impressive feat (Agassi did it twice).

Nadal will have reached this notorious number by June next year. So it would not be out of place to assume that the Spaniard is in decline and will continue to fade into retirement. It is never easy to see someone like Nadal, who has scaled the peaks of his sport go through the inevitable struggle at the twilight of his career, but it makes for compelling viewing nonetheless.

This is also the period where tennis shows no bias or mercy. It makes sure that you suffer and feel as though the whole world is against you. Nadal is feeling exactly that right now, and all his trophies still do not provide him with immunity against the embarrassment of the decline phase.

Rafa can arrest his fall and delay the inevitable, but he would need to draw upon all his mental resolve to do so. More importantly, he will need to change his approach to the game.

He cannot sustain his phyical game style anymore

It is fairly easy to justify the need for a new gameplan. Nadal’s strategy throughout his career has been to outlast his opponents, to wear them down both physically and mentally. Though the strategy has been successful in getting him 67 career ATP titles, it has also left a mark on his body. His legs are not obeying his mind anymore and one cannot blame them for they have gone through tremendous amount of punishment over the years.

The effect is showing on the court. The 29 year old’s movement is more labored and he is not able to reach certain balls that he would have reached so easily only a couple of seasons ago. Rafa will move into the wrong side of the 30’s next year and therefore it is naive to assume that his movement will somehow be back to its original self. If anything, it is bound to get worse. So there is no way he can retain his current physical game and hope to stay relevant anymore.

Expansion of coaching team an option

Toni Nadal has been the mastermind behind Rafa’s success throughout his career. Right from forcing the racquet onto his nephew’s left hand, Toni has been instrumental in framing every Tennis decision Nadal has made over the years. But perhaps the association has run its course . Fresh input will certainly not hurt the 14 time major champion at this point of time. It just may make him approach the game with a different mindset and instill in him a renewed sense of vigor.

He also does not have to look beyond his peers for references. His two great rivals Federer and Djokovic have improved tremendously after bringing in Edberg and Boris Becker into their teams respectively. Federer, in particular has been playing like a man reborn. So Nadal must definitely consider expanding his team.

Attacking Tennis is the way to go

This option has not been suggested out of thin air. Nadal has one of the best touches at the net among anyone playing the game currently. It is just that we do not see it often because he chooses to stay behind the baseline. But standing meters behind the baseline is not an option anymore now that his movement has been compromised. He must look to hug the baseline and come to the net much more often, preferably at the first opportunity.

Nadal is also no alien to playing attacking tennis. He has played aggressive tennis during his dominant run both in 2010 and 2013. The North American hard court season of 2013 saw the best of Rafa’s attacking talent on display. He must take inspiration from those displays and implement an offensive game to survive in the men’s game.

It is clear that Nadal cannot go toe to toe with the big hitters anymore. His best chance is to finish the points as quickly as possible. It will certainly not be easy for a counter puncher like Nadal to suddenly adopt an aggressive style of play as he is simply not programmed to play that way. But it may just be his last throw of the dice, his last remaining hope. He must however commit to this new game plan fully. There is no way he will come out vindicated if he approaches this gameplan half-heartedly.

We will not see Nadal dominating the preofessional tennis circuit anymore. If he does however approach the game differently, we may see him winning a few trophies, even maybe a major in the future.