He Nadal method It has been inspiring for schools and universities, also applied in company training sessions and investigated by those who sensed behind everything a sophisticated and complex formula, delicate balances, convoluted theories. Nothing could be further from the truth. His uncle Toni, mentor of the champion and origin of the epic, usually simplifies: “The secret is that there is no secret; “Tennis basically consists of passing a ball more than your opponent.” And in this way, starting from that seemingly simple premise – which was nothing of the sort – his nephew internalized an ideology as pragmatic as it was demanding that he has executed to the letter until the final stretch. “It worked for us, but that doesn’t mean it’s valid for others,” says the trainer, who perceived in this docile and “hyperactive” child an unusual capacity to confront hostility, overcome adversity and accept the message: the greater the suffering, the greater the glory.
“Rafael had the obligation, instilled by me at the beginning, assumed by him later, to never complain,” the coach detailed in an article published in this newspaper in 2022, titled The essential school of difficulty. In the text, the uncle offered the guidelines of his methodology; that is, working more than expected, doing it with a good face, being patient and being the student aware that things did not necessarily have to turn out well. “The fact that there has been this person who has demanded so much of me has always been decisive for me,” Nadal said in a meeting with EL PAÍS, in 2017. “But, then, he has also met a person who has endured many things. that perhaps others would not have been able to, because I responded,” clarified the tennis player, very aggressive in his stage of development and more temporizing later, as he wrote the legend.
“His ball overwhelmed you, it was very heavy. There was no way to contain that blow and from a mental point of view it was eating me up. He was a serious kid, but that day he already connected with the stands and I couldn’t do anything,” describes Ramón Delgado, the first victim of the Mallorcan in the professional circuit. He bowed in Mallorca, 2002. The Paraguayan speaks of a “physical marvel” who argued all the points and imposed a ball speed inappropriate for his age, 15 years old; of the “feeling of helplessness” that many others experienced. None like Nadal in the psychological territory. In any case, his prominence as a player goes far beyond the mental, because to the armor and dynamism exhibited until his thirties, he later added a record rich in nuances and an evident technical and tactical evolution. Cerebral and strategic, very intelligent, he debated from the first to the last ball with plenty of arguments and knew how to acclimatize to an environment of gunmen despite being a rather classic tennis player.
Few definitions are more graphic than that of Andre Agassi: “He never took any risk he could not take; If he has ever done it, it has been because he has been forced to do so. He has always found a way to do what he has to do, within a game, with a point, with a blow. “He has controlled his destiny minute by minute, since he came into this.” And David Ferrer, winner of 27 titles and Roland Garros finalist, joins in the praise. “Although the essence is the same, the Rafa at the beginning is very different from the one at the end. We see a clearly ascending curve. It has known how to grow, add tools and adapt to new times, finding solutions on the fly to be just as competitive. Injuries and age have forced him to reinvent himself and introduce nuances into the game, and not many achieve it. You have to be very good for that. It has always been said that he is a very physical player, but he is an extraordinary tennis player who has known how to mature without losing his style,” says the Valencian.
Up to 5,000 revolutions
Throughout his career, Nadal has had to deal with the myth of excuse me and the idea that he was a reserve player who preferred to give up the initiative and trust that erosion would end up deciding the games. However, his tennis has not stopped getting richer and over the years he has been presenting a sharper and more definitive version, more in line with what the modern pattern demands. “Punishment? I don’t give a damn; No one in their right mind can say such an outrage. I laugh more than I get upset. If you pass one more ball, you eventually win. Saying that is a disqualification, and if they tell you that you are a gunner and that you only know how to serve, that is too. This is sport and the ultimate goal is to reach your maximum, whether by playing aggressively, defensively, on the counterattack or by serving and netting,” he responded to this medium during a talk in 2018, the day after his eleventh conquest at Roland Garros.
Although the dirt is undoubtedly his ideal habitat, Nadal masterfully adapted to the cement – the dominating surface, 80% of the season – and ended up enjoying the grass, where he displayed a magnificent display on the net, especially in his seniority. To his strength in shooting, his footwork, his power to cover ground and his fearsome drive —up to 5,000 revolutions, double the usual average— brought him a very notable improvement with the backhand and a keen tactical sense in the interpretation of matches. During that final stage, the valuable contribution of Carlos Moyà, the idol, the friend, the confidant, contributed. Assistant with a good sense of smell. The former number one knew when to force more or less, to advise correctly – braking when appropriate, despite the desire and impetus – and accompany to the man who had already left the twenty-year-old behind. Nadal was no longer that Raphael. Neither better nor worse, simply different.
“You immediately realize Rafa’s greatness, and everything that comes with being with him,” he answered shortly before taking over from Toni on the bench. He officially occupied it in 2018 and, together with the new coach, Nadal refined his service to cushion the damage to his knees and continued to gain repertoire. Moyà’s temperance, his deep knowledge of his rivals and the physical and emotional circumstances that surrounded his player – he had to retire at the age of 34, largely due to osteoarthritis in his left foot since he was 20 – meant a ideal refuge in the direction of this irremediable goodbye that now, 23 years after taking flight, is confirmed.
