Over the last decade the trend in men’s tennis has been that 30 is the new 20. Well, as always there are exceptions to the rule, and Rafael Nadal is one of them.
Bursting onto the scene as a muscle-bound explosive teenager, Nadal was a phenomenon with a physique never seen before in the sport. He looked more suited to the sweet science than he did to tennis, and he played in high-octane fashion without ever tiring or mentally burning out.
Relentlessness defined.
Now on the cusp of turning 30, the Spaniard has shown signs of fragility and age beyond his years over the last 12 months and it all boils down to one thing.
Playing style.
You see, there’s an athlete’s biological age, and then there is his tennis age. The two metrics can be different by quite a few years, and in Nadal’s case, it’s north by more than he would like to admit.
Raised on the sun-kissed clay courts of Spain, Nadal fashioned a game style that was as brutal on himself as it was on his hapless opponents. Extreme racquet-head speed was required for his heavy topspin groundstrokes, and his speed and agility around the court was unmatched for quite some time.
All in all it was a game founded on power, speed and endurance – a delicate mixture given their contradicting requirements. Losing merit in any of these attributes will have detrimental effects given the small margins required to win tennis matches.
As it stands, Nadal definitely has.
His forehand lacks the fearsome sting it delivered for so long and his faithful legs look ready for retirement after delivering a workload worth a lifetime. Three losses already this year, to players all outside the top 15, are confirmation that the ship is indeed slowly sinking.
Can he turn it around? I fear not.
Nadal knows one way to win, and despite his hunger, it requires the engine of a younger man, of fresher legs and a more youthful spark.
It doesn’t matter if it takes you one swift swing of the racquet or fifty exhausting shots all over the court, one point is one point, and Nadal has earned his share of honest ones.
Compared to his main rival, Roger Federer, points are hard for Nadal, and despite having the wood on the Swiss maestro throughout their careers, he might not have the longevity.
Being nearly five years his senior, Roger Federer has maintained incredible form throughout his 30s, with Grand Slam final appearances at Wimbledon and the US Open last year as a 34-year-old father of four.
His style oozes efficiency. Timing, precision and feel is the foundation of Federer’s game, and it’s one proving to be effective despite losing half a step around the court and some sting in his shots.
Their difference in age has been whittled down over the years, each match sapping more from Nadal’s tank, proving harder on his joints, wearing heavier on his mind.
No matter the struggle, the gladiator we know Nadal is will trudge on. Given his track record of fighting back from career lows, Nadal is the man for the job if there is an answer to his slide.
One of the greatest players of all-time and a precocious talent from a young age, Nadal has always played beyond his years anyway.
I for one, hope he can rise again in 2016.
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