Rafael Nadal’s Return to Clay: A Promising Start at the Barcelona Open

On clay, he is in his natural element. So when Rafael Nadal easily got the better of Flavio Cobolli (6-2, 6-3) in the first round of the ATP 500 tournament in Barcelona, ​​it seemed obvious. But seeing the explosion of joy from his clan around his coach Carlos Moya, reality resurfaced: that of the doubts surrounding his ability to play at the highest level three months after his last appearance in Brisbane for his first match on ocher since… his 14th title at Roland-Garros in 2022.

“I’ve tried many times in my career to come back like that, but when you get older it makes it even more difficult. I’ve been through some tough times, but at the same time when I can train myself to new with my colleagues and lining up in a tournament, I still enjoy enough to continue playing”, savored the Mallorcan during his post-match interview on the court that bears his name.

Magic: Cornered at the baseline, Nadal releases an exceptional long-line forehand

I haven’t been able to serve for months, I have to do it carefully

Nevertheless, there is something fascinating about inflicting such a spanking on the 62nd player in the world – Nadal is only at 644th place in the ATP rankings this week – after having been deprived of competition for so long. The Mallorcan’s science of playing on clay, his ease in exploiting the entire geometry of the court using short crossed angles, his rounded and topspin shots give him a staggering margin over most of his opponents.

The Spanish legend crushed Cobolli when she was far from playing at 100% of her physical capacities, evidenced by some approximations of placement on the forehand and other slight difficulties in defensive races. The sector where his current weaknesses were the most glaring was the serve, as expected, with a slightly modified and simplified movement to spare his abdominals as much as possible. His fastest first was flashed at just 186 km/h, with an average speed around 170 km/h even if he was diligent about the placement of his balls.

“I haven’t been able to serve for months, and even if I want to, I’m going to use common sense and not serve like crazy,” the main person confirmed on Spanish television. serve with caution and the means of the moment When you come back to competition, after so many months of absence, you cannot ignore the doubts on the physical level. Overall, it was a good first round and he did. mistakes. I played with what I could control.”

A powerful backhand and a delicate touch: Nadal is already delighting for his return

I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep up with De Minaur’s pace

Moreover, Nadal, who is not the type to get excited, wanted to put the scale of his victory into perspective on the scoreboard at a press conference. Not out of excess humility, but out of awareness that his young opponent did not give his full measure this Tuesday either. Visibly impressed by the context and what the Majorcan represents, Cobolli overplayed, looking for the winning shot too quickly and committing no less than 41 unforced errors. The Italian largely participated in digging his own grave.

“I come out of this match with a slight confidence in my ability to be competitive, although my opponent made a lot of mistakes, he explained. My level was logical, I was not surprised. I will have to do more tomorrow (Wednesday) against a top player It’s stupid to think that I’m the favorite this week. Everyone knows that I’m not yet the favorite to win a tournament, but I have a story behind me that counts. . Maybe it played a role in today’s match, but it won’t be the case tomorrow, no.”

For now, Nadal therefore refuses to plan ahead. He has come too far to put the cart before the horse and express excessive ambitions. Playing and winning this resumption match is a first step. There will be many more to overcome if he wants to dream bigger. Facing a Top 10 player – De Minaur is 11th but has recently been in the top ten – is the next challenge awaiting him. Whatever the result, he will have a clearer idea of ​​his current level.

“I’m not at a stage where I can allow myself to analyze things too much from a tactical or technical point of view,” he insisted on Spanish television. “If I build up confidence, I I’ll be able to think about what’s next. I’m trying to adapt to what I have and play with the best competitive spirit possible. I don’t know how I’ll approach the match. It’s difficult to anticipate things because I’m like in a jungle: you never know what you can find in terms of physical level. I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep up with him.”

2024-04-16 18:49:00
#ATP #Barcelona #Rafael #Nadal #satisfied #cautious #stupid #favorite #week