'Rafael Nadal's style of play has always been based on...', says top coach

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"It's the biggest defeat I've ever suffered." These are the words that Taylor Fritz used to comment on the quarter-final he lost to Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon. In fact, the American found himself playing against an injured Spaniard, still haunted by his abdominal problem. Although his father and sister ordered him to retire from the box, the Grand Slam champion decided to continue the match and start the comeback. 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 was the final result, which gave the victory to the Iberian, who returns to the semifinals after the one they lost in 2019. The quarter-finals at Wimbledon were the third direct clash between Fritz and Nadal, the second in which the Spaniard was not in the best physical condition. Even in the final of the Indian Wells Masters 1000, in which the two faced off for the title, the Spaniard played with an injury: a stress fracture in the ribs that affected him throughout the match. The final victory, in that case, went to the landlord, winner of the first 1000 title of his career. The American number one, however, did not only play against an injured Rafa Nadal, but also with another former number one, in similar physical conditions, and even on that occasion, like at Wimbledon, he was defeated. At the 2021 Australian Open, Taylor Fritz faced title holder Novak Djokovic in the third round. The Serbian had gone through two sets, but a slip on the Melbourne sign on the pitch caused him an abdominal problem and made him miss the next two sets.

Uncle Toni comments on Rafa Nadal

Toni Nadal wrote a column in El Pais about his nephew's injury and fitness situation over the years. "The reality of my nephew, indeed, has been the one that I reminded my brother once when he told me that we rushed too many times: “If it hadn't been like that, Rafael Nadal would have lifted half of the Grand Slams he has”. He, of course, will not put his health at risk, as he has stated lately, but the fact is that he combines a set of characteristics that allow him to make the most of his worst circumstances," Toni Nadal said. The 61-year-old also said that Rafael Nadal cannot think of giving up in the face of difficulty because he is not used to it. "And finally, his style of play has always been based on finding solutions to change the trajectory of a match that is going uphill for him, whether the difficulties are caused by his opponents or by his own problems," Toni Nadal continued. "Rafael cannot think of giving up in the face of difficulty, simply because he is not used to it."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/EIC48aT

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