By Cheryl Jones
Spanish player, Rafael Nadal has taken a bite out of the Coupe des Mousquetaires nine times. Friday of the first week of Roland Garros showcased him in Courte Philippe Chatrier as the second match of the sultry, almost rainy day in Paris. He was on autopilot as he crushed his opponent, Nikoloz Basilashvili, who is presently ranked 63, 6-0, 6-1, 6-0. It took just an hour and thirty minutes. It wasn’t really such a quick match and it’s a sure thing that Basilashvili didn’t think it was brief. The crowd went wild when Basilashvili finally eked out a game in the second set. If there were a prediction to be made after today’s match, it would be that Nadal looks good to take a bite out of the coupe once again this year.
Notable Coach Nick Bollettieri is not convinced however, or at least he wasn’t a few days ago. The last day of May, Bollettieri expounded on his opinion of Nadal’s chances of taking home yet another trophy in Paris. At eighty-five, Bollettieri may understand a bit more about aging than most of us, but he may not understand Nadal’s passion for tennis. From the age of four, coached by dependable Uncle Toni, Rafael Nadal has breathed tennis. He still does.
Bollettieri actually said, “I watched Nadal practice and he is hitting the ball hard. I saw him hitting the ball much flatter, which can make it more difficult for opponents. I saw him coming forward and going for big forehands. The only question mark I would have over Nadal would be how he might cope with playing seven matches over the best of five sets. He’s not a young guy any more.”
As Bollettieri said, he really isn’t a young guy in the world of professional tennis. But, I would add a caveat. Nadal moves like a youngster. Watching him flit around the court, it is clear he has the energy and stamina of a racehorse – well, maybe a rabbit, but he can still move like a young man. He’s not exactly Energizer bunny-like, but he has always been quick on the court. And this year, up to now, he has only played three sets apiece to vanquish his opponents. (He defeated Frenchman, Benoit Paire in the first round 6-1, 6-4, 6-1; and in the second, he sent The Netherlands’ Robin Haase back to Holland, 6-1, 6-4, 6-3.)
When Nadal first arrived on the professional tennis scene in 2003, he spoke very little English, (except for his famous – “No?”). He was manly muscled and he was only 17. He’s turns thirty-one today and his English vocabulary has expanded greatly. He hasn’t purged the “No?” from his vocabulary. His body actually looks a bit different these days. Gone are the overly toned muscles that were visible today as he removed his perspiration-dampened shirt during a changeover. (Though the crowd whistled and cheered, his ribs were visible and his upper arms appeared to have less circumference. It appears that he isn’t working on the same fitness regimen as in the past. Now he may be going for speed. It must be easier moving about the court with his more svelte and sleek body.)
There’s always been something boyish about Nadal. He has a self-effacing visage that is likely because he is shy. He tends to smile and nod a good deal, not because he doesn’t understand what’s going on, but because it may be difficult to come to terms with his fame.
After the match, he was asked about his point of view of his afternoon’s play and the intensity of his shots. He said, “I think I played great. Was my feeling, no?” The answer to his “no” this time, is, “YES”. He was never in any danger of falling behind his opponent. He was fluid and confident, even though his well-known tics were definitely all there. His water bottles were aligned perfectly; he tugged at his shorts and checked his hair often. He was the Nadal that we’ve all come to admire, even if no one can figure out why it is that he has to pull at the back of his shorts before every serve.
Last year, he had to withdraw and give a walk over to Marcel Granollers when he injured his wrist before the third round match. His match statistics here in Paris are otherworldly. He has a 74-2 match win-loss record. This was his one-hundredth best of five sets match on clay – a feat in and of itself. He has a 97-2 win-loss record on the surface. (Those two losses were to Robin Soderling in the round of 16 in 2009 and the quarterfinals in 2015 to Novak Djokovic.) Today was a good day for the Spaniard.
Today is his birthday and he will have a bit of time to celebrate with an off day. He was sure that a simple dinner with his family was all that might fit with his schedule. When asked about a celebration, he said, “Of course. This is Roland Garros. I will try perhaps to go out for dinner with my family. But it’s an important week for me here and I think I do need to remain focused above all.”
If the past is any indicator, focus he will, No?
