Nadal’s bid to banish his hard-court demons
Rafael Nadal and hard-courts have not gone well together in recent time. Prior to Monday, he has been forced to either withdraw or retire from 12 out of 13 hard court tournaments he had entered into. The only exception was the Rogers Cup, which he won last summer. His latest withdrawal was from Brisbane due to a strain in his thigh.
“It’s given me a lot of confidence. To be able to do it at my home in front of my friends and family, it’s always that much more special,” said Nadal.
“Coming in, it’s given me a lot of confidence. Hopefully I can just ride that momentum and keep playing some great tennis here in Melbourne.”
Nadal's last 13 hard court events:
Brisbane 18: Withdrew
Aus Open: Retired
Acapulco: Withdrew
Indian Wells: Withdrew
Miami: Withdrew
Toronto: Win
Cincinnati: Withdrew
US Open: Retired
Beijing: Withdrew
Shanghai: Withdrew
Paris: Withdrew
ATP Finals: Withdrew
Brisbane 19: Withdrew— Stuart Fraser (@stu_fraser) January 2, 2019
The 11-time French Open champion is hoping to get back on track with the help of a new service motion. It will be the first time he has tested the new serve in a competition, but his team insists that it is worth the risk.
“We’re looking to maximise damage from the onset, and one way to do that is with a faster, more aggressive serve,” coach Carlos Moya told atptour.com
“His serve maintains speed now after making contact with the court, making it that much more potent.”
Nadal won the Australian Open once before, which was back in 2009.
