Rafael Nadal: Will Talent Return Him to Multi-Surface Slams and No. 1 Ranking?

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at Internationaled.org

Published: March 11, 2013

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Rafael Nadal’s 7-6, 6-2 win over Ryan Harrison at Indian Wells may have been more than a successful return to hard courts. It’s a window into his ambitions to return to full strength on the ATP tour and recapture his No. 1 ranking.

Immediately after Nadal finished off Harrison, ESPN commentator Patrick McEnroe initiated the telecast postmatch analysis by saying Nadal’s strong second-set finish was because of his talent. By the time, Nadal had shed his wet aqua shirt and zipped up his jacket, it was clear that the most important part of his talent had just been displayed.

 

Talent is Not Enough

Special champions are greater than their arsenal of skills. For Nadal, his Grand Slam success cannot simply be explained by gyrating topspin or clay-court skating. Nadal stated in his autobiography, Rafa (written with John Carlin), page 234, that greatness must come through dedication:

Talent alone won’t get you through. That’s just the first building block, on top of which you must pile relentlessly repetitive work in the gym, work on the courts, work studying videos of yourself and your opponents in action, always striving to get fitter, better, cleverer.

This was a more trimmed-down Nadal on Saturday night, urging on his body and gimpy knees after nearly a decade of professional grinding. He looked a little less confident with his movement than he did at clay-court Acapulco just a week ago



Many tennis fans are surprised Nadal even showed up at Indian Wells, theorizing that the Spaniard would be better off sticking to his beloved red clay and ensuring his own optimum health as he works his way back to top form.

But he is seeking to get fitter, better and cleverer. He did not try to slide into any shots on the dark blue hard courts, but his scrambling footwork controlled the match by hitting more winners, 25-14, than Harrison. Most impor...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Tennis

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