“He has become more and more aggressive,” renowned tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou points out 3 changes in Rafael Nadal’s game
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Rafael Nadal and Patrick Mouratoglou
Patrick Mouratoglou recently shared three improvements he believes Rafael Nadal has made to his game over the years on Instagram. The Spaniard would not have been the player he is now, according to the coach, if he had not altered his game to the changing circumstances.
“Rafa’s game has become more and more aggressive”- Patrick Mouratoglou
The 51-year-old highlighted the 21-time Grand Slam champion‘s tenacity as the first difference in his approach. When opposed to his early years, when he was comfortable playing in long rallies from the baseline, Mouratoglou noted that the Spaniard is much more combative these days. Rafael Nadal, according to the Frenchman, wants to keep the rallies as short as possible in order to conserve his stamina. “First, Rafa’s game has become more and more aggressive. Early in his career, he would win games by forcing long rallies from baseline,” Mouratoglou said. “Now he is looking to step inside the court more, take control of the points and shorten the rallies to conserve energy.”
After that, Patrick Mouratoglou focused on Rafael Nadal’s new first serve, which has evolved into a serious weapon. The former World No. 1 now puts more weight into his serve, giving him a greater force. “His serve went from a way to start the point to an actual weapon. He changed some elements in his technique which allowed him to gain more power. One of the biggest changes is improving his weight dispatch. [You can notice] how little his body was involved in the shot compared to how much he throws himself forward now,” Mouratoglou said. “He has also changed his trophy position, keeping his elbow higher and allowing his racquet to drop lower down his back for an increased whip-effect.”
Finally, Patrick Mouratoglou claimed that the World No. 4’s addition of the slice to his arsenal has made him a significantly more fearsome opponent on the court. The 51-year-old also mentioned how the Mallorcan used the drop shot to fool Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final, hinting that the Spaniard is always adding new weapons to his repertoire.
“Third, he has added a new shot to his game. In the Australian Open final, we saw him use the slice a lot to bring [Daniil] Medvedev to the net. He even used the drop shot to make him doubt,” Mouratoglou said. “Rafa has also improved his volley game, and now, you’ll see him come to the net. If he hadn’t made those changes, I believe that he wouldn’t be the player that he is today.”
Also Read: ‘He will win most Grand Slams in the history of tennis,’ Ronnie O’Sullivan makes a bold prediction in the GOAT race between Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic
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Pritha Ghosh
(414 Articles Published)