The Struggle

In the summer of 2012, Rafael Nadal suffered his worst ever loss at a Grand Slam, falling to Lukas Rosol in the second round of Wimbledon. The Spaniard didn't play any matches on tour for over seven months, citing tendonitis of the knee. Many speculated that Rafa's career was over, or that he would never be back to his best. His 2013 season, or as it's appropriately called 'The Comeback Year', was arguably the best of his career as he reached the top of mens tennis once more, and dominated many of the majors tournaments. It was an emotional comeback for the Spaniard, as he won 10 titles altogether, including two Slams and five Masters titles.

One of the most, if not the most, impressive segments of his comeback year was his performance during the North American hard-court season, the Masters tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati, and the final slam of the year, the US Open. Nadal, nicknamed the 'King of Clay', has always been the most dominant on the dirt, but he won the entire hard court swing, playing some of the best and most aggressive tennis of his career.

The Hard Court Resurrection

Rafa began his August of 2013 in Montreal at the Rogers Cup. The Spaniard won his third title in Canada, beating Raonic and Djokovic along the way, and dropping just one set. The following week, Nadal made his way to Cincinnati, where he had never won a title before. In one of the most hard-fought victories of his year, Nadal beat Federer, Dimitrov, Berdych and Isner back-to-back to win his 26th Masters title. Rafa was not only coming into the last Grand Slam of the year playing some of his best tennis, but his confidence was at an all-time high.

Rafa had won the US Open once before, in 2010, which was the last major he needed to complete his career Grand Slam. Three years later he was back in New York ready to compete for his second, and solidify his comeback. Nadal cruised through the first three rounds without dropping a set to Harrison, Dutra Silva or Dodig. He came through a four-setter against Kohlschreiber, then cruised past Robredo to find himself in another semifinal in the 'Big Apple.' Rafa defeated Richard Gasquet to set up yet another edition of the epic Nadal-Djokovic rivalry in the final.

After a tough four set battle against the world number one, Rafa fell to the ground, having won his 13th Grand Slam title, and capping off his phenomenal comeback season.

Why Was He So Successful?

Rafa's strategy on the hard courts used to be very similar to that on his beloved clay. He would simply sit back behind the baseline and wait for opportunities to create winners, staying very much on the defensive. That always worked until he came up against some of the best hard court players, such as Djokovic. During his 2013 hard court campaign, he changed things up. His serve was stronger, heavier and more reliable. He also mixed it up on the return and had a larger variety of approaches. On top of all of that, he was incredibly aggressive. His outlook was complex, but it's effectiveness was clear.

Nadal was unbeaten on hard courts in 2013 post-US Open, and Djokovic said that he was playing the best hard court tennis of his career. It was the perfect ending to a spectacular comeback for the Spaniard, and the most impressive thing about it, nobody expected him to make the impact that he did.

Since then, Rafa's only won one Grand Slam title, and hasn't matched the level he displayed during the hard court season back in 2013. His struggles over the past year are infamous, and as he potentially declines, the rest of the players in the field are getting stronger. It'll be very difficult for him to replicate a dominant sweep again, but it's not impossible. Nadal changed major aspects of his game on both serve and return to achieve the results that he did a couple of years ago, and there's nothing saying he can't do that again. Regardless of what happens during the rest of his career, or during next months US Open, Rafa will always have the memories and the trophies to prove his perfect end to an even more perfect season.

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