Rafael Nadal is famous for his top spin. It is a scientific fact that no star in the history of tennis has hit the ball with as much top spin as the raging bull from Mallorca. So it seems utterly bizarre that Nadal is seemingly unsatisfied with the amount of spin he is currently putting on his shots.
But that appears to be the case, as revealed by Nadal’s IPTL teammate Fabrice Santoro, according to the Frenchman, the fourteen-time Grand Slam champion is changing racquets with the intention of further crushing opponents with even more overwhelming top spin.
Wanting More
Santoro, the two-time doubles Grand Slam winner, joined Nadal on the Indian Aces during the IPTL. Nadal apparently, after trying out different racquets, has settled on the Babolat Pure Aero Play with a new set of strings. Why the change? Santoro revealed the terrifying reason.
“Nadal told me that he changed racquet in order to have more top spin. I asked him if he had not enough topspin and he replied that he had changed the ropes, especially to play the forehand with more top spin. He tries to push more with his forehand, even on hard court.”
Making Up for Lost Spin
The concept of Nadal wanting more top spin seems outrageous seeing as he already dominates opponents with unrivaled spin. But it is believed that Nadal is no longer the spin masters that he used to be.
Another former French pro, Sebastien Grosjean, put forth a theory as to why Nadal is determined to find a solution for more spin. Grosjean believes that, “Surely Rafa lost top spin because he wanted to improve on the hard courts. On these courts ball is less fast and he lost spin that was his strength. Maybe things will be different with these new ropes especially if he plays aggressive with the backhand.”
Grosjean could be right. Nadal was at his spinning best through the back-half of the 2000s. Even during his dominant 2010 season, he had flattened out his shots considerably, particularly at the US Open which he won on flat power. During his 2013 renaissance, he was striking the ball flatter than even. He dominated hard courts that year, but he has struggled on all surfaces since.
With Great Spin Comes Great Success
Returning to his heavy-spinning game seems like a logical move for Nadal, who has struggled the last two years, particularly in 2015 which saw him fail to win a Grand Slam for the first time in a decade.
Nadal’s spin based style, if we assume that he started to flatten out his strokes for good at the 2010 US Open, saw him win eight of his fourteen slams, more than half. He managed to win Wimbledon twice and the Australian Open, as well as his first five French Open titles, playing a brand of tennis based primarily on pushing opponents off the court with a heavy spin.
Nadal is currently look to return to his former glory with a bounce back 2016 season. Is there any better way than returning to the style that made him a legend in the first place? The idea of Nadal wanting more is a scary prospect for his opponents indeed.