How to Prepare the Ultimate Overdog on Clay for One Last Stand as an Underdog?
This was not an easy topic even before Nadal drew the 2024 Masters Rome champion and #4 seed Alexander “Sascha” Zverev. Rafa appeared likely to hit a unique 15-Love in Paris when he won his 14th French Open title in 2022. Injuries and time have made that dream seem far-fetched in May 2024. The draw gods did Rafa no favors either (or did they?*).
Survive and Advance
Even before the draw was released, Nadal seemingly had one path to follow at this edition of the French Open – take it one match at a time. Gone are the days when he could pencil himself into the quarter or semifinal round of any clay court event.
I don’t think Rafa ever took matches for granted, and that is one of the things that makes him so special as a competitor and athlete, but his physicality, massive topspin, speed, and left-handedness had him outclassing nearly everyone on clay for the better part of 20-years.
Grand Slam tournaments with days off between matches give Rafa and his team a lot of time to patch him back together between matches. He has won individual matches in his 2024 clay court swing only to look like a shell of himself in the next round. He has to put all of that aside and trust his team and the day off getting him to a point where he can compete again. Win one match. That has to be his mantra.
Selective Memory
It cannot be easy for Rafa to put 14 championships into the back of his mind as he approaches any round of this French Open. But he generally won either due to being too good for his opponent on a given day or due to being to physically and mentally tiring for an opponent who hung around for 2 or 3 sets to realistically hang around for 4 or 5 sets. The path to victory of being the hardest challenge in tennis is likely closed. Rafa has to just defeat the person standing on the other side of the net and not expect history, an aura, or his mental and physical career near invulnerability in Paris to win. If bonus errors come his way from someone being overawed, so much the better for Nadal. He cannot count on that lasting for 3 sets won.
Let the Crowd Help
Jimmy Connors and Rafa Nadal are both known for stretching time limits in tennis. I do not recommend blatantly ignoring rules, but if a magical point occurs, reminding the crowd of days of yore, let the crowd cheer as long as it wants to cheer. The crowd will want Rafa to play as long as he can because a champion who once seemed inevitable at Roland Garros is moving into history.
Enjoy and Set the Stage
Rafa is unlikely to win Roland Garros 2024. Andy Roddick said, “Bet against greatness at your own peril.” while also noting that Nadal is near the end. Rafa can trust his medical team to get him ready for as many matches as he may play, and it may just be one, play as smart and hard as he can, and let the tournament unfold. Three out of five sets is not ideal for what he is trying to accomplish, but having a day off between matches may be an X factor that lets him spring an upset and get relatively healthy for the next round. If he doesn’t get in momentum’s way, the crowd, nostalgia, and a little luck could carry him to a memorable Roland Garros 2024. Enjoying the run, whatever path it takes, is something Rafa has earned.
* The draw gods gave Rafa an in-form, healthy, big-hitting, 4th seed in the first round. Zverev has been in a major final and won a gold medal. Mentally, he shouldn’t be as bothered by being the guy who could end Rafa’s French Open career as a journeyman would be. Still, if you beat the seed, you become the seed. The path of the 4th seed is in front of Rafa if he can win 3 sets in the first round. He is an underdog. Zverev looked strong versus Rafa in the 2022 semifinal round before his serious ankle injury and match retirement occurred. If Rafa loses standing on his feet against an elite player, I think he can live with that. If he wins, he gets a day off and a favorable draw plus some serious momentum from a crowd that is waiting for a reason to urge him forward. The guy who never needed anything to motivate him to go beyond his limits now has a seemingly insurmountable challenge and a crowd ready for one last run. I’d love to sit in his coaching box for that situation.
Tennis Abides: Dan Martin on Tennis and Life 