Nadal has more bite than before
was not injuries, physical injuries. It was mental injury. After a couple of years without competing at this very high level, I’m very happy to be back and it’s an emotional year.”
The year also marked a turning point in Nadal’s career. Sunday night was the last time Uncle Toni, Nadal’s coach for the past 28 years, would sit in the box to advise his nephew.
Carlos Moya is now charged with that role and the former French Open champion and world No1 has plans for a long career ahead of him.
Provided he can stay injury-free, Nadal is looking at many more years of success and Moya believes the resurgent Federer is the key to that potential success.
“They make each other better,” said Moya. “For Rafa, having that challenge, it’s something that makes you evolve, makes you improve.
“We will try to look at some of the things that Federer is doing, because what he has done this year at 36 is unbelievable. Federer is a guy you can learn a lot from.” Older, wiser and better than ever, Nadal is still improving and developing. And given that he won his first Major title aged only 19, he was pretty good to begin with.
Moya said: “Rafa probably understands the game better now than when he was 20.
“Understanding the game, it’s key. Probably he is a bit slower than he was, but he understands, he anticipates, he plays the shot because he knows what is the next shot he wants to hit, and that’s like a chess game. He is trying to evolve from that – and he is doing it.”
Nadal did it again on Sunday night and, if he can stay healthy, he has plans to do it many more times in 2018.