USA TODAY International Edition
Nadal driven to return to top
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA There is no clouding Rafael Nadal’s vision, which is a truth that those who know the 30- year- old Spaniard wouldn’t hesitate to confirm.
While some pro athletes will do their best to always paint their picture with at least shades of gray, Nadal elects to see his career with the good and the bad — brush strokes of black and white.
For instance, there are players who would attempt to explain being ranked No. 9 is really not that different from being No. 1.
Not Nadal. He doesn’t play those games.
“It makes a difference,” Nadal said after opening his quest for a second Australian Open title with a 6- 3, 6- 4, 6- 4 win against Florian Mayer of Germany on Tuesday. “It’s much better to be No. 1 than No. 9 — it’s no question about that.
“But I am No. 9 today. That’s just the real thing. Today I’m the ninth player of the world. I am going to fight not to be worse, and I’m going to fight to again be better. I feel that if I am playing well and I am healthy, I think I can be much better.”
When asked questions about his expectations for the Australian Open and this year, he didn’t respond by saying everything was fine or guaranteed to go well. Instead, he relays the element he needs most to turn this, one of his umpteenth comebacks from an injury, into a success.
“It’s about getting back the confidence,” said Nadal, who, because of a left wrist injury, was limited to playing sporadically for three- quarters of last year.
“When you are playing and playing and winning matches, then you have things that come very automatic. You don’t think much about the things that are happening or the way that you played points. When you are out for a while, you need to recover all these automatic things that make you play easier.”
Nadal finally called his 2016 season after a first- round loss in October in Shanghai but feels fortunate to have healed quickly enough to have had a complete offseason of training. As always, his Uncle Toni remains the chief architect of his career, but good friend, former Grand Slam tournament champion and fellow Majorcan Carlos Moya has joined his coaching squad for this year.
Having opened this season with a quarterfinal showing in Brisbane, Nadal was comfortable with the straightforward performance against Mayer. The key to his first- round victory was his ground strokes flowing freely, giv- ing him the confidence to serve well. He never offered Mayer a break point in the match.
“I am happy the way I am playing,” Nadal said. “It was great to be back on the big stadium. I feel the support of the people, love the people. That is something that is very special for me.”
Nadal owns 14 Grand Slam titles but only one from Melbourne Park, which came with a final defeat against Roger Federer in 2009. To win this year would require overcoming hurdles, starting with the fact he hasn’t won a hardcourt trophy since winning in Doha in January 2014.
For Nadal, showing up to play is all about being competitive. If he thinks he can fight, he’s happy to try. If he didn’t feel that way, he insisted, “I will be probably playing golf or fishing at home.”
Nadal’s passion for fishing isn’t really about reeling in a big catch like he used to regularly reel in tennis titles, though it’s worth noting he did win two of his 69 titles last year. Fishing is more about the atmosphere surrounding the pastime.
“I think ( fishing) is a full package,” Nadal said. “I love the sea. I am from an island. It’s about going out with the boat, be in the middle of the sea. I love to be a little bit away. I relax myself.”
When on the boat, though, Nadal isn’t taking time to reflect on his stellar tennis achievements. After all, that would defeat the point of getting away from it all.
“I am not a person that thinks much about what happened or what didn’t happen or what could happen,” he said. “I’m happy about the things that happened to me during my life. Great family around. Great people around. A lot of friends. Tennis career better than I ever dreamed. I am a person who tries to enjoy the moment.”