During the Carlos Alcaraz vs Rafael Nadal match at the Netflix Slam 2024, 4-time Grand Slam champion and popular broadcaster, Jim Courier was full of praise for Carlos Moya. Carlos Moya, the former Spanish tennis star, is now the coach of Rafael Nadal since the last 7 years. Both the Spaniards have enjoyed great success together and Nadal has even taken his game to the next level.
Courier, who was commentating live on Netflix at the time, said that Carlos Moya has helped Rafael Nadal improve his serve , which was one of his weak links in the past. Now, Moya has incorporated a serve and volley tactic into Nadal’s gameplay which has made it easier for the Spaniard to win points. Earlier, Nadal’s game was mainly based around long rallies and a power game, where he used to grind out his opponents to win the point by trying to induce his opponents into making mistakes. However, now with his aging body, the Spanish superstar aims to serve more accurately even if the speed of it is lesser and looks to finish off points by coming forward to the net as much as possible, saving energy in the process.
Jim Courier described Rafael Nadal as a “serve manager” while commentating on his match. Early on in his career, the Spaniard’s game was more about working defensively and dominating in longer rallies. However, since Moya has taken over, Nadal has taken a more reserved approach and uses his serves to his advantage. The 22-time Grand Slam champion has been successful in his new service approach and has seen good results with it. Since the start of 2017, Nadal has won 8 Grand Slam finals and lost just 2 of them (2017 and 2019 Australian Open finals).
While under Toni Nadal, Rafael Nadal’s game was more based on endurance and mental toughness. The Spaniard used to play every point like it is his last, which is admirable but that often led to injuries. However, even with that ultra aggressive style, Nadal enjoyed a lot of success. Now, with Nadal in the twilight of his career, the focus has shifted on conserving his energy and capitalising on his service game.
Rafael Nadal Netflix Slam 2024 performance a positive sign
Rafael Nadal’s service game approach was on display in his Netflix Slam 2024 match against Carlos Alcaraz. The veteran Spaniard managed his serves well, as his opponent, Alcaraz fought for every point. Carlos Alcaraz has a lot of similarities in his game to a young Rafael Nadal as the 20-year-old plays an aggressive brand of tennis. However, despite his aging body and injury issues, Nadal played well to compete with Alcaraz.
Now, with Indian Wells and the clay season coming up, Rafael Nadal would hope for more success on court. The 37-year-old has only played four competitive games so far this year and hope to be fit for the coming weeks. Nadal is scheduled to play at Indian Wells 2024 on March 7 in the evening session.
