Written by Richard Pagliaro | @Itenisi_Manje | Monday, April 29, 2024
Few masters have used the power of prediction successfully Rafael Nadal.
From his ritualistic run back to square one after a coin toss, to his placing his bottle straight like a chess master placing a pawn in a frenzy of forehands crosscourt that can sweep even experienced opponents off the court, 14 times. The Roland Garros champion is the last player with the highest percentage.
Rafa Nadal: Not Fully Ready for Madrid, Will All Play Paris
These days, the clay king feels a little like the mercurial king.
The 36-year-old Spaniard says there is one unique key to his game: he is unpredictable.
“I'm a lot less predictable than I was,” Nadal told reporters in Madrid after his three-set win over Pedro Cachin. “I was not an unpredictable player. I was a very unpredictable player because I used to talk emotionally and at the level of talking about tennis.
“Building every day little by little but more or less stable, no? There is a difference. I am very unpredictable for the opponents but especially for me.”
The five-time Madrid champion scored his third straight win at the Mutua Madrid Open today. It is the first time Nadal has won three matches in a row since the 2022 US Open.
Now, Nadal will aim to summon chaos against the 30th-seeded Jiri Leheckawho beat the 22-year-old Grand Slam champion last week.
“I hope so [my level is higher], because I'm lost,” said Nadal about Lehecka. “But I don't know. Let's see. I can't predict what happens tomorrow, what will happen tomorrow, what level I will show tomorrow.”
Photo credit: Matteo Villalba/Getty
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