One of the funniest videos making the rounds on social media this week was of Rafael Nadal joking with his Indian Aces teammates in the Manila leg of the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) about how the rapid format of the event is not allowing him to go through his typical routines on court.
“I’m lost, I don’t have my rituals,” Nadal said with a laugh. His team-mate, doubles specialist Rohan Bopanna, told him: “You’re playing great without the rituals. Maybe 2016 is the change.”
A popular feature of the IPTL, which is currently in its second season, are the snippets fans get to see of the interactions between players during timeouts, between sets and after matches.
Viewers rarely get to see that much personality from the stars, who are typically focused during their clashes year-round, and barring a fist pump or a ‘Vamos/Ajde/Pojd/Come on’ here and there, it’s all strictly business on the ATP and WTA tours.
The IPTL on the other hand is essentially one highlight reel after the other. It is every GIF-maker’s dream come true and each moment is a Vine video just waiting to happen. But besides the fun, banter and behind-the-scenes access, IPTL could end up proving more important to the players than initially anticipated.
Nadal made his debut this week in the league as he was forced to pull out last season to have an appendectomy. The Spanish world No. 5 is renowned for his slow-paced play in matches as he goes through a series of quirky routines before hitting every serve and he often gets penalised for taking more time than he should.
Fast play is a key feature in the IPTL and there is a shot clock that counts down 20 seconds for each serve and it starts buzzing when it comes down to the final seconds. If a player runs out of time, he or she loses a point. Surely that is something Nadal can benefit from.
While a mere six days of IPTL play can hardly change a person’s deep-rooted habits, it could perhaps open Nadal’s mind to the idea of serving faster – something he has admittedly been trying to work on but has yet to make real progress in.
Another advantage of the IPTL players can capitalise on is the relationships formed between team-mates. Many tennis players often give you the sense that they generally just need to lighten up.
Talk of the locker room being a place devoid of friendships is common amongst the players, and the success of the IPTL so far is proof enough that both players and fans alike are really craving that kind of interaction among them.
We’ve seen how season one led someone like Goran Ivanisevic to strike up a friendship with his then UAE Royals team-mate Malek Jaziri and offer him free coaching during the Australian Open. That is just one example of how this league can create special and lasting relationships.
Plenty has been said of the drawbacks of players taking part in the IPTL but the way things have been going so far, it looks like there is also lots to gain.
