Rafael Nadal looked the saddest he’s looked in a press conference in a long time after he lost to Dustin Brown in the second round on Thursday.
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In his own words, he was “ready to compete”. There were no knee problems, no backache – he even had a title on grass under his belt to, theoretically, give him confidence. Yet somehow the result was similar to his previous three attempts at Wimbledon – an early loss to a player ranked 100 or lower.
Granted, Brown is a bad match-up for Nadal on grass. The Spaniard had already lost to him before on that surface, in Halle last year, but to succumb like that at Wimbledon – a place where Nadal has made five consecutive finals in the past, picking up two titles – was definitely a shocker.
There was a time when Nadal was considered one of the best returners in the game, along with the likes of Andy Murray and David Ferrer. The fact that he has been outplayed by big servers at Wimbledon in recent years means such players step on the court against him now knowing they are more than likely to get a win.
But the lack of confidence is what is most alarming for Nadal. How can a 14-time major champion look so shaky and defeated on a court that has given him so much success in the past? Both John McEnroe and Tim Henman have suggested that Nadal needs to hire a new coach, the former saying he should replace his uncle Toni, and the latter saying an extra voice in the Rafa camp would help.
Before talking about a coaching shake-up it is important to pinpoint where Rafa’s problems truly lie. Is it more mental or has his game become too predictable? Nadal does not appear to lack any motivation in terms of putting in the hours on the court – he was doing two practices a day at Aorangi Park earlier this week – but so far his efforts have not really paid off this season.
He remains indecisive at crucial moments during matches, his forehand gets shorter and shorter as he feels the pressure on court, and the results have not been nearly as good as his previous campaigns.
Nadal is a firm believer in working harder, hitting more forehands, spending more hours on the court. But this seems like a situation that will not be solved by repeating the same thing over and over again.
He keeps dismissing any talk about hiring a sports psychologist. Maybe hiring an ex-champion is the way to go. Maybe he needs to talk to someone who has been in a similar situation before.
However, the problem with bringing in someone new for Rafa is that the Mallorcan is so particular in everything he does. He’s worked with the same people most of his life, has the same rituals on court, and is borderline OCD. It would be a huge change for him if he were to add another coach and let someone else in.
It would have to be someone close to him, someone like Carlos Moya who has mentored him, or someone he has looked up to, just as Roger Federer did to Stefan Edberg.
An expert opinion does seem like the way to go for now but only Rafa can decide whether he feels it will be beneficial. One thing is clear: the 29-year-old must do something if he wishes to get his hands on a grand slam trophy once again.
