Andy Roddick has been assessing Rafael Nadal’s game, as he continues his comeback from injury.
The American has been vocal in his praise for the 22-time Grand Slam champion, naturally, for many years now.
But he finds new ways to stun onlookers, and his latest return from injury is doing just that, with yesterday a sparkling example of his timeless quality.
Roddick was left particularly impressed with how one shot has improved across a two-year period.
Andy Roddick assesses Rafael Nadal’s performance
Speaking on the Tennis Channel after his emphatic straight-sets win over Alex de Minaur, Roddick sought to get into the finer details of Nadal’s performance.
He wasted no time in brushing aside any romanticised tennis talk, instead praising the legendary veteran for the way he went about his business just days after he offered advice to his first-round opponent, Darwin Blanch.
The former world number one noted: ‘Let’s put the feels aside because we had all of them, so let’s put that on the side for a second.
‘But if Rafa is healthy he is the type of player who needs matches right? And simply, the more matches he gets, the better he’s going to be. The question is, will his body hold up? It has held up through the first two matches here.
‘The serve looked better than it’s looked in two years here today. He was actually able to find his spots, the second wasn’t hanging as much as it was last week. He’s not getting around and getting as many forehands as he normally does, obviously time is undefeated, but what he is doing… we saw in that highlight, he’s taking that backhand and just absolutely crushing it to the forehand side to create space.
‘If he can keep that one on radar lock and has his range, he’s going to be very difficult. This is fun.’
Rafael Nadal just needs minutes in the tank
Like Roddick says, Nadal is exactly the type of player who simply needs match-play minutes in the tank for him to progress.
The talent and quality he boasts, which is simply generational, will not have deserted him. The only thing that has, and has thus hampered his progress, is his fitness.
An inability to play for an extended period of time is certain to make any player rusty, let alone a 37-year-old.
But the Spaniard is simply not like everybody else, and the remarkable speed with which he has returned to form, brushing aside a top player like De Minaur, is outstanding.
Nadal just continues to find new and inspiring ways of shocking tennis fans, and should he maintain his fitness, the form should persist too.
If so, it could be lights out for the rest of the tour as they clay court season really kicks into gear.
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