Roger Federer’s former coach Paul Annacone identified something Rafael Nadal struggles with when he has had a lack of matches.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion played the final match of his legendary career at the Davis Cup finals in Malaga.
Nadal took on Botic van de Zandschulp in the opening match of Spain’s quarter-final tie against The Netherlands.
His competitive spirit remained and there glimpses of Nadal at his best, but in the end Van de Zandschulp cemented a 6-4, 6-4 win, which contributed to his country’s 2-1 win to reach the Davis Cup semi-finals.
What does Roger Federer’s former coach Paul Annacone think Rafael Nadal struggles with?
Rafael Nadal entered his final Davis Cup tie and the last match of his career having not played a competitive match since the Paris Olympic Games.
That came against great rival Novak Djokovic, and the Serbian defeated Nadal 6-1, 6-4 in the second round, on the way to becoming Olympic champion.
His lack of matchplay showed against Botic Van de Zandschulp, who has been playing regularly and possesses some fierce groundstrokes.
Nadal used to be known for his ability to reach a high level so soon after returning from a long playoff, but now aged 38, father time has now caught up with him.
While assessing Nadal’s performance on Tennis Channel, Roger Federer’s former coach Paul Annacone explains what Nadal now has issues with when playing after a long time on the sidelines.
“He has been an icon. We saw the emotions as he was standing on court, being introduced beforehand, eyes well up and he played a guy who was very dangerous,” Annacone said.
“It was really tough if you haven’t played a bunch of matches to come out in this scenario on your least favourite surface against a guy that can play this offensive and take the racket out of your hand. We know what Rafa does when he hasn’t played a ton of matches. He hits the ball a little short, gets a bit spiny, and this is a guy who can take advantage of it and did.
“He played better from the middle of the set on, did Van De Zandschulp. We saw some really nice glimpses of Rafa, when he was down two breaks does he go away? Heck no guys.”
On X Annacone posted a message about Nadal after his retirement. “Legends too cannot beat Father Time, but they can sure wrestle them – thank you @RafaelNadal,” he wrote.
What did Roger Federer say about Rafael Nadal’s retirement?
Many of Nadal’s peers shared tributes and messages about his retirement from tennis. Perhaps the most emotional message came from Roger Federer, who was Nadal’s greatest rival and the pair have since become friends.
On Tuesday morning ahead of his final match, Federer posted a letter to Nadal on his social media accounts. An excerpt from it read: “Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me—a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no one else could.
“On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground. You made me reimagine my game—even going so far as to change the size of my racquet head, hoping for any edge.
“Twenty years later, Rafa, I have to say: What an incredible run you’ve had. Including 14 French Opens—historic! You made Spain proud… you made the whole tennis world proud. I just want to congratulate your family and team, who all played a massive role in your success.
“And I want you to know that your old friend is always cheering for you, and will be cheering just as loud for everything you do next. Best always, your fan, Roger.”
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