Jannik Sinner: Toni Nadal Sounds the Alarm: “Even More”
Toni Nadal spoke to “El País” about Zverev’s triumph at the U.S. Open: “Last Saturday, the day before the final between Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton, some coaches from Rafael’s Academy and I tried to figure out which outcome would be most favorable to the interests of Spanish tennis. Especially for Carlos Alcaraz, but of course also for Rafa Jódar.”
“I remember how Stanislas Wawrinka’s victory at the 2014 Australian Open changed the Swiss player’s perception of himself, transforming him from that moment on into a much more dangerous opponent for his rivals. Today we know that the winner of this U.S. Open was the German, but if the title had gone to the young American, the same thing would likely have happened. Given his age—just one year older than Carlos—he would have become one of Carlos’s main rivals, a situation that presumably would have lasted throughout both of their careers. Since this did not happen—at least for now—it remains mere speculation, but it’s easy to assume that Shelton will have new opportunities that prevent us from completely ruling out our hypothesis.”
“We saw once again on Sunday, through Sascha Zverev’s performance, the calmness and self-confidence that comes with winning one of the four Grand Slam tournaments. His triumph at the most recent French Open has transformed him into a different player. He has gone from being a player who felt overwhelmed by the pressure in these types of tournaments—to the point of being unable to demonstrate his potential—to being able to show his best form. Following his success in Paris, he also had his best Wimbledon ever, losing only to world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in a hard-fought final.”
“In New York, he once again showed us his best side. While it’s true that he started the tournament with some doubts—securing hard-fought victories in the first two rounds, both of which went to five sets—as the matches progressed, he gradually regained his composure on the court and raised his level of play, ultimately securing a fairly decisive victory over Shelton. Backed by a powerful serve, he was able to employ the right tactics at every moment. He alternated aggressive shots from the baseline with longer rallies, and when he decided to come to the net, he was almost always decisive. Added to all this is the fact that he managed his nerves well throughout the match, never lost his focus, and handled the pressure perfectly during the most challenging moments of the match.”
“In tennis, many coaches advise their players to try not to focus on the score, to play the current point by isolating themselves from what happened in the previous one, and not to make too many assumptions about what will happen next. In the final—in what I would call a curious episode if it weren’t for the fact that the footage is making its way around the world—we saw the German take these principles to their extreme, to the point where the unusual situation arose in which he won the tournament without even realizing it. After hitting a winning serve and clinching the final point of the match, he made no celebratory gesture and went to return the ball, convinced that the match wasn’t over yet. It was the crowd’s reaction that prompted him to look at the scoreboard and realize he had just become the new champion.”
“This second Grand Slam title will allow Zverev to openly contend for the No. 1 ranking at the end of the season, as well as providing a further boost to his career. Something that, in my opinion, will bring him even closer to his main rivals: Alcaraz and Sinner,” he concluded.
