Rafael Nadal, the Spanish tennis player, recently shared his thoughts on the current state of tennis and highlighted his concerns regarding the use of power and lack of strategic play among modern players.
Rafael Nadal is playing at the 2024 Brisbane International after being sidelined for the entire 2023 season due to surgery and recovery. He has played impressive tennis so far defeating 2020 US Open winner Dominic Thiem and local boy Jason Kubler on his way to the quarterfinals.
WHAT A REVERSE SMASH FROM RAFAEL NADAL! 💥👏 pic.twitter.com/wUPTP82kdm
— Olly 🎾🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) January 4, 2024
In a recent interview, Nadal who has played professional tennis for more than two decades, highlighted his concern about the direction in which tennis has evolved.
He criticized the current trend of players relying on powerful shots without much thinking or preparation. According to Nadal, the game has shifted towards a more aggressive and less tactical approach, with many players adopting similar playing styles.
“It has evolved into a tennis of hitting harder, of hitting without thinking. It does not require point preparation to find the winning shot. Most of them play similarly. I don’t like it. I like the tactics.”
-Rafael Nadal in an interview with El Pais
Holger Rune’s top seeding pales in comparison to Rafael Nadal’s presence at Brisbane International
Holger Rune is the top seed at the 2024 Brisbane International and is displaying a strong performance in the tournament. He has made it to the semifinals by defeating James Duckworth in the quarterfinals.
In his post-match interview, he mentioned that he doesn’t feel like the top seed in the presence of the 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal.
“When you step on court you don’t really think about it. It’s a nice feeling…. obviously, it’s tough to call me the 1st seed when Rafa is here.”
Rafael Nadal is giving a tough time to his opponents on his return to action after a year at the 2024 Brisbane International and has made it to the semifinals defeating Australian tennis player Jordan Thompson in the semifinal.
20-year-old Holger Rune will next face Russia’s Roman Safiullin for a spot in the final.
