Efficiency The Key To Nadal's US Open Success

One of the virtues of an all-time great is the ability to constantly evolve, to understand the importance of always growing. That isn't always as easy as it sounds, as successful athletes might shun change or be prone to doing what they felt got them to the top in the first place.

Rafael Nadal understands the concept of development, and how his own evolution has led to success. The World No. 2 has always been dominant on clay but has managed to thrive on all surfaces over the years.

He currently holds the best victory percentage on hard court this season with 17 match wins against two losses for a success rate of 89.5 per cent. The player who defeated Nadal in both cases went on to win the event title: In the final of the Australian Open, Novak Djokovic claimed the crown, while Nick Kyrgios went on to lift the trophy in Acapulco after defeating the Spaniard in the second round.

Apart from those two losses, however, Nadal's hard-court record this year has been impeccable. In March, he reached the semi-finals of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells without dropping a set before withdrawing (knee) ahead of a semi-final showdown against Roger Federer.

Then in August, the 33-year-old Nadal earned a record-extending 35th ATP Masters 1000 title by brushing aside Russian Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-0 in the final of the Coupe Rogers at Montreal. Now, the 18-time Grand Slam champion is into the fourth round of the US Open after defeating Hyeon Chung 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday.

Through the first three rounds, the three-time US Open champion has spent just four hours and seven minutes on court. In the first round, he defeated 2018 US Open quarter-finalist John Millman 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 and advanced to the third round after Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis was forced to pull out due to a shoulder injury. The walkover marked the first time in 304 Grand Slam matches that Nadal advanced to the next round of a major without having to play a point.

“We found out [about Kokkinakis' withdrawal] an hour before the match was to begin,” coach Carlos Moya explained to ATPTour.com. “We took it as a rest day. In my opinion, the less time Rafa spends on the court, the better. It's a pity how his opponent exited the tournament, but it's part of the game. We've been through that, having to lose that way, so we know what it feels like. These things happen; you just have to move on.”

Kokkinakis' loss is Nadal's gain and the walkover serves to reinforce the Spaniard's emphasis on spending less time on court by any means possible. Saturday’s win over Chung was another lesson in efficiency: The Spaniard needed just over two hours to dispatch Chung, who, between qualifying and main draw matches, spent more than 12 hours on court in Flushing Meadows. Moya said there's a direct correlation between Nadal's success on hard court and his efficient style of play on the surface.

Watch Highlights Of Nadal Vs. Chung

“His game has evolved,” Moya explained. “It's hard to say if he's a better player than before, because he's won so many Grand Slams over the years. But I do think he’s matured into a more efficient player.”

That highly efficient style of play, according to Moya, also serves as the basis for their training. “We're training fewer hours, and he's obtaining similar gains from our regimen. On top of that, when he steps on the court, his matches are shorter, and the points are less drawn out. We have the stats to back this statement.”

Much of what Moya emphasised echoes what fellow coach Francis Roig stressed to ATPTour.com ahead of Nadal's first-round match at the US Open:

“Rafa is feeling more complete now on the faster hard courts. He has much more confidence in his serve and has managed to boost the speed of both his first and second serves. This affords him many 'easy' points. He's also improved his all-court game and feels more sure of himself when approaching the net and volleying,” Roig said.

“Another aspect where he's improved is on the backhand side. These days, he's more assertive with that shot and isn't afraid to step into the court with an approach shot on that side. Whereas he once backed off attacking shorter balls, he's now more poised and sees those shots as opportunities to end the point.”

Read More: Roig: 'Rafa Has Found His Footing On Faster Surfaces'

Moya expanded on Roig's final statement: “Increasingly, Rafa is doing a better job in those shorter rallies, which are what dominate today's tennis. We've worked hard to improve on that. His serve is on point as well, and that affords him some comfort. We're trying to make his service games a lock and his serve a pillar to build around. We want to make it very difficult to break [him] so he can focus his efforts on other aspects throughout the match. He's put in a lot of time on the practice court to make this happen.”

Moya might be the most recent addition to Nadal's team after joining the coaching staff in 2017, but he was very familiar with his charge's progress and maturation over the years and his insight is highly respected. Even as an insider, the former World No. 1 is hesitant to compare previous incarnations of Nadal with the player he coaches today.

“It's hard for me to draw comparisons, because I used to be on the outside looking in, and now I'm part of the inner circle,” Moya said. “Francis [Roig] is a more authoritative voice and better equipped to assess Rafa's evolution because he has been with him every season since 2005. What I can say is that it isn’t possible for Rafa to play the same game he did when he was 20 years old. I can also say he’s grown into a perennial contender and must be considered a favourite, no matter the event or surface.

“Clay is still Rafa's turf, but he can hardly be labeled a 'specialist'. That's one area where you can say he's 'better' – he has blossomed into one of the most well-rounded players. He wasn't this complete of a product when he was 20 years old.”

With the exception of Acapulco, Nadal has reached the last four in every event he has played this season for a total of nine semi-final appearances in 2019, launching him to first place in the ATP Race To London.

See Who's Chasing Nadal In The ATP Race To London

“I think he's constantly improving. He's made the semi-finals or better at every event he's entered as of late,” Moya said. “That reflects the hard work he has put into practice and the lengths we've gone to minimise the amount of energy he spends on the court. Essentially, he's putting every effort on the practice court in order to find ways to limit the time he spends competing during matches.”

To get an idea of the progress Nadal has made and the concerted effort he and his team are making to reduce the length of his matches, one only must look at his most recent title run at the Coupe Rogers in Montreal.

In 2018, Nadal needed nine hours, 14 minutes in five matches to lift the title. This year, he got the job done in six hours, 49 minutes (although he played one fewer match after Gael Monfils was forced to pull out of their semi-final because of an ankle injury).

After three matches at the US Open, does Moya feel his pupil is meeting expectations?

“Rafa's debut was against an awkward opponent [Millman] and he solved him easily,” Moya said. “Right now, Rafa's healthy, confident and playing well. We try to look only at what is on hand, try to do everything 100 per cent and in that regard, we're doing a fine job. But we take it match-by-match.”

That next match in Nadal’s quest for a fourth US Open crown comes against 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic on Monday for a place in the quarter-finals.