Here's what Rafael Nadal said about his serving motion
What's the story
World number two Rafael Nadal has endured a troubled season on clay this year. While critics blamed his gameplay, a few also noted that his serve was not at its best. Meanwhile, Nadal has claimed that instead of the power serve, like the one he used during the Australian Open, he is back to his normal serving motion. Here's more on it.
Confidence
Normal serve gives Nadal his confidence back
Nadal claimed he desperately needed to find his confidence back, as he struggled with the power serve on clay courts. As a result, he switched back to his normal serve, which has paid off so far and in return, it is allowing him to gain his confidence back. "On clay, things are different. That's why I came back to my prior serve," he said.
Quote
Nadal speaks about his serve
"Mentally speaking, when you're not perfectly on the spot, I had to recover somewhat. I know that the serve I had used before the clay season, before Barcelona, I know that this serve is positive. I had served very well in Australia," Nadal further claimed.
Anlaysis
Nadal stronger off his forehand following his serve
Considering Nadal's Rome Open final win over world number one Novak Djokovic, there was a notable difference we found in his shot selection, following his serve. 79% (42/53) of his shots came off a forehand following the serve, while only 11% came off the backhand. Considering his win percentage, he won 71% (30/42) off his forehand, while the backhand's win percentage was 45% (5/11).
Powerful forehand
The short and powerful, the better for Nadal
Analyzing his match against Djokovic further, it was seen his serve, followed by a powerful forehand had the best success rate. Rally Length of Nadal's serve, followed by forehand: 3 shots = 10 points 5 shots = 9 points 7 shots = 4 points 9 shots = 2 points 11 shots = 2 points 3 shots = 2 points 17 shots = 1 point
Auhtor's take
Nadal needs to maintain consistency with his serve and forehand
Nadal's old serve is definitely helping him. However, the author believes he needs to maintain consistency with his serve, and make the maximum use of his forehand to stand a chance of success at the French Open. He is off to a flying start as he has dropped only a single set in four matches. He definitely looks a favorite to defend his title.