Rafael Nadal’s performance at the French Open was amongst the most dominant in Grand Slam tennis history. In this analysis, we take a deeper dive into his semi-final match versus Thiem to generate insights on key factors that led to his success. We also develop insights for players at all levels to learn from to further enhance their game development and performance. Below are key highlights of the analysis:
Insight #1. An important statistic that players can benefit from keeping track off is the number of points they win off their 2nd serve. This statistic provides a gauge to not only the strength of their 2nd serve, but also the quality of their overall game relative to that of their opponent. In this match, Nadal won 76% of his 2nd serve points versus Thiem’s 36% showcasing his dominance (see graph below).
Takeaways for developing players:
· Develop the ability to generate spin and arc on your second serve, which will result in more consistency on this key shot.
· Practice your 2nd serve regularly and keep track of your consistency percentage. Set 100% second serves in as your goal to minimize double-faults in matches.
· Once your consistency numbers meet your goals, work on placement by strategically placing targets and seeing if you can hit them with your 2nd serves. Consistency and placement is key on the 2nd serve.
Insight #2. The longest rally on Nadal’s serve was 33 seconds or 24 shots. On Thiem’s serve it was also 33 seconds or 18 shots. These are valuable data points to consider when developing a training plan.
Takeaways for developing players:
· Are you aware of the duration of the longest point you played in a match? It would be valuable to know because if it turns out that is was 20 shots and 35 seconds, you should incorporate drills that train you to sustain a 20 shot rally and help you develop the endurance to last 35 seconds at a high intensity and recover quickly for the next point. Discuss this with your coach and trainer and follow their guidance.
· Against stronger opposition, be ready to get into longer rallies because it will not be so easy to win quick points. Better players will make you earn your points with multiple good shots. Therefore, incorporate drills in your training that help you to develop the endurance you will need against the top players in your group.
Insight #3. Both Nadal and Thiem consider their forehands as their weapons and their backhands as their relatively weaker side. However, look at Nadal’s performance from his backhand corner relative to Thiem’s from his backhand corner (see chart below). Nadal hit 18 winners from his backhand corner (many of these were inside-out forehands showcasing his lighting speed to run around and cover his backhand) and made only 8 errors for a differential of +10. Thiem on the other hand hit 6 winners and made 14 errors for a differential of -8. Therefore, Nadal was much more effective from his backhand side/region of the court which made a big difference in this match.
Takeaways for developing players:
· How are you fairing from your relatively weaker side? Are you at a positive differential like Nadal or a negative one like Thiem in this match? Consider adding drills that help you develop shots from regions of the court that are weaker or more challenging for you. Strengthening your weaknesses can help you build a solid all-round game like Nadal has particularly on the clay courts.
Conclusion:
Nadal had a much stronger second serve success percentage and was considerably more effective from the backhand region of the court. These were a few key factors that enabled him to dominate the match against arguably the second best player on clay. The duration of the longest point also gave us an insight into the physicality of the sport at the highest level as well as consistency and endurance required to be successful.
Furthermore, we developed insights and provided actionable steps for players at all levels to enhance their second serves, incorporate match-specific skills into training, and develop their shot making from relatively weaker regions of the court.
We hope you found the above analysis and takeaways to be valuable. We welcome feedback on the report and let us know if you would like such analysis and insights for your matches. These reports are generated automatically off a match video. All you have to do is share the match video with us and we will deliver the report shortly thereafter to you!
Best,
Harsh Mankad
Email: harsh@tenicity.com
