Rafael Nadal: Why Injuries Will Doom Rafa Moving Forward in 2012

Rafael Nadal improved his incredible record in the French Open to 47-1 by beating Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin in straight sets,  as he seeks his seventh major title at Roland Garros, which would break his current tie with Bjorn Borg.

While Nadal looks dominant, he has much to be concerned about. It is possible that he will not find a capable competitor during the clay season, but nagging injuries to his knees, shoulders, and even abdomen could slow Rafa down.

Early in 2012, Nadal sought change by electing to switch rackets following an injury to his shoulder and consistent defeats to the unstoppable No. 1 Novak Djokovic. Injuries have characterized Nadal this year, as his bad knees and other ailments have tainted his capacity to supplant Djokovic from the world’s top ranking.

At the end of March, Nadal’s left knee forced him to withdraw from the Sony Ericsson Open, just before his second round matchup with Andy Murray. While Nadal had been a trooper in fighting through injuries, the fundamental issue was still there: Rafa had to bow out because he was physically incapable of performing to the best of his abilities.

Nothing could hide this grave fact.

It is true that the Sony Open was only the second time that Nadal pulled out in a tournament since he withdrew from a semifinal match in Portugal due to a stress fracture in his left ankle way back in 2004. However, the withdrawal does not bode well for his long-term physical future.

His style of play is becoming physically unsustainable.

In many ways Nadal’s nagging injures are a reflection of the way he plays: he attempts to punish his opponents with a combination of strong shots with incredible torque.

Consequently, the punishment that he imposes on his competition has begun to take a toll on his body. It is no surprise that hard courts are tough on his knees, and they will continue to be so. 

This clay season, Nadal is not the only star ailing. The world’s No. 4, Andy Murray, nearly withdrew from Roland Garros because of a bad back. But the question still presents itself: Can Nadal continue to compete with Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer or even a healthy Murray if the Spaniard is not 100 percent healthy?

Barring an unforeseen injury, the new King of Clay is still the favorite to win the French Open this year and establish himself as the greatest ever at Roland Garros.

Yet there is no saying that this will result in success down the line.

With Wimbledon and the US Open still on the horizon, it remains to be seen if Nadal can upset Djokovic and beat out the rest of the field. The US Open will be especially difficult, as his suspect knees will take a beating on the hard court. 

Moving forward, Rafa has to be wary that Federer is picking up momentum and looking to steal his No. 2 ranking. Given Nadal’s recent inability to consistently dethrone the world’s No. 1, Rafa is in no place for comfort with Federer close on his heels. 

Frankly, at only 25, Nadal is far too young to be this beat up. He has enjoyed incredible runs of dominance, as he continues to demonstrate at Roland Garros. For his long-term health, it might make more sense to shut himself down for long periods of time to let his body heal from the beating it takes. 

Health has to be of chief concern to Nadal (certainly more than breaking his tie with Borg) as his physical ceilings could severely hinder his long-term success and future. Otherwise, his style of play could prove to be fatal to his chase of tennis immortality.

Next up, Nadal will face Argentina’s Eduardo Schwank for a shot to advance to the final 16 at Roland Garros.