5 Things Rafael Nadal Must Accomplish to Have a Successful 2015 Season
Rafael Nadal’s career is at a tipping point.
His reign at the top of the game is more tenuous than ever as injuries and other rising stars carve away at his aura.
A ninth French Open crown served as the highlight to Nadal’s otherwise disappointing 2014. His Australian Open title hopes came to a screeching halt in a finals loss to Stan Wawrinka, while teenager Nick Kyrgios pummeled him in a fourth-round upset at Wimbledon.
His main adversary, Novak Djokovic, made up for the loss to Nadal in the French Open final with decisive wins over the Spaniard for the Miami and Rome titles.
Young guns like Marin Cilic, Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic had their breakthrough moments in the second half of the year. Nadal, however, had to sit idly by and deal with an array of ailments. As his momentum and ranking dropped, his opponents' confidence rose.
With his 29th birthday fast approaching, Nadal is nearing the end of his prime. To have a successful season and fend off an inevitable decline, he has plenty to accomplish in 2015.
5. Continue Dominance over Roger Federer
1 of 5
Once the most thrilling and competitive rivalry in tennis, Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer has morphed into one-way traffic.
It's Nadal who's engineered control of the matchup, topping his Swiss counterpart in 15 of their 19 meetings since 2008. Nine of those matches went the Spaniard's way in straight sets. Rivalry? It's been more like a routine shellacking.
Nadal has continually flustered Federer with his lefty shots and wicked topspin. He preys on Federer's backhand like a lion hunting a gazelle. As Nadal keeps racking up wins over his nemesis, his march on history heats up.
Whenever Nadal and Federer meet deep in a tournament, there's always plenty on the line—titles, rankings points and personal glory. But as these two titans age, they play for something more: legacy.
Federer has rewritten the record books over the last 10 years. He's the all-time leader in Grand Slam titles (17), yet Nadal is right behind him with 14 majors. Whichever man finishes with the higher number will have a strong claim to being the greatest of all time.
In 2014, Federer had a resurgent season. He lost to Nadal at the Australian Open in their only meeting of the season, but he'll go into next year with a renewed sense of confidence after passing his rival in the world rankings.
When they meet in 2015, Nadal will look to once again halt Federer's momentum and continue his assault on his foe's Grand Slam record.
4. Make a Deep Run at Wimbledon
2 of 5
Wimbledon once served as Rafael Nadal’s Mount Everest.
Critics considered the grass courts of the All England Club to be too tough a task for Nadal to conquer. He was just a clay-court specialist, his naysayers repeated over and over.
After finals losses to Roger Federer in 2006 and 2007, those doubts remained. But Nadal worked tirelessly to adapt his game and tactics to grass, eventually overcoming Federer in their legendary 2008 title match. He finally climbed the biggest mountain in tennis.
When Nadal won his second Wimbledon title over Tomas Berdych in 2010, it seemed like he had solved the surface and more titles would follow. Four years later, he's still trying to recapture that glory.
Novak Djokovic ended Nadal's title defense in 2011 with a lopsided win in the final. Nadal looked helpless that day, offering little resistance to the Serbian's masterful game. The worst was yet to come.
Nadal had made the finals in his last five Wimbledon appearances entering the 2012 event. That streak vanished when unheralded Lukas Rosol notched a titanic five-set upset of the Spaniard in the second round.
The following year, Nadal failed to win even a single match, losing in the first round to journeyman Steve Darcis. As unexpected as the loss was to Rosol, this one came with Nadal at the height of his powers during a dominant 2013 season.
Though Nadal advanced to the fourth round this year, he again suffered a shocking loss, this time to teenager Nick Kyrgios.
Nadal has often called Wimbledon his toughest tournament. The low bounces and fast pace don't favor his game; instead, grass rewards players with big serves and flat forehands—the opposite of what Nadal does best.
When the 2015 tournament starts, five years will have passed since his last triumph on the Wimbledon lawns. To end his slump and prove he can still win on grass, Nadal desperately needs another strong result.
3. Win the World Tour Finals
3 of 5
There’s not much Nadal hasn’t already achieved in his legendary career. His trophy case could one day fill a museum. But there’s one tournament he still hasn’t conquered: the World Tour Finals.
The year-end competition has perpetually riddled Nadal. He made the final in 2010 and 2013—losing to Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic—but has appeared uncomfortable playing indoors at London’s O2 Arena, where the event has been held since 2009.
Indoor tennis has never been kind to Nadal. He’s struggled to adapt his game to the fast, low-bouncing surfaces at tournaments like Paris-Bercy and the World Tour Finals. His spin-heavy game is rendered less-effective indoors against guys who hit the ball flat and thrive on controlled conditions.
While his rivals Federer and Djokovic have won 10 of the last 12 year-end championships, Nadal lost in the round-robin stage in 2009 and 2011 and skipped the tournament altogether in 2005, 2008, 2012 and 2014.
As Nadal chases history with Federer and tries to regain the No. 1 ranking from Djokovic, the 2015 World Tour Finals will hold great value for the Spaniard.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
2. Defend French Open Title
4 of 5
No man has won a Grand Slam tournament more often than Rafael Nadal has claimed the French Open.
Nine titles in 10 tries. A 66-1 record. The numbers are mind-boggling. Nadal hasn't just dominated Roland Garros; he's made it his home.
The Spaniard is so comfortable on the terre battue, with his heavy groundstrokes, elite foot speed and mental grit making opponents look like mincemeat. The King of Clay holds court in Paris, and his throne is the red dirt.
Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have tried—and failed—to solve the Nadal riddle at the French Open. Federer has fallen five times to his rival, including four occasions in the final. Djokovic has come up short six times, but pushed Nadal in the 2012 and 2014 finals and took the Spaniard to five sets in their epic 2013 semifinal.
Federer's sole triumph at Roland Garros came after Nadal's fourth-round loss to Robin Soderling in 2009. It's Djokovic who's yet to claim the trophy, the only title keeping him from a career Grand Slam.
Djokovic has made winning the French Open his top priority. He'll have plenty of motivation to end Nadal's five-year reign and finally complete his resume. If he crosses that hurdle, levees of momentum could break.
Nadal will try to hold off Djokovic yet again in 2015. With his recent struggles on grass courts and his precarious health, defending the French Open title is crucial for Nadal. Roland Garros remains his best chance to win a major and surpass Federer's overall record.
1. Overcome Injuries
5 of 5
The most formidable opponent in Rafael Nadal's career isn't Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic—it's his own body.
Injuries have long hampered Nadal and sidelined him for extended stretches. His pounding, ferocious brand of tennis has taken a significant toll on his health. He can no longer fling himself around the court without facing physical ramifications.
Knee problems have plagued Nadal throughout his career. They forced him to skip Wimbledon in 2009 and the U.S. Open in 2012, shelving him for long stretches of time. Just keeping his knees somewhat functional is an uphill climb.
In 2014, the rest of his body began to break down.
After throttling Roger Federer in the Australian Open semifinals, Nadal faced Stan Wawrinka in the Swiss' first Grand Slam final. Everything seemed to be in the Spaniard's favor—everything except his health. His back went lame during the match, leaving Nadal unable to keep up with Wawrinka, who clinched the title in four anti-climatic sets.
The back injury lingered throughout the year, leading Nadal to undergo stem-cell treatment this offseason. It wouldn't be the only time had to go under the knife.
A wrist injury sustained after Wimbledon forced Nadal to skip Toronto, Cincinnati and the U.S. Open—tournaments he won in 2013. As those rankings points drifted away, Nadal fought hard to return this fall.
He came back in Beijing, but lost to Martin Klizan in the quarterfinals. Before his next tournament in Shanghai, Nadal contracted appendicitis. He tried to play through the pain before ultimately deciding to have surgery. He then withdrew from Paris-Bercy and the World Tour Finals.
For Nadal to achieve anything in 2015, he needs his body to cooperate. He'll be unable to hold off his rivals and win titles if he can't stay on the court. As he chases history and tries to cement his legacy, Nadal will have to overcome his injury problems.
All statistics are courtesy of ATPWorldTour.com unless otherwise noted.
Joe Kennard is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
