How does Rafael Nadal beat his on-court anxiety?

An out-of-sorts Rafael Nadal enters his favourite clay court swing next week, but will nerves continue to get the better of the nine-time French Open champion? Sky Sports Tennis expert Leif Shiras delves into the mind of the great champion...

So, what are we to make of Rafael Nadal’s surprising admission that he was anxiety-ridden and lacking confidence in his rather dismal loss to Fernando Verdasco at the Miami Masters?

Was it just Rafa resetting the overwhelming expectation the top guys deal with every time they step on the court? Was it a statement about the tortured psychology of someone we have always known as a tremendous competitor? Or maybe it was an admission of sorts, that at 28 years of age, after 14 years on tour, he might be closer to midnight than morning?

Every player has doubts about his game, it is impossible to avoid the negativity that comes from the trials and tribulations of tennis; a passing shot missed on breakpoint, a tight three-set loss, or a bad day serving. It happens to everyone and we all have to find ways to deal with it. But what makes Rafa’s remarks so stunning is that they're from him - it’s Rafa - a 14-time Grand Slam champion, former world No 1, a warrior of the highest order.

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“It’s not a question of tennis” he said, “the question is being relaxed enough to play well… still playing with too much nerves in important moments…a little bit anxious – something that didn’t happen a lot during my career.

“I have been able to…control my emotions for 90%-95% of my matches of my career, something that today is tougher to be under self-control”

He has dealt with nerves before but never problems this deep. The symptoms of Rafa playing tight are fairly well known, overspinning his forehand into the the net, coughing up an ugly double-fault, or playing tentative shots that land short, but those have only been temporary afflictions. As he describes it, “…for one point, two points…and then (snapping fingers) I’m able to say, okay, I am here."

Rafa has always spoken about the 'calmness' in his head, the ability to make good decisions and compete intensely over the course of a long match. Having that steady and prevailing belief being that moments of doubt will pass and better tennis will emerge. If finding that calmness is  'tougher' to achieve these days, then he may be facing some very serious challenges indeed.

Aging warrior

Sky colleague Peter Fleming and myself both faced unique mental challenges later in our careers - as do most players. The game may not change but the way you see it, maybe even the way you play it certainly can. Call it the 'ageing-warrior syndrome'.

Sports psychologist, author and former tour player Allan Fox compares this phenomenon to fighter pilots in combat. A confident young aviator will fearlessly push himself to the limit, doing whatever is required, however risky, to take down his foe. The constant stress though, of putting your life on the line, pushing the envelope on each mission, is cumulative and gradually the pilot becomes more aware of all the things that can go wrong, and not just the day’s mission. The top gun who once flew by the seat of his pants is no longer the same. 

Tennis players feel the same effects from stress over the course of their career. Decisions about shot selection or tactics that you might not think twice about as a youngster look different as a veteran. A second serve sliced hard into the corner break point down wasn’t a problem at 22-years-of-age. If serve was your strength you went with it. As a veteran, you might see that same play as something to question.  Why take the risk? Maybe I’ll go body instead, just get the ball in play. If your initial success was built on attack, like a Pete Sampras, a player who knew when to pull the trigger, playing it safe can inevitably work against you. Playing scared will not win you trophies.

How you manage mistakes can also change. Miss a forehand badly as a youngster, no problem, I‘ll just make the next one. A few too many errors as a veteran though and the wheels can come off. As much as you want to forget that missed forehand, and Rafa had a few forgettable ones against Fernando, you get a sense deep down that something is not right – and you are not sure you can fix it. You know your game well, you have a plan, but you struggle with consistency. Plays you count on don’t always happen like before – and that can make match play emotionally complex and psychologically challenging.

We will have to wait and see if Rafa’s problem with nerves is ongoing. What we do know is that he is probably the only player of his stature, a former No 1, to admit to issues with anxiety while still competing in his prime.

Character

Rafa is an individual of great character so he must have thought it was best to address the topic head on. He has always been candid, but for him to speak so openly about his personal struggles, in a competitive environment is startling. His admission might give his rivals hope and also give the media a line of discussion he will have to address for some time.

Rafa’s personal journey is uniquely his own. He says he has faced “a lot of negative situations in my career…and gonna (sic) work to do it again. I am confident I can do it. I don’t know if I gonna do it, but I hope I can”. The possibility of working with a sports Psychologist, something Andy Murray has done, is not a consideration. He says it will come from him and the team around him to get it right. 

In this ultra scrutinised world of social media and transcripted mega-moments it may be worth remembering that the words expressed by Rafa are in the end, just that, words. Rafa’s thoughts are heavily shaped by the moment and strongly influenced by what has just transpired, he is not thinking in the long term. He is not the CEO of a major company on damage control so it is dangerous to pin a narrative like this to him moving forward.

Rafa’s language is about forehands and backhands and no doubt Uncle Toni will get Rafa back on the clay and back to what he knows best. If Rafa rediscovers his forehand and is able to clear his head then things might be right in the world – and should he win Monte Carlo, and maybe another clay court event like Barcelona, Madrid or Rome, then all the anxieties from Miami become essentially meaningless. Roland Garros is a little further down the road- And Rafa does know his way around Paris.

Watch Rafael Nadal in action at the Monte Carlo Masters, live on Sky Sports from Monday April 13th.