Andre Agassi gives Rafael Nadal tactical advice as he shares retirement hope
Tennis legend Andre Agassi has offered Rafael Nadal a tactical suggestion by revealing he “would have loved” to have seen the great Spaniard “let his backhand fly” in his career.
The eight-time major champion believes “we’d be talking about one of the greatest backhands” in tennis history if Nadal had been more aggressive with the shot, while also declaring he “deserves to retire when and where he wants.”
Nadal made his return to the court against Carlos Alcaraz for the Netflix Slam exhibition on Sunday and was beaten 3-6, 6-4, (14-12) by his 20-year-old compatriot.
The 37-year-old is set to play his first competitive match in two months against Milos Raonic in the first round of the Indian Wells Masters, which will run from March 6-17. The former world No 1 hoped to compete at the ATP 250 tournament in Doha last month, but was forced to pull out.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion played his first tournament in almost a year at the Brisbane International in January, where he reached the quarter-finals. He withdrew from the 2024 Australian Open due to a hip muscle issue that surfaced during his loss to Jordan Thompson in Brisbane.
Prior to Brisbane, Nadal had not played a singles match since losing to Mackenzie McDonald in the second round of the 2023 Australian Open, where he sustained a hip injury. The Mallorcan underwent arthroscopic surgery to treat the psoas muscle in his hip in June 2023.
Speaking at the Netflix Slam, where he was a member of the broadcast team, Agassi divulged a strategy he would have liked Nadal to adopt on his backhand side earlier in his career.
“One thing I would have loved to seen with Rafa over the years is if he gave himself the green light to let his backhand fly,” the American explained.
“I truly believe we’d be talking about one of the greatest backhands that ever played the game. But instead he can so do much with his forehand, he can do so much with controlling the point with percentage.
“He’s constantly making the decision: why do something if you don’t have…I think it might help him a lot of he at least releases the beats on the backhand side because when he amps it up there’s not a ball he cannot hit with it. It’s an impressive wing. Let it go for a few games. That’s what he does in the warm up.”
The former world No 1 also admitted that Nadal being in the twilight of his career brings back memories of the period leading up to his own retirement in 2006.
“Rafa reminded me of me when I was approaching retirement and I had people like [Andy] Roddick behind me, now it is Alcaraz today,” Agassi said.
“He deserves to retire when and where he wants. I hope his body allows him to make the decision when it is really clear to him.”
Nadal won both of the matches he played against Agassi, winning in the final of the 2005 Canadian Open and in the third round of the 2006 Wimbledon Championships.
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