Roger lost another epic battle against Rafa in the semi-finals of the Australian Open. Overall the match was at a very high level but it was tough for me to watch Roger play so poorly when it mattered the most!
Federer was not able to make first serves in decisive situations and he missed a lot of routine forehands as well!
Photo By Rick Rycroft
The same forehand that he seemingly has not missed a single shot with since last October and that was completely on fire in all of his previous matches in this tournament! In my opinion Roger played some of the best Tennis of his career in the rounds before the semi-finals and that is why I thought he would win this match.
At this point of their rivalry Roger has a massive mental problem against Nadal and I believe tactical changes alone cannot help him beat Nadal!
I am actually quite surprised why so-called experts almost always seem to talk about the tactical side of this rivalry and only very few people talk about the mental side of things. The tactical side of course plays a role but I honestly believe that no matter what tactics he uses, Roger will get tight when it matters most and therefore he will continue to lose against Nadal!
Let’s have a look at a few of the tactical considerations before I talk about what I believe Federer could do to actually turn things around!
Tactical Considerations
Everyone talks about Nadal’s high topspin shots to Roger’s one-handed backhand and of course that is a big part of what makes Nadal such a difficult opponent for Roger. Nevertheless, Federer has proven on many occasions that he can hit his backhand well against Nadal’s high topspin forehands.
Even on the high-bouncing clay in the 2011 French Open finals have I seen Roger hit great backhands against Nadal’s heavy topspin. He seems to manage to do that only at the beginning of sets or in general before the match gets really close!
I have said many times before that from a tactical standpoint Federer needs to hit his backhand aggressive and take a lot of balls early with conviction against Nadal. My guess is that Roger understands this and he did hit his backhand mostly with topspin in the Australian Open semi-finals.
Federer really didn’t play bad at all. As a matter of fact he was doing a lot the right things! In addition to hitting more topspin backhands and less slice, he also used surprise serve-and-volley tactics and net attacks in general. I have not seen the statistics but I believe Roger was very successful with his serve-and-volley and net rushing tactics.
Playing against Nadal there is a fine line for Federer when it comes to attacking the net. As long as he keeps surprising Nadal with his net rushing and serve-and-volleying it is usually extremely effective. Once he does too much of it though, Nadal will adjust and when he is prepared for Roger coming to the net he is usually too good at passing and defending!
Nadal Hit Some Unbelievable Defensive Shots In This Match!
Photo By MARK BLINCH/Reuters
What Can Federer Do ?
Ok. So now that we have talked about why Federer keeps losing to Nadal, it is of course time to think about what Roger could do to reverse things and start winning some of the important matches against Nadal!
Unfortunately for Roger, working on a mental problem like this is most certainly the most difficult area for a tennis player to improve in! The thoughts and beliefs that hold him back are deeply engrained in his subconscious at this point!
Nadal is a true warrior on the court and he has been raised and trained that way throughout his entire tennis career. This has led him to a point where he knows that he can play his best Tennis when it matters most. Deep down Nadal believes that he will come out on top if there is any chance for him.
Federer on the other hand has never been one of the mentally toughest guys on tour. Years ago when he dominated the tour he had the belief deep down that he was better than the other guys but it was more because of superior strokes and athleticism and not because he was mentally tougher!
So What Are Some Things That He Could Do ?
The easiest thing to work on would be body language. When I see Federer and Nadal on the court, Nadal almost always looks like the more confident guy out there. There is a strong relationship between how you present yourself on the court and how you feel on the inside.
If Federer would consciously work on better body language he might start feeling a little better on the inside when he plays against Nadal!
Most likely this alone would not help him win against Nadal though!
I believe what he really needs in order to get out of this choking habit against Nadal is a true expert/mentor to work with him on mental toughness!
There are of course many different approaches towards working with an athlete in that kind of a situation. Some athletes consult sports psychologists, others work with hypnosis for example. The possibilities are endless.
All I can say is that Roger needs to look into the mental area and get some help if he wants to start beating Rafael Nadal again. He definitely has the game and the capabilities to do so!
This of course is a tough thing to realize and act upon, especially if you are the greatest player of all-time. Therefore, I think it is unlikely and in the end I think it is unlikely that Roger will get tougher mentally!
