‘Still Not My Strongest Point’ – Here Is Why Rafael Nadal Changed His Serve to the Level of Roger Federer Back in the Day

The serve of Roger Federer is one of the most talked about things in the tennis realm. The players aim to emulate his almost perfect serving motion as much as they can. His arch-rival, Rafael Nadal too confessed in his book, ‘Rafa: My Story’ that his serve is not as good as Federer’s.

Moreover, he also talked about how he improved it and the noteworthy changes he saw later on in his serve.

Rafael Nadal accepted that his serve was not as strong as that of Federer’s

Nadal is undoubtedly one of the greatest players of all time in the tennis world. However, his serve is something that he had to work upon. The Spaniard once accepted that his style of play wasn’t always about attacking, rather reacting to the opponent’s tactics. He stated in his book, “My style remains defense and counterattack.”

WATCH THIS STORY: Hilarious Meaning of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Serena Williams on Urban Dictionary! 

He gave the example of his match against Andy Roddick in the Davis Cup final. He stated, “I see a scrambling dynamism you don’t see quite so much in my game anymore. I am more measured; I economize more on my movements.”

Furthermore, Nadal talked about his serve and said, “I have worked to improve my serve. It’s still not my strongest point and remains distinctly weaker than Federer’s and many other players.” His uncle and coach reminded him during his comeback in 2006, “There was a significant increase in speed.”

The astounding serve of Roger Federer

A lot of tennis analysts and coaches have broken down the steps of Federer’s elegant serve. When Federer bends his waist with his feet parallel to the baseline, no one expects the serve to be as powerful as the one he serves. By the time Federer hits the ball after extending his left arm and tossing the ball, he is approximately 10-12 inches above the ground. In a recent episode of the Advantage Connors podcast, former American professional boxer Mike Tyson compared Federer’s smooth gameplay to none other than the legendary boxer Muhammad Ali.

READ MORE: ‘He’s in the Air’- Mike Tyson Leaves Out ‘Favorite’ Novak Djokovic to Draw a Huge Muhammad Ali Comparison to Roger Federer

Serena Williams’ ex-coach too had broken down his serve in one of his Instagram videos, where he explained how to serve like Federer. Despite not having one of the fastest serves, his serve is certainly more effective than most players on the tour.