By Chris Oddo | Friday September 2, 2016
You can see it in his eyes and you can see it in his forehand: Rafael Nadal is in a really good place at this year’s U.S. Open. Amazingly, the Spaniard has regained all of the form that he left on the table at Roland Garros and maybe a little bit more.
More: Kerber Schools Bellis to Reach Week Two
How good is he playing? It’s something that Nadal isn't quite sure of. But he does know he was playing great in the Roland Garros lead-up before a wrist problem sabotaged his chances.
“I don't know in which kind of level I am. Is true that when I had to stop I was playing great,” he said, when looking back at that difficult moment after his 203rd career Grand Slam win on Friday night in New York. “I felt myself ready for the French. I don't know what could happen on the French Open if I was keep playing, but I felt ready.”
Nadal pulled the plug on his Roland Garros third-rounder against Marcel Granollers with a torn tendon sheath in his wrist. "This is one of the toughest press conferences of my career," Nadal said at the time. "If it wasn't Roland-Garros, I probably wouldn't have taken the risks. It's the most important event of the year for me.”
He had to take 73-days off in total, many of them spent with the wrist immobilized, before he returned at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. At the Olympics Nadal quickly hit his stride. Not only was he healthy at Rio, he immediately found his feel. His timing had not left; It had loyally waited out the hiatus.
After winning Olympic Gold in doubles and reaching the semifinals in singles, Nadal headed to Cincinnati in a state of deep fatigue. He was shellacked by Borna Coric in his second match but it was a blessing as it bought him some time to rest and recover.
The timing and feel are still with Nadal in New York, and the two-time U.S. Open champion has demonstrated in his first three rounds that the speed and bounce of the courts, as well as the conditions under the roof at Arthur Ashe Stadium, suit him. Everything seems to be falling in place – the mind, the body, the passion.
Nadal had a few rough patches, particularly on serve and in the second set, during his 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 win over Russia’s Andrey Kuznetsov on Friday, but most of the time he was in command and executing his plan. He is a confident player seemingly gaining confidence with each passing set.
“I don't know where I am today,” Nadal said of his level in his always non-committal tone with regard to assessing his game. “Only thing I know is I am happy. I am excited to play the US Open. For me is a great news that I am on the tour again, and I am playing every day with less pain on the wrist. That's most important thing.”
Next up the Spaniard will face the rising and very talented Frenchman, Lucas Pouille. The 22-year-old is fresh off his first major quarterfinal at Wimbledon and is just outside the Top 20. Nadal has never met Pouille but said on Friday that he practiced with the Frenchman before the Open began.
“He's a tough opponent,” Nadal said. “I practice with him a couple of times and I played with him long time ago. I know he's able to play a very high level.”
Nadal has reached the Round of 16 at a major for the first time since Roland Garros in 2015. It’s the longest streak of Slam ineptitude for the Spaniard since he failed to make the second round of the first four majors of his career.
Nadal improves to 46-9 at the U.S. Open with the win. He is 203-30 at the majors lifetime.