After a six-month injury layoff Nadal’s efficient attacking tennis has produced one of his most improbable runs to a grand slam final
Across the twenty seasons thathas spent travelling the world as a professional tennis player, he has slowly and with great difficulty compiled one of the greatest sporting CVs the world has seen. He has won so much both at his very best and when his body has been on the brink of crumbling, but what he has achieved so far this year already stands high on his unending list of achievements.
Most importantly though, on Sunday he will compete for his 21st grand slam title and the chance to break his tie of 20 with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer and become the sole owner of the men’s all-time grand slam record. Unfortunately for Berrettini, he just so happened to be standing before a player who has spent his career tearing the weak backhands of right-handed players apart. Nadal started the match finding ample forehands and he used them to relentlessly pepper the Berrettini backhand, dragging him off the court with every new crosscourt forehand.