"Rafael Nadal's average level is not the same as before" - Zizou Bergs recounts facing the Spaniard in 2024
Zizou Bergs, who competed against Rafael Nadal in 2024, recently shared his experience of facing the legend. The Belgian tennis player elaborated on his mental preparations before the match while also breaking down Nadal’s form.
Bergs had the privilege of sharing the court with Rafael Nadal in the opening round of this year’s Italian Open — his first meeting with the Spaniard. The 25-year-old had a promising start, taking the first set 6-4. He was, however, unable to stand up to the 10-time champion’s challenge thereafter and crashed out with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 defeat.
During a recent exclusive with CLAY, Zizou Bergs said that, although Nadal came out on top, he felt the Spaniard was slower on the claycourts this season.
"His average level is not the same as before. He's also a little bit less fast," Bergs opined.
However, despite not facing the 22-time Grand Slam champion in his prime, the Belgian revealed that he “really had to work on” believing in himself before the match.
"First of all, you have the mental part, where you have to play an amazing champion. He's been there since you grew up with tennis, you always saw him on TV. So, being competitive against him and truly believing you can win is a task in itself — something I really had to work on. Luckily, I succeeded," Bergs said.
"Rafael Nadal had some flashes where he showed he's the top of the top" – Zizou Bergs
Rafael Nadal has participated in seven tournaments so far in 2024, six of which came on clay. His latest outing was at the Paris Olympics, where he lost to his arch-rival and eventual champion Novak Djokovic in the second round. Meanwhile, his best result of the season came at the ATP 250 event in Bastad, where he finished as the runner-up.
While the Spaniard hasn’t produced his best level this season courtesy of his injuries, Zizou Bergs explained how the legend has unsettled his opponents with tactical battles.
"You come on court and you find his forehand, his backhand. You could say, okay, just avoid a little bit that forehand because it's really heavy and he will drag it into your backhand, which obviously any double-handed player doesn't really like," he said in the aforementioned interview with CLAY.
"He can play it so heavy as well. Those are two aspects in the rally, which is relatively tough to compete with," he added. "So it was more like, okay, it has to be important to step in the court a lot. You have to give yourself a chance, being technically wise."
The Belgian recounted that he also witnessed glimpses of vintage Rafael Nadal during their clash in Rome.
"But he had some flashes, obviously, during the match where he really showed that he's the top of the top," Bergs said.
Following a prolonged absence, the Spaniard is expected to light up the tennis courts again during the upcoming Six Kings Slam exhibition event in Riyadh (October 16-19). The southpaw, who has commenced his training sessions, will be joined by Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Holger Rune.