Nadal Plays Doubles To Give Him Practice

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 12th August 2013

Nadal Plays Doubles To Give Him Practice

epa03820042 Spain's Rafael Nadal serves to Serbian opponent Novak Djokovic during their men's semi-final singles match at the Rogers Cup Open ATP tennis tournament in Montreal, Canada, 10 Aug 2013. Nadal won the match. EPA/ANDRE PICHETTE |

Rafael Nadal was giving his fragile knees the toughest possible workout as he put them under extra pressure in doubles last week at the Montreal Masters.

So far, all is fine for the winner of seven ATP titles this season, who has stepped onto hardcourt for the first time since winning Indian Wells last March.

Nadal admits that after seven weeks off following his first-round Wimbledon defeat, he might have had some doubts. But they were cleared up after he teamed with compatriot Pablo Andujar in the doubles first round.

“I have to be honest, I play for practice,” said the fourth seed of his doubles activity. “I normally don’t play doubles in a Masters 1000. Indian Wells and Miami are easier because there is lot of days off between matches. But these kinds of tournaments (Montreal) you play every day.”

Nadal says that his long period of summer inactivity required that he get back to match fitness in a hurry. “One match of doubles before the first singles can help me little bit. So that’s the reason I’m playing doubles. I take it like a practice, but it is a little bit more than a practice.

“At the end you are in a position that you are competing. You start to feel little more the pressure, the tension that you are playing a tennis match. That helps little bit.”

He also just wants to have fun: “Seriously, I enjoy a lot playing doubles. I want to play more doubles because is a good way to practice things that can improve your tennis in general. You can find things in doubles that you can adjust then on the singles that can help you to be better player.”