Rafael Nadal Says Rule Change In Tennis Needed To Counter Serve Dominance
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Rafael Nadal thinks tennis could eventually become less entertaining if players keep getting taller and stronger, and a rule change may be necessary to counter this trend.
Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic are broadly considered the three best players ever. Although they had distinct styles, each man played epic rallies against each other, and there was a superb balance between power, athleticism, and variety.
Tennis remains in a great place with stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner on the ATP Tour and Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, and Mirra Andreeva on the WTA Tour. The future looks bright and exciting.
However, Nadal is concerned about the potential impacts of more players becoming taller and stronger. Speaking at the University of Autonia, the 22-time Grand Slam champion said it may eventually be impossible to break serve under current rules.
"Tennis hasn't changed practically anything in terms of rules throughout its history. People are getting taller and moving better. The serve has a decisive impact. If there aren't any rule changes that can limit that power, someone over two meters tall and with good mobility will come along and you won't be able to compete against him, you won't be able to get a break."
Although Nadal thinks reviewing the rules could become necessary, the tennis legend does not believe it needs to be done yet. He used Djokovic's run to the 2025 Miami Open final as an example of why the rules should not be changed yet.
"That day hasn't arrived yet. Djokovic was in the Miami final two days ago, I was competing a year and a half ago... which leads me to think that the change hasn't yet been that radical because we've still had a chance of success."
Nadal did not say how the rules might need to be adapted. The most obvious answer would be to only allow one serve, leaving servers with no choice but to be more careful and not try to hit aces.
Such a move would cause significant controversy. Serving big is crucial to several players in the men's game, in particular, and changing the rules could lead to them slipping down the rankings or finding it impossible to make a living from tennis.
Men like Reilly Opelka, Christopher Eubanks, and others would need to radically invent their games since serving is by far their most prominent strength and helps to cover other weaknesses.
Where tennis is right now means it could be a while before it needs to consider such changes. Another possibility is that the sport will take a different direction than Nadal expects, and no rule change will ever be required.
Nadal's retirement at November's 2024 Davis Cup Finals means the ongoing clay court swing is the first since he left the sport. The best clay court player in tennis history being absent leaves a bittersweet feeling.
The memories from the 14-time French Open champion's incredible level on clay will never be forgotten. He did not lose a final at Roland Garros, the last of his titles coming in 2022.
