Rublev: Nadal’s serve is not quite the same

Andrey Rublev told reporters in Madrid that he has practised with Rafael Nadal recently – and the only thing that looks different from the Spaniard’s prime form is his serve.

Although Rublev was quick to say that watching on TV is not the same as seeing someone play in real life, he did watch Nadal’s win over Alex de Minaur on Saturday.

“It’s tough to say [what Nadal’s form is like] because on TV it always looks different than in real life, so it’s tough to see. Of course, on TV you saw a lot of rallies, a lot of great points. When you see it live, you see it different.

“When we were practising together, that day I was so bad! Rafa, he was playing good. The only thing was on the practice he was not serving full. I don’t know if it’s changed since that time. I’ve heard in Barcelona he was still not serving full. That’s the only thing that you can see clear – the serve is not the same, he’s just putting in to play the rally.”

Regardless, the stats confirm that Nadal’s serve has improved significantly between Barcelona and Madrid.

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