Tennis in Spain – Up and Growing Forever

The past decade has seen the rise of a dominant force in Tennis. A single nation has produced many a fantastic player. The nineties are intended as a precedent with players like Conchita Martinez, Carlos Moya and Sergi Bruguera. The country then continued producing more players with quality. The baton was then carried forward by players such as Juan Carlos Ferrero and Albert Costa.

Then it was the arrival of the person who changed the dynamics of the nation’s tennis forever. He has won 13 Grand Slams which include a record 8 Roland Garros titles. His titles speak for himself and a big part of his rise has been the way the country has helped him over the years.

Rafael Nadal is undoubtedly the crowning jewel of current generation of Spanish tennis players. Spain have become a dominant force over the years with players like David Ferrer, Nicholas Almagro, Tommy Robredo, Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez to name a few other than Nadal. Well, the list is not complete. The latest sensation Robert Batistuta-Agut has given Spaniards hope after the current generation.

The Spaniards have been so powerful in the past decade that Spain actually won a Davis Cup final against the Argentinians without their main player, Rafael Nadal. David Ferrer, Tommy Robredo and Nicholas Almagro are all players in the top-25 in the world. This speaks volumes of the quality of players Spain produce.

How can Spain alone produce such talents?

Primarily, in their early years they are given sufficient junior tournaments to take part in so that they are not short in experience. The experience they gain at a young age helps them to mature earlier and better. By the time they reach their early twenties, when most of the Europeans just begin their pro career, the Spaniards would’ve gained enough experience and would be in their prime.

Secondly, it is their fitness level. Their fitness levels are impeccable. Rafael Nadal is a prime example of that. They never tire out during matches. Players like Novak Djoković too had a similar fitness but I guess he has taken cue from the Spaniard’s fitness regime.

The new breed of players from the United States or Down Under have displayed an abundance of raw power, but without the footwork, balance and dexterity of clay court players. Spain, on the contrary, hone their junior players’ skill on clay courts, although increasingly they look to get them to compete on a variety of surfaces so they have as fully-rounded games as possible.

Without question, the uprising has been assisted by the overall slowing down of the men’s game since the days when Sampras, Stich and Ivanisevic dominated much of the tennis season without having to play rallies of more than 4 shots. The faster courts have become slower, nowhere more noticeably than at Wimbledon where the sight of a player serve and volleying has never been rarer. Clay court tennis is marginally quicker too, but the change is not nearly as dramatic as the faster surfaces, something that has proved to be of golden magnitude for Spain.

One often recited argument for the success of players from countries like Argentina or the former Eastern bloc is an innate desire to better their own circumstances, due to social deprivation or political pressures. While that can be a spur for various individuals, you can’t really argue it to be the driving force behind the success of the Spaniards, who are on the whole not from deprived backgrounds.

Technique is also something that has often haunted even the best of players. Proper technique ensures better results and this is one thing that the Spaniards have perfected over the years. The double handed backhand has been used to devastating effect. The point more often than not culminates with a rocketing forehand which intrigues the opponent.

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Technology has also developed over the years. Many legends including Andre Agassi and Roger Federer have struggled with the newer varieties of strings. But the Spaniards have been able to tackle it with quite ease.

Much has been said about their dominance in clay courts. But that’s not all. Rafael Nadal, David Ferrer and well who would forget Fernando Versasco’s epic performance in the 2009 Australian Open have shown glimpses of what they can achieve on other courts.

While the predicament of a single country dominating such a versatile sport seems to be a bedrock, I can assure you the bitter truth is rather hard to swallow for those who prefer to believe that America still holds the pudding when it comes to Professional Tennis.

Take a bow, Spanish Tennis.