MELBOURNE, Australia—Fernando Verdasco's talent, on and off the court, has never been the issue. But good looks and flashy forehands can take you only so far (just ask his recent ex Ana Ivanovic), and the Pretty Boy/Playboy from Spain has his sights set on being a player.
That's why on Christmas day, while you and yours were unwrapping Wiis and downing eggnog, Verdasco was throwing around iron and running sprints in Las Vegas under the watchful eye of Gil Reyes. “It brought back memories of another time when I had a young stallion doing the same,” said Reyes earlier this month, referring of course to his longtime fitness protégé, Andre Agassi.
At 25, wrinkles are a ways off for Verdasco. But he has no time to waste on his game. Long considered one of the most gifted players on tour, the southpaw from Madrid has also been a major underachiever. Despite a prodigious forehand, decent wheels and – let's just say it – swarthy good looks, Verdasco has been unable, until recently, to transform himself into an elite ballstriker. His ranking has mostly hovered in the 20-to-40 range; he owns just two titles, both on clay; and most glaringly, in 23 majors, he has never advanced past the fourth round.
Verdasco has been held back by a tendency to overhit, lack of composure in big matches, and a rumored well-lived life away from tennis. But he wrapped up last season in fine form, finishing a career-high No. 16 and clinching Spain's Davis Cup victory over Argentina. He has carried that momentum into 2009, with a run to the final in Brisbane two weeks ago and a scorching start at the Open. Here in Melbourne he has blitzed through his first two rounds without dropping more than two games in any set; it’s the first time he’s made it to the third round here.
Which brings us to the Reyes connection. The former UNLV strength and conditioning coach who helped resurrect Agassi's career with punishing runs in the desert hills near Vegas, Reyes was appointed by Adidas last year to assist with the fitness aspect of the company's development program. Adidas-sponsored players can train with Reyes at his facility in Nevada, and a number of athletes have already taken advantage of the opportunity: American Sam Querrey, Sabine Lisicki of Germany, Sorana Cirstea of Romania, and 2008 Wimbledon and U.S. Open junior champ Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria. Sven Groeneveld coached various players, including 2008 French Open champ Ivanovic, as part of the same training system. (Groeneveld has also had to occasionally recuse himself from coaching duties when fellow Adidas clients faced off.)
Reyes is pivotal to the program, which allows more than one player to work with him at any one time. He says he doesn't try to imitate Agassi's legendary routine but rather tailors it for each player according to his or her needs, experience and age. Much of the work, in the gym and on the court, focuses on the lower extremities. “Tennis is about movement,” says Reyes, a bear of a man who spouts Yoda-like motivational philosophy. “It's not about running. It's about starting and stopping repeatedly and ballistically.”
And forget stroke production. “It's not about forehand, serve, and backhand,” Reyes says. “It's about how to win a tennis match in a game that is becoming more and more physical. You either catch the wave or get run over by it.”
So far, Verdasco is riding the crest. The Spaniard, who spent two weeks with Reyes in December, says he has never started a season feeling so prepared, and is intent on crashing the Top 10. With Reyes, he also has developed a discipline and professionalism that eluded him in the past. “This experience changed a lot my personality and me as a player,” Verdasco said after beating 2001 Aussie Open finalist Arnaud Clement of France, 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 in the second round.
One thing Verdasco didn't do in Vegas was run the notoriously torturous hills on which Agassi prepared for Melbourne, where he won half of his eight majors. “Maybe next time,” smiled Verdasco. “For sure, (Reyes) doesn't want to scare me at the beginning. He wants to go slowly.”
Clinching the Davis Cup final two months ago with his five-set win over Argentina's Jose Acasuso has added another layer of confidence. “That tie changed my life,” he says. Players have noticed. Three-time Aussie Open champ Federer commented on the difference in Verdasco when the two squared off at the Kooyong pre-tournament exhibition, where Federer won 7-6 in the third set. “I think he's got confidence more and more, to know he can hang with normal players and occasionally beat the top players,” the Swiss No. 2 said.
Now it's time for the pinup to put up. Seeded 14th, the Spaniard has a tough but winnable match in the third round Saturday against tricky Czech Radek Stepanek, who beat him in three sets in the Brisbane final. After that, the road gets considerably more daunting, with a likely matchup against No. 4 Andy Murray.
Verdasco said he plans to return to Vegas to train for two weeks after visiting his family next month. There, the desert hills, and perhaps greater things, await.
Douglas Robson is the lead tennis writer for USA Today.