MADRID—A couple of weeks ago, any talk of David Nalbandian as a contender for a Masters Series title would have been met by laughter or maybe a few comments on his weight But serious, logical consideration of Nalbandian as a threat in Madrid? Most definitely not.
Over the last year and a half, the once-consistent top-10 player had slid slowly but surely into ‘underachiever’ oblivion, a purgatory now inhabited primarily by the likes of Marat Safin.
But the past week at the Mutua Madrilena Masters Madrid has silenced the critics, however justifiable their criticism may have been. With wins over Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, Nalbandian came away with his first Masters Series shield and renewed presence the locker room.
What caused the sudden turnaround? When asked in Madrid to pinpoint when he got back to his former level, Nalbandian said, “I don’t know. It’s difficult to say when. I think I didn’t play very good matches, except for the one against David Ferrer at the US Open. I feel great again but sometimes it is difficult to say when it started.”
His fellow players, however, think they can – quite literally – see the transformation. After his semifinal loss to Nalbandian, Djokovic noted, “More or less he has the same game. It’s just a matter of his physical and mental condition.”
While exploring possible reasons for Nalbandian’s earlier 2007 losses, Federer observed, “he was injured and had some other issues.”
That “other issue” hinted at the lack of physical conditioning that had characterized Nalbandian this year, with countless observations about his weight gain and even a impersonation by Djokovic of Nalbandian’s bulging stomach on ESPN.
Then in the middle of the year, Nalbandian went from being running joke of the ATP to just, well, running. After Wimbledon, he hired veteran coach Martin Jaite and began training in earnest. Along with small adjustments to his game, including his much-improved serve, he put a strong emphasis on physical conditioning.
But one thing he hasn’t been doing, Nalbandian says, is stepping on the scales. “I don’t really know whether I gained weight or lost it. We’re trying to work hard, to do everything in the best way possible and it naturally gives its results. But honestly, I’m not worried about my weight.”
After last week’s performance, he doesn’t have to be. His focus is now on next year. “My aim for these last moments of the year was to win as many matches as possible, to recover my level and start 2008 the best way I can. I had no chance to go to Shanghai, there are few chances of it. My aim was to win matches and get a good rhythm again and finish this year the best way possible,” he said.
The key for him will be to stay on the right side of this winning streak. He hasn’t got off on the right foot so far, losing in the first round of Basel three days after his Madrid victory. But if Nalbandian can replace his consistent streakiness with simple consistency, he could (again) be a player to watch going into the upcoming season.
“He seems like he’s coming back or maybe hopefully for him this is his comeback time and we’ll see him even stronger next year,” said Federer, who is 8-7 against the Argentine, having lost the first five times they played on the ATP tour before turning things around.
Nalbandian is equally optimistic. "When I am physically and technically good, I can beat anybody."