"Rafael Nadal still looking to evolve" says coach Carlos Moya

Rafael Nadal is not yet done with tennis and he demonstrated that during the Australian Open ending up with the trophy.

It was grand slam number 21 for Nadal and he became the first player ever to do it. It came with a stunning comeback against a player who is a decade younger and it proved Nadal still has what it takes. His coach Carlos Moya had a front-row seat to the action and explained Nadal's mindset:

“What Rafa is looking for is to be competitive and continue to evolve. It is true that over time you lose physique, speed or explosiveness, but you are smarter and handle situations better. I always said that Rafa is one of the most intelligent players on the court, one of those who read the games best, the one who is most suited to having a Plan B, a Plan C… “

It took quite a few plans to down Daniil Medvedev but Rafael Nadal found a way as he often does. Asked about the future Moya said it's important to stay present explaining it on the example of the Australian Open:

"What I can assure you is that in Australia we never talked about #21. Although it was on the horizon, you knew it could happen. Talking about it would have meant more pressure than he already had. We do not feed that debate, we leave it to the press and the tennis fans. Rafa is happy with what he has, he will be just as happy if he finishes with 21 and Djokovic with 25. It’s not good to obsess; yes get motivated Obviously, he is not going to give up on 22, if the opportunity arises he will fight for him, but it is a debate that, with all of them still active, does not make much sense.”