Verdasco, the talent amidst clichés

Surely, if we were to ask people what they think of Fernando Verdasco, many would bring up one of the phrases that has haunted him throughout his career. “With Nadal's mindset, he would have won 10 Grand Slams”. Precisely, the Madrilenian always struggled to shake off that mentally weak label and the comparisons with a Rafa who was a god in Spain and the rest of the world affected him greatly. With his weaknesses and strengths, Verdasco did what he could to leave a career with many ups and downs, but with a peak still remembered by all.

From a young age, Verdasco stood out for his power. That massive drive he possessed that caused a lot of damage to his opponents, but Fer was a player with a DNA strongly marked to always go forward with everything. Regardless of what happened, that beastly ball he played with made him walk a very fine line always, and that's why he didn't achieve great results in his early years.

In fact, Fer didn't reach beyond the fourth round in a Grand Slam until 2009. With the quality he had, many couldn't understand why he didn't succeed, and that cursed phrase kept coming back or they said he was a “wasted talent”. It was clear that something was wrong, but you have to put yourself in the context of those years, where Nadal was placed on a pedestal and everyone else lived a bit in his shadow, receiving a lot of pressure from not being able to be like him. But of course, there was only one Rafa, and that was difficult to handle mentally when you're just 23 years old. That harmed a Verdasco who couldn't meet the expectations that were generated about him in those years.

It was obvious that he was going to come out on the losing end in a comparison with Nadal. There are only two types who can challenge Rafa's superiority throughout history. But for Verdasco, his turning point was going to come at the most unexpected moment for him: at the end of 2008.

That year, Spain qualified for the Davis Cup final. Nadal, the world number 1, arrived injured at the end of the year and announced his withdrawal from the tie for the Davis Cup. As if that weren't enough, a small internal crisis shook the team's well-being, with the choice of Emilio Sánchez Vicario as captain by Pedro Muñoz. The players were asking for Albert Costa, and let's say things weren't going well. With a somewhat tense atmosphere, without Nadal and facing Argentina on their turf.

Nobody expected anything from Spain, and Nalbandian's first point against Ferrer seemed to confirm that. Feliciano unexpectedly gave Spain the first point against a totally unrecognizable Del Potro and leveled everything. The next day, Feli and Fer would team up for the doubles. The Argentine crowd at the Islas Filipinas Polideportivo Stadium tried to unsettle Verdasco, chanting the now-famous “Verdasco is scared, Verdasco is scared,” knowing that could throw him off the game. Not at all.

The Spanish pair won the second point of the final, and Emilio saw Verdasco so confident that he put him ahead of Ferrer to play the fourth point. Fer became, unexpectedly, Spain's hero to secure our third Davis Cup. Feeling like the team leader and having overcome his fears amidst a hostile crowd made him turn into a different player. We still pinch ourselves at what Spain achieved that weekend in Argentina.

That transformed Fer into a different player.

With confidence soaring and feeling invincible, Verdasco defeated opponents in the 2009 Australian Open with astonishing ease. He beat Stepanek 6-4 6-0 6-0 in the third round and defeated Murray in five sets in the round of 16. We're talking about a Murray who was already among the world's best at that time, then beat Tsonga in the quarterfinals. An unbeatable tournament, facing Rafa in the semifinals.

The Madrilenian played the best match we would ever see in his career. He faced the benchmark, the leader, the one everyone supported. Surely, 99% of Spanish households that morning supported Rafa and treated Fer as if he were a foreigner. That Verdasco was different. The level he displayed in that match is still remembered. I'm not lying when I say it may be one of the top 10 matches in history. If you haven't seen it or have forgotten, look it up on YouTube and enjoy.

Nadal needed five sets and almost five hours to defeat Verdasco (6-7(7), 6-4, 7-6(2), 6-7(7), 6-4) and give us a duel for the ages. “It was the best match I ever played in my life,” Verdasco said years later. He pushed one of the best Nadals we've seen to the limit. A lot of credit to him. The problem for him is precisely that his best match was a defeat. We wish we had seen that same level or better on more occasions, but for whatever reason, it couldn't happen.

And that's sports. There's no explanation for things. There's no 2 + 2 equals 4. Verdasco had a prime. Short, but so high that we're almost talking about a possible madness. Because if Rafa hadn't brought out that version that night and Verdasco had reached the final, who knows what we would be talking about now. Despite everything, he had an extraordinary 2009, making it to the ATP Finals and reaching number 7 in the world in 2010, winning the title in Barcelona.

What if Verdasco had Nadal's mindset? Many still wonder. They should know one thing. There's only one Nadal's mindset. It's unfair to talk about ‘What if…’, because everyone plays with the cards they're dealt. Verdasco showed in 2009 and 2010 that he wasn't mentally weak, just inferior to the monsters we all know, but that doesn't mean he was bad. 

He could have achieved more, surely, but within his means, Verdasco closes his career with 7 titles, a world number 7 ranking, and three Davis Cups that many would sign for. Additionally, he was part of one of the most epic matches in history. The misfortune of facing a beast like Nadal. Quite an achievement.

He bids farewell in Doha, in the doubles draw and on an outdoor court. Perhaps it wasn't what Verdasco deserved, but that's how he has chosen it. He hadn't planned on announcing his retirement and played this tournament because Djokovic proposed it, to put an end. Special even for that, we could say. 
 

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