Borna Coric may already be out of the US Open, but he showed talent, maturity, and potential beyond his 18 years of age out on Arthur Ashe Stadium against Rafael Nadal. Nadal showed more of his former self during this first round match. He stayed on the basement, moved up when he could, and was completely comfortable with his down-the-line forehand. The young Croatian didn’t stand a chance of winning last night’s match, but he definitely showed that he will be a force to be reckoned with in the future. Here’s why I say this:
Coric is only 18 years old, but he showed maturity and adaptation skills beyond his years. He lost the first two sets fairly quickly to Nadal. Rather than let the match completely get away from him though, Coric focused on executing his game plan more accurately. All of a sudden, we saw more balls targeting the Nadal backhand. He forced Nadal to engage in crosscourt rallies between his own forehand and Nadal’s backhand. Coric also focused on his serve to keep Nadal guessing, mixing in slice serves out wide and flat serves into Nadal and down the middle.
Coric’s biggest downfall last night was his 18 year-old physique. He is currently a tall gangly kid in pro tennis standards. He has a great serve that will only get more powerful when he gets more weight behind it. He moves well, but was pushed back by Nadal’s power and spin. When he gets stronger, he will actually be able to absorb the power and use it against his opponents. He has the heart and he has the mind. Now, his body just needs to catch up.
