Christian Alshon is known for the tweener, JW Johnson for his backhand flick, and Connor Garnett for the twoey. Now, Camila Zilveti has made a case for her own signature move: the Nasty Nelson.

The Nasty Nelson happens when a player serves the ball and intentionally hits the opposing player who isn’t returning the serve. Because it targets an unprepared opponent, it’s widely viewed as unsportsmanlike—hence the name.

Zane Navratil has also been associated with the shot, but recently Zilveti has been executing it more frequently. She’s even been seen practicing it on recreational courts.

“I always wanted to have a signature shot, and I wanted it to be a shot that I could go for once per game. To me, it’s fair game. I’m trying to make Nasty Nelsons fun. They’re not nasty, they’re just silly. It’s more of a check and see if my opponent is paying attention,” explained Zilveti.

“The Nasty Nelson isn’t known for being the most sportsmanlike shot, and while I agree with it, I also think that if everyone knows you’re going for it, then it becomes something that’s embarrassing for the opponent because they got hit and they knew it was coming.” 

Zilveti went on to describe a recent instance at the Greater Zion Cup where she used the shot in competition.

“For example, I played against Gio Morelli and Rafael Lenhard and they said they had been practicing dodging the Nasty Nelson since they saw me doing it last tournament so they were ready. Then, Gio wasn’t paying attention and I got her. She was so embarrassed,” recounted Zilveti.

“When you hit a Nasty Nelson, you get in people’s heads rent free for three shots after. When I hit one in Mesa against Chris Haworth, he missed the next return because he was so flustered. I’m not saying I can’t win without those mind tricks, but it doesn’t hurt. Given my ranking, I have room to be more creative with my shots.”

In fact, she’s even been practicing Nasty Nelsons during recreational play. 

“I put bounties on my friends, my husband, even myself,” she mentioned. “I’ve said that if you can hit me, you get a dollar. I’ve gotten most of my friends doing it now, especially in rec.”

If you’re looking to execute a Nasty Nelson as effectively as Zilveti, she recommends a few key strategies.

“Go for it when your opponents are switching sides because they’re more concerned about the switch and not that you might hit a Nasty Nelson,” said Zilveti. “I aim for about 70% of their body on the side away from the court because naturally when people dodge, they dodge away from the court. And it’s all about timing. You don’t want to make eye contact with them because then they know what you’re doing, so you have to use your peripheral vision and aim for that 70%.”

And if you want a full deep dive on how to hit a Nasty Nelson, check out this video from Ava Ignatowich:

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