2020 Predictions and Speculations

[the AntiPusher]

nadal tennis IQ is the highest in tennis history he's game such a masterpiece that it makes you fell in love with tennis nadal the reason why more people started watching tennis.

I would think that may be a bit too high however if you're referring to problem solving, my top tier list would include Borg, Sampras, Federer (the GOAT), Djokervic, McEnroe, Connors, Wilander and Laver..right next to Rafa's ability.

 

[the AntiPusher]

View attachment 2852
ImJimmy..it's always good to hear from you and read your perspective on the the top 3. If all hold true barring any unforeseen injuries, it will come down to the big 3 and another..Can Rafa survive if he has to endure a possibility of a semi matchup vs Roger and Novak in the final at AO 2020

Don't leave me hanging ImJimmy..What does Rafa have to do to finally get pass Roger's gatekeeper of his grandslam legacy.(Novak)

 

[britbox]

nadal tennis IQ is the highest in tennis history he's game such a masterpiece that it makes you fell in love with tennis nadal the reason why more people started watching tennis.

I take it you never saw much of Mats Wilander.

 

[the AntiPusher]

I take it you never saw much of Mats Wilander.

Thanks BB..I just updated my list

 

[Bonaca]

Don't leave me hanging ImJimmy..What does Rafa have to do to finally get pass Roger's gatekeeper of his grandslam legacy.(Novak)

Hey you must know the rule:
Sorcerers do not betray their tricks

 

[Andy22]

I take it you never saw much of Mats Wilander.

sorry I never did see him play he was before my time I take it wilander was a very smart tennis player.

 

[brokenshoelace]

I take it you never saw much of Mats Wilander.

Mats was definitely a problem solver. It's hard to measure tennis IQ but to me Nadal is the best I've ever seen in that sense. To be fair, Mats never had the weapons Nadal has, meaning he was even more reliant on his tennis mind especially against more talented players with bigger weapons. His US Open final win over Lendl was really a tactical masterpiece.

 

[the AntiPusher]

sorry I never did see him play he was before my time I take it wilander was a very smart tennis player.

Mats won 7 Grand slams with an below avg serve, backhand , forehand and etc..But he was a bigger version of David Ferrer....Mats was the ultimate grinder during that period he played ( did I get it correctly BB)

 

[imjimmy]

Jimmy, this is an excellent post, and I agree with most of it. My quibbles are with what I bolded above. Nadal has lost something in speed, but he's still pretty fast. And strong, I think. But he's made a conscious decision to save his knees, for sure, and the rest of his body, by playing shorter matches when he can, via tactical changes, the endless work on the serve, and other ways you say that he's varied his game. It's a smart choice, it has helped him as the game evolves, and it has almost surely prolonged his career. As to the other bolded, and following on, I think he can rely on his willpower (as @Bonaca mentioned above,) which leads on to stamina, when required, such as in the recent Medvedev match, but he knows he doesn't want to/can't have to do that every match. I actually think his head, his determination, can take him farther than his body would like, but he has definitely realized where that leads. Starting even in '09, the body complains, and breaks down. I think he's been working on a better equilibrium ever since, but it seems that Moyà has been the kick in the pants that was really needed.

Thanks Moxie. Yes, Nadal is strong and fast even now. Obviously. But he is still not close to being the physical beast he was in 2008/2010/2013. That's in the past. There were matches like 5+ years ago, where Rafa would outlast his opponents. He would intimidate them with their physicality. That is no longer the case. Most of the recent longer matches I've seen, it is Rafa who has been outmatched from an endurance, speed, movement perspective. We've seen it against Novak regularly, against Fed in AO 17 and Wimb 19, even against Thiem and then against Medvedev in the UsOpen. When he's pulled of these matches (vs Medvedev in the UsOpen and Thiem in the French) - it's because he's stepped up his game viz increased aggression and varied his tactics.

My point is that Nadal is winning very differently from how he used to before. And people are failing to understand that, as Rafa has always been associated with grinding, defense, endurance and physicality. I don't know if you saw his matches in the Davis cup last week. But IMO that's one of the very FEW times he actually played as he practices. Which is to say basically hitting the cover of the ball. He was standing in on the baseline - taking the ball early, rushing to the net and serving big. Nadal's off-forehand is a great shot, but it becomes devastating when he starts to stand in redirecting the ball inside out - down the line, and taking time away from his opponent. Almost Federer like.
Suddenly his opponent doesn't know where he will go nor has any time to react. Then Nadal obviously is closing the net better than I've ever seen him. Complimenting everything by flattening out his backhand especially down the line.This is what he is capable off.

I don't know how much this has to do with Moya. He's done this under Toni and Roig too: Nadal's had flashes of brilliance before, when he starts to hit flatter and crushes the ball as he does in practice. It's likely got to do with the confidence on being able to persist with this game as opposed to the default with higher % tennis with more kick and net clearance.. Whatever it is, he needs to do more of this for next year as Novak/Fed come back with a vengeance and the next gen gets better and stronger.

 

[the AntiPusher]

Thanks Moxie. Yes, Nadal is strong and fast even now. Obviously. But he is still not close to being the physical beast he was in 2008/2010/2013. That's in the past. There were matches like 5+ years ago, where Rafa would outlast his opponents. He would intimidate them with their physicality. That is no longer the case. Most of the recent longer matches I've seen, it is Rafa who has been outmatched from an endurance, speed, movement perspective. We've seen it against Novak regularly, against Fed in AO 17 and Wimb 19, even against Thiem and then against Medvedev in the UsOpen. When he's pulled of these matches (vs Medvedev in the UsOpen and Thiem in the French) - it's because he's stepped up his game viz increased aggression and varied his tactics.

My point is that Nadal is winning very differently from how he used to before. And people are failing to understand that, as Rafa has always been associated with grinding, defense, endurance and physicality. I don't know if you saw his matches in the Davis cup last week. But IMO that's one of the very FEW times he actually played as he practices. Which is to say basically hitting the cover of the ball. He was standing in on the baseline - taking the ball early, rushing to the net and serving big. Nadal's off-forehand is a great shot, but it becomes devastating when he starts to stand in redirecting the ball inside out - down the line, and taking time away from his opponent. Almost Federer like.
Suddenly his opponent doesn't know where he will go nor has any time to react. Then Nadal obviously is closing the net better than I've ever seen him. Complimenting everything by flattening out his backhand especially down the line.This is what he is capable off.

I don't know how much this has to do with Moya. He's done this under Toni and Roig too: Nadal's had flashes of brilliance before, when he starts to hit flatter and crushes the ball as he does in practice. It's likely got to do with the confidence on being able to persist with this game as opposed to the default with higher % tennis with more kick and net clearance.. Whatever it is, he needs to do more of this for next year as Novak/Fed come back with a vengeance and the next gen gets better and stronger.

what..”Nadal can has the ability to hit the ball flatter off both wings”..who would EVER imagine that was a remote possibility at best””. ( no need to go down that road again “

Very good post and I would agree, endurance of all things cost him in these grandslam semis and final matches..fortunately he has been able to win 50% (base on the 4 matches you listed in your post). I didn’t get an opportunity to watch any of his DC matches but it sounds like he played with as he describes so often “with Calm”..that’s paramount because I feel it’s the only way he can win AO & Wimbledon vs Novak and Roger.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Roger gets the single year grand slam and walks off into the sunset with his ON shoes on...

 

[Jelenafan]

Mats was definitely a problem solver. It's hard to measure tennis IQ but to me Nadal is the best I've ever seen in that sense. To be fair, Mats never had the weapons Nadal has, meaning he was even more reliant on his tennis mind especially against more talented players with bigger weapons. His US Open final win over Lendl was really a tactical masterpiece.

If you compare the Mats who won the 82 FO with the 88 version, you would swear it was two different players. Mats at the USO was coming to net, being opportunistically aggressive in ways that the earlier counterpunching baseliner version wouldn’t dream of.

People tend to forget Wilander won 2 AO on bad uneven grass. He probably was the male player who most transformed his game (already as an adult) in the Open Era.

 

[Nadalfan2013]

Are some of you really comparing the great Rafael Nadal to Mats Willander? Sorry but Nadal cannot be compared to anyone, he’s a tennis God. In fact if God himself decided to come to Earth and play tennis, he would just copy Rafa’s game shot for shot.

 

[Moxie]

Are some of you really comparing the great Rafael Nadal to Mats Willander? Sorry but Nadal cannot be compared to anyone, he’s a tennis God. In fact if God himself decided to come to Earth and play tennis, he would just copy Rafa’s game shot for shot.

Ipecac is less vomit-enducing than this post, and I say this as a Nadal fan. But trolling is trolling, and yet, even still, this post stands out as rather uniquely grotesque.

 

[Bonaca]

Are some of you really comparing the great Rafael Nadal to Mats Willander? Sorry but Nadal cannot be compared to anyone, he’s a tennis God. In fact if God himself decided to come to Earth and play tennis, he would just copy Rafa’s game shot for shot.

Then also God would have a negative h2h against Novak! Not that bad. I like it.

 

[Andy22]

Are some of you really comparing the great Rafael Nadal to Mats Willander? Sorry but Nadal cannot be compared to anyone, he’s a tennis God. In fact if God himself decided to come to Earth and play tennis, he would just copy Rafa’s game shot for shot.

your right not even god can play at level of tennis nadal does, he's tennis is work of art masterpiece which nobody can come close to, nadal like the jesus of tennis.

 

[Jelenafan]

Well I do think Stefan Edberg’s BH volley was divine-like but I digress.

Fedalovic finished 2019 in the top ranking, when will the first year be when none of them are in the top 3. Im not willing to bet the farm on 2020.

 

[Nadalfan2013]

Then also God would have a negative h2h against Novak! Not that bad. I like it.

God told me to tell you that Rafa leads Novak 9-6 in slams h2h which are by far the most important

 

[Front242]

Well I do think Stefan Edberg’s BH volley was divine-like but I digress.

Fedalovic finished 2019 in the top ranking, when will the first year be when none of them are in the top 3. Im not willing to bet the farm on 2020.

2020 top 6

1. Medvedev
2. Nadal
3. Djokovic
4. Tsitsipas
5. Thiem
6. Federer

4/5/6 could go either way as could 2 or 3.

 

[Andy22]

2020 top 6

1. Medvedev
2. Nadal
3. Djokovic
4. Tsitsipas
5. Thiem
6. Federer

4/5/6 could go either way as could 2 or 3.

at least you put nadal ahead of Federer-Djokovic even you know nadal masterpiece game+god level tennis going to keep him in top 2 for next season with nadal owning next gen RG rogers cup,rome monte carlo madrd us open ect…… but anyway if you was as smart like nadalfan2013 you would know nadal going to end number no.1 next year not Medvedev.