Nadalites – Rafa Nadal Talk

[Nadalfan2013]

I came across this and I found it cool because it shows that they respect each others and that there is no bad blood between them…

 

[the AntiPusher]

He will be back and will even the score with Frances Tiafoe at AO 2023

 

[Kieran]

I wasn’t hugely surprised Rafa lost at the USO. He’d no preparation and he’s not the type of player to play himself into form in a major. Plus, Tiafoe had the right idea against him, which was too treat him with little respect and to persistently go for his shots. Tiafoe had nothing to lose, and Rafa can find this kind of player hard to brush off. At 3-1 up in the fourth, I thought, “about time”, but it wasn’t to be, and I doubt he played well enough that he deserved it to be. Tiafoe deserved it, and he followed it up with a great win against Rublev.

But Tiafoe then ran into the limits of his game and personality and everything else in the semis. He says he’s going to win the USO in the future, and that’s real pain talking, but this was his best chance, and he did great getting so far.

I don’t know what Rafa will do in the future. It’s almost like the future just barged in, in the form of Alcaraz, who’s the most exceptional teenager in decades. If Carlos recovers quick enough from his title win, he maybe impossible to stop for the next while…

 

[the AntiPusher]

I wasn’t hugely surprised Rafa lost at the USO. He’d no preparation and he’s not the type of player to play himself into form in a major. Plus, Tiafoe had the right idea against him, which was too treat him with little respect and to persistently go for his shots. Tiafoe had nothing to lose, and Rafa can find this kind of player hard to brush off. At 3-1 up in the fourth, I thought, “about time”, but it wasn’t to be, and I doubt he played well enough that he deserved it to be. Tiafoe deserved it, and he followed it up with a great win against Rublev.

But Tiafoe then ran into the limits of his game and personality and everything else in the semis. He says he’s going to win the USO in the future, and that’s real pain talking, but this was his best chance, and he did great getting so far.

I don’t know what Rafa will do in the future. It’s almost like the future just barged in, in the form of Alcaraz, who’s the most exceptional teenager in decades. If Carlos recovers quick enough from his title win, he maybe impossible to stop for the next while…

Good post Sir. Kieran, True that Rafa wasn't prepared for the USO as well as he needed to be. The huge red flag that I was worried about was his lack of preparation to get his service better but we all know that he was a bit jaded due to the abdominal strain muscle. I spoke with someone who mentioned there's no direct timeline for that area to heal. That being said, this was still a phenomenal year for Rafa. AO was a gift from the God's although ( I have stated it was a deal with the Devil jajaja) and another RG. He will be back and hopefully he will avoid IW next year and go straight to the clay court because that was a very unwise decision I felt at the time and now in hindsight.
Two closing points .. although Tiafoe won the match al credit to him , Rafa also said that he didn't put enough pressure on Tiafoe which my take away he was dropping the ball way too short ( how many times Sis @Moxie Moxie have we made that observation). Why ? Only Rafa and his team can explain.
Alcarez's victory as he said is without having Novak participating in the tournament, not facing a player like Rafa or Medvedev but Rudd played excellent. That being said , I would welcome the challenge of Carlos facing in my mind the new big 3 Rafa, Novak or Daniil's hardcourts excellence. Just my two cents worth.
Vamos

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Good post Sir. Kieran, True that Rafa wasn't prepared for the USO as well as he needed to be. The huge red flag that I was worried about was his lack of preparation to get his service better but we all know that he was a bit jaded due to the abdominal strain muscle. I spoke with someone who mentioned there's no direct timeline for that area to heal. That being said, this was still a phenomenal year for Rafa. AO was a gift from the God's although ( I have stated it was a deal with the Devil jajaja) and another RG. He will be back and hopefully he will avoid IW next year and go straight to the clay court because that was a very unwise decision I felt at the time and now in hindsight.
Two closing points .. although Tiafoe won the match al credit to him , Rafa also said that he didn't put enough pressure on Tiafoe which my take away he was dropping the ball way too short ( how many times Sis @Moxie Moxie have we made that observation). Why ? Only Rafa and his team can explain.
Alcarez's victory as he said is without having Novak participating in the tournament, not facing a player like Rafa or Medvedev but Rudd played excellent. That being said , I would welcome the challenge of Carlos facing in my mind the new big 3 Rafa, Novak or Daniil's hardcourts excellence. Just my two cents worth.
Vamos

Quite frankly if this wasnt a GS tournament I doubt Rafa would have turned up, it was obvious he was far from his best, probably thought like the rest of us he could play himself into some form.Even Moya said previously, they weren't going to Cincinnati, changed their minds, to see how Rafa would fare.
In saying that Rafa had an incredible year winning the AO was just amazing and then the icing on the cake his 14th title at Roland Garos, probably one of the greatest feats in any sport.

 

[Kieran]

Alcarez's victory as he said is without having Novak participating in the tournament, not facing a player like Rafa or Medvedev but Rudd played excellent. That being said , I would welcome the challenge of Carlos facing in my mind the new big 3 Rafa, Novak or Daniil's hardcourts excellence. Just my two cents worth.
Vamos

Alcaraz was on fire, I don’t think Novaks absence has any bearing on this. If Novak was there, he’s still not guaranteed to win. He’s won 1 USO since 2015. Let the Djokolytes make small of Carlos achievement, but we shouldn’t. Carlos at that age is the most gifted, in comparison with the Big 3…

 

[the AntiPusher]

Look at Novak's reco

Alcaraz was on fire, I don’t think Novaks absence has any bearing on this. If Novak was there, he’s still not guaranteed to win. He’s won 1 USO since 2015. Let the Djokolytes make small of Carlos achievement, but we shouldn’t. Carlos at that age is the most gifted, in comparison with the Big 3…

Look at Novak's record the past 5-6 years at the slams. Unless it was something odd like the incident at the USO incident with the lines woman, Novak's presence has been profound and if he wasn't the champion he was a major factor in the GS tournament. Carlo's opinion was accurate.

 

[TheSicilian]

Look at Novak's reco

Look at Novak's record the past 5-6 years at the slams. Unless it was something odd like the incident at the USO incident with the lines woman, Novak's presence has been profound and if he wasn't the champion he was a major factor in the GS tournament. Carlo's opinion was accurate.

Novak played last year's USO without Rafa or Fed in the draw and didn't win it. I think it's kinda unfair on CA to have his first GS title victory diminished because Novax didn't want to have a vaccine...

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Novak played last year's USO without Rafa or Fed in the draw and didn't win it. I think it's kinda unfair on CA to have his first GS title victory diminished because Novax didn't want to have a vaccine...

Also it is Novak's worst GS to date, so if he was allowed to play at the USO, who is to say he would win it for starters. It is very hypothetical statement

 

[Moxie]

Also it is Novak's worst GS to date, so if he was allowed to play at the USO, who is to say he would win it for starters. It is very hypothetical statement

Well, RG is, but I take your point. Anyone who downplays this USO because Djokovic chose not to make himself available is an idiot.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Well, RG is, but I take your point. Anyone who downplays this USO because Djokovic chose not to make himself available is an idiot.

Novak has won 3 USO finals though he has reached the finals nine times, ( won 2011, 2015, 2018)
Novak has won RG 2 times, he has appeared in the finals 6 times from 2012 - 2021.
Considering Djokovic's superior surface is hard courts, personally I find his USO weak, his worst, when you look at the ratio of Djokovic reaching the USO and how many times he has managed to win the USO.

 

[Kieran]

Look at Novak's reco

Look at Novak's record the past 5-6 years at the slams. Unless it was something odd like the incident at the USO incident with the lines woman, Novak's presence has been profound and if he wasn't the champion he was a major factor in the GS tournament. Carlo's opinion was accurate.

Look at his record at the USO, it’s not great over those years. Rafa has won 2 of the last 4 he’s played, I don’t remember anyone saying Danii got his last year because Rafa was injured. And Rafa has been a factor at all the slams too. When he hasn’t had to skip them through injury.

This has become a favourite weapon/cliche of the more deranged Novak fans, that there’s an asterisk behind the champions name in Australian and the US Opens, because Novak wasn’t there. So many Pinocchios on that one, brother…

 

[Fiero425]

Look at his record at the USO, it’s not great over those years. Rafa has won 2 of the last 4 he’s played, I don’t remember anyone saying Danii got his last year because Rafa was injured. And Rafa has been a factor at all the slams too. When he hasn’t had to skip them through injury.

This has become a favourite weapon/cliche of the more deranged Novak fans, that there’s an asterisk behind the champions name in Australian and the US Opens, because Novak wasn’t there. So many Pinocchios on that one, brother…

Well we have Nadal fanatics who don't ever want to give credit to anyone beating Rafa in Paris as if it's some "right of kings!" He owns the tournament so all others are pretenders! No one ever defeats Nadal, he must be injured or going thru something! Novak won't ever get a break, so I'll have to advocate for him!

 

[Kieran]

Well we have Nadal fanatics who don't ever want to give credit to anyone beating Rafa in Paris as if it's some "right of kings!" He owns the tournament so all others are pretenders! No one ever defeats Nadal, he must be injured or going thru something! Novak won't ever get a break, so I'll have to advocate for him!

Couple of things. That doesn’t address the deranged Djokolyte notion that he’s some sort of default setting at the US Open. He’s not. He’s won it once since 2015, so his absence isn’t in any sense influential. In fact, this was also said about his absence in Australia, where he’s much better there but still, wasn’t a shoo in.

Which brings me to Rafa at Paris - he’s a shoo in there generally, isn’t he? Toughest task in sports to beat him in a FO final. Nobody even took him to five. As for his injuries, they have affected him but I’m tired of hearing about them too. He gets asked about them and he replies but I’m already channel hopping soon as that question begins…

 

[the AntiPusher]

Novak has won 3 USO finals though he has reached the finals nine times, ( won 2011, 2015, 2018)
Novak has won RG 2 times, he has appeared in the finals 6 times from 2012 - 2021.
Considering Djokovic's superior surface is hard courts, personally I find his USO weak, his worst, when you look at the ratio of Djokovic reaching the USO and how many times he has managed to win the USO.

@TheSicilian Remember Carlos mentioned Novak's absence at the USO ..It takes a champion to admit that there's still was a possibility of a greater challenge. That's all I felt he was alluring too. Not that his victory was tainted. Entiendo mi amigo

 

[TheSicilian]

@TheSicilian Remember Carlos mentioned Novak's absence at the USO ..It takes a champion to admit that there's still was a possibility of a greater challenge. That's all I felt he was alluring too. Not that his victory was tainted. Entiendo mi amigo

I just feel it's kinda harsh on CA for him to even have them thoughts. Is he now going to be thinking until he has defeated Rafa or Novak in a slam it is not as special? The Novax fans all Sunday night & Monday put the Novax missing * over social media, maybe I'm wrong but I feel maybe CA or someone from his team saw some of these stupid messages and that influenced him to make the comments about Novax absence?

 

[Kieran]

I just feel it's kinda harsh on CA for him to even have them thoughts. Is he now going to be thinking until he has defeated Rafa or Novak in a slam it is not as special? The Novax fans all Sunday night & Monday put the Novax missing * over social media, maybe I'm wrong but I feel maybe CA or someone from his team saw some of these stupid messages and that influenced him to make the comments about Novax absence?

He might have been asked a loaded question and he replied politely…

 

[TheSicilian]

He might have been asked a loaded question and he replied politely…

Or Novak who? I beat him in Madrid It would be fun to see some kid come out of nowhere beat Novak and then just trash talk him every time Novak was mentioned Maybe Rune could be the guy

 

[the AntiPusher]

I just feel it's kinda harsh on CA for him to even have them thoughts. Is he now going to be thinking until he has defeated Rafa or Novak in a slam it is not as special? The Novax fans all Sunday night & Monday put the Novax missing * over social media, maybe I'm wrong but I feel maybe CA or someone from his team saw some of these stupid messages and that influenced him to make the comments about Novax absence?

I think maybe you and Kieran are putting too much into this .Carlos is a competitor and just maybe being too respectful for y'all taste to one of the Greats..AO will be a great beginning of the season, Rafa is the defending champion, it's Novak's haven but he has to resolve his ViSA status, Carlos is the number one rank player and Daniil's game has went walkabout for lack of a better word..Still a long time til Mid January but for me the tennis season is OVER.

 

[Kieran]

I think maybe you and Kieran are putting too much into this .Carlos is a competitor and just maybe being too respectful for y'all taste to one of the Greats..

Yeah, we get it that he’s being respectful. He’s being polite. It doesn’t mean that anyone has to think that Novaks absence has any place in a discussion about Carlos victory, which unfortunately a lot of dolts on social media think it does…