Nadalites – Rafa Nadal Talk

[Kieran]

He’s kinda limping home, isn’t he? Doubtful for Madrid, no play since January, and barely anything at all since last years Wimbledon. I’m not saying it’s impossible that he wins Paris but I also can’t see a way for him to win it. If he plays Rome he’ll be as rusty as an old sunken ship, and then he’ll have to be sharp in the early rounds at RG, to deter the hungry scalp hunters and remind everyone else of what he can do. It all seems anti-science and anti-reason at the moment…

 

[the AntiPusher]

He’s kinda limping home, isn’t he? Doubtful for Madrid, no play since January, and barely anything at all since last years Wimbledon. I’m not saying it’s impossible that he wins Paris but I also can’t see a way for him to win it. If he plays Rome he’ll be as rusty as an old sunken ship, and then he’ll have to be sharp in the early rounds at RG, to deter the hungry scalp hunters and remind everyone else of what he can do. It all seems anti-science and anti-reason at the moment…

Remember last year he was dealing with the fractured bone in his ribcage.. really didn't play a lot of matches until Rome..I will Always 24/7 have hope that Rafa and his medical team will find a way to be ready for RG.

 

[Kieran]

Remember last year he was dealing with the fractured bone in his ribcage.. really didn't play a lot of matches until Rome..I will Always 24/7 have hope that Rafa and his medical team will find a way to be ready for RG.

He needs more than a medical team, unfortunately. He needs a Time Machine. Last year he was coming off a great win in Australia, he was injured but had a great hard court run until the final at IW. He was playing, in other words. Now he’s a year older, and he’s not playing. So he might turn up in Paris injury free, but that’s not enough. He’s going to be lucky if that’s the case, but physical fitness isn’t match fitness. He’s got no games under his belt and there’s no guarantee he’ll get any in either Madrid or Rome.

And he’s got no form he can point to since last Wimbledon.

I was hoping he was keeping himself for clay and he’d work his way in. Skipping MC and Barcelona suggests he’s nowhere near ready to play. He used to be able to win both of them at 70%…

 

[tented]

He needs more than a medical team, unfortunately. He needs a Time Machine. Last year he was coming off a great win in Australia, he was injured but had a great hard court run until the final at IW. He was playing, in other words. Now he’s a year older, and he’s not playing. So he might turn up in Paris injury free, but that’s not enough. He’s going to be lucky if that’s the case, but physical fitness isn’t match fitness. He’s got no games under his belt and there’s no guarantee he’ll get any in either Madrid or Rome.

And he’s got no form he can point to since last Wimbledon.

I was hoping he was keeping himself for clay and he’d work his way in. Skipping MC and Barcelona suggests he’s nowhere near ready to play. He used to be able to win both of them at 70%…

I‘m holding out *some* hope based on his pre-RG results last year. (See below.) No MC, no Barcelona. But, as you mention, he’s a year older and had better results leading up to the clay season. Years ago he said he doesn’t enter a tournament unless he thinks he can win it. Given his incredible history at RG, I don’t think he would even go unless he felt he has a chance at the title. I don’t see him going if he thinks there’s a good chance of losing in the 2nd round, for example.

 

[the AntiPusher]

He needs more than a medical team, unfortunately. He needs a Time Machine. Last year he was coming off a great win in Australia, he was injured but had a great hard court run until the final at IW. He was playing, in other words. Now he’s a year older, and he’s not playing. So he might turn up in Paris injury free, but that’s not enough. He’s going to be lucky if that’s the case, but physical fitness isn’t match fitness. He’s got no games under his belt and there’s no guarantee he’ll get any in either Madrid or Rome.

And he’s got no form he can point to since last Wimbledon.

I was hoping he was keeping himself for clay and he’d work his way in. Skipping MC and Barcelona suggests he’s nowhere near ready to play. He used to be able to win both of them at 70%…

I think if he had ruled out MC and BARC earlier I would have been concerned.. Kieran I think as you mentioned he is older now and he is just "pacing" himself for a lack of a better word.

 

[tented]

I think if he had ruled out MC and BARC earlier I would have been concerned.. Kieran I think as you mentioned he is older now and he is just "pacing" himself for a lack of a better word.

I definitely didn’t think he would win RG last year, after having won just three matches on clay before going to Paris (and remember how horrible he seemed in the Shapovalov match?). But he did. Hopefully he can do the same this year. He’s clearly pacing himself and trying to be absolutely certain he’s in the best possible condition for RG.

 

[Kieran]

I think if he had ruled out MC and BARC earlier I would have been concerned.. Kieran I think as you mentioned he is older now and he is just "pacing" himself for a lack of a better word.

I’ll actually concerned because he ruled them out later. He’s plainly not close to being fit. And he’s hardly played in about 9 months. It’s not about being fit now, he’s running out of track to get match fit. And he’s going to be 37 in Paris. Everything is against him, except his record at RG, but even that wasn’t built under these conditions….

 

[the AntiPusher]

I definitely didn’t think he would win RG last year, after having won just three matches on clay before going to Paris (and remember how horrible he seemed in the Shapovalov match?). But he did. Hopefully he can do the same this year. He’s clearly pacing himself and trying to be absolutely certain he’s in the best possible condition for RG.

I felt that he could win RG last year even though he was about 85-90 percent although FAA scared the living boo boo out of me. Again, that's the best 5 set match I have EVER seen anyone play Rafa. Rafa's level in the 5 set has NEVER been achieved or witness by us. Let's not discount Rafa's Tennis IQ and knowing exactly the limitations of his body. The hip injury would have concerned me more if he had surgery. I think because its Rafa's body and another soft tissue injury, the concerned LEVEL is elevated. Let's trust the Rafa process.

 

[Jelenafan]

Is Rafa doing full practices?

My question: Is the injury not actually healed or is his physical conditioning not there yet because of the time it took for the injury to heal?

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I felt that he could win RG last year even though he was about 85-90 percent although FAA scared the living boo boo out of me. Again, that's the best 5 set match I have EVER seen anyone play Rafa. Rafa's level in the 5 set has NEVER been achieved or witness by us. Let's not discount Rafa's Tennis IQ and knowing exactly the limitations of his body. The hip injury would have concerned me more if he had surgery. I think because its Rafa's body and another soft tissue injury, the concerned LEVEL is elevated. Let's trust the Rafa process.

My main concern will be his ranking? it is no 15 now, Ferrer said yesterday Rafa would have one more practice to see if he would be ready to return to Barcelona,he is not ready,to me it is still a worry, hopefully he can come back in Madrid, I know as Rafa fans we would like him not to play Madrid. though remember last year he did return to Madrid.

 

[the AntiPusher]

My main concern will be his ranking? it is no 15 now, Ferrer said yesterday Rafa would have one more practice to see if he would be ready to return to Barcelona,he is not ready,to me it is still a worry, hopefully he can come back in Madrid, I know as Rafa fans we would like him not to play Madrid. though remember last year he did return to Madrid.

I'm not concerned about his ranking..As long as he knows and able to raise his level to the level he did against FAA he will be ok.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I'm not concerned about his ranking..As long as he knows and able to raise his level to the level he did against FAA he will be ok.

Well we shall see, I just want him back on the court fit and healthy, his movement to me is still not 100% from the video's I have watched via Twitter

 

[the AntiPusher]

Well we shall see, I just want him back on the court fit and healthy, his movement to me is still not 100% from the video's I have watched via Twitter

Send Us the videos please Miss Margaret

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Send Us the videos please Miss Margaret

I just see them now and again on Twitter, and dont last long on Twitter, I suggest you view Twitter and maybe you will catch one of Rafa's practice matches

 

[the AntiPusher]

This was a few weeks ago

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

AP,

If you follow on Twitter Fran@rafalewis she is showing Rafa at practice hitting dtls today movement is better

 

[Moxie]

I definitely didn’t think he would win RG last year, after having won just three matches on clay before going to Paris (and remember how horrible he seemed in the Shapovalov match?). But he did. Hopefully he can do the same this year. He’s clearly pacing himself and trying to be absolutely certain he’s in the best possible condition for RG.

I have been reading this thread, but have been a little too depressed to respond right away. I appreciate everything that @Kieran is saying, and he's not wrong, at least not wrong to say it. But I still take heart in what you put up about how little he played before he won RG last year. Again. I would add that in 2020, after winning Acapulco in late Feb., he didn't play again until mid-September. Sure, that's 3 years younger and less-battered, but he played 3 matches in that delayed Rome event, losing the QF to Schwartzman, and then won RG, with so much against him, (worse weather conditions, heavier balls, closed roof,) beating Novak badly (greatly!) in the final.

I know I'm trying to be Susie Sunshine, here, but he's amazed us and the world before. I take @MargaretMcAleer's point about where his ranking will be, but I still think that should make the rest of the field nervous, more than Rafa. That said, he could likely use some help from the draw gods in the first week.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I am concerned of Rafa's present ranking of no #15 that was on Monday 10th of April, who knows what his ranking will be come around when RG starts? he will be turning 37, at RG, we can wish all we want for a good draw, he has not played a tournament in 3 months, he is still not 100%, his movement is better, though he needs more lateral movement especially on clay.

 

[Kieran]

I am concerned of Rafa's present ranking of no #15 that was on Monday 10th of April, who knows what his ranking will be come around when RG starts? he will be turning 37, at RG, we can wish all we want for a good draw, he has not played a tournament in 3 months, he is still not 100%, his movement is better, though he needs more lateral movement especially on clay.

He could be ranked so low he faces Carlos or Novak in the round of 32, which is too much to ask. Remember in 2015 he was in terrible form and Novak easily beat him in the quarters? I think your mention of his ranking is another reason to wonder if we’re watching a great player in the final twitch of his dotage. Roger was ‘only’ 36 when he won Australia in 2018, and he went into it after a blazing 2017..

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

He could be ranked so low he faces Carlos or Novak in the round of 32, which is too much to ask. Remember in 2015 he was in terrible form and Novak easily beat him in the quarters? I think your mention of his ranking is another reason to wonder if we’re watching a great player in the final twitch of his dotage. Roger was ‘only’ 36 when he won Australia in 2018, and he went into it after a blazing 2017..

I dont mean to be a Debbie Downer, I am a 'realist' I have to be in my profession and I guess that rolls over personally in ways.
The first week of any GS you dont want to be having 5 sets matches, conserving energy for the 2nd week at a slam, it is then if you have to go 5 sets, your energy and game is there, especially at age 37.
Yes I remember that match in 2015.
I dont want Rafa to rush back, under any circumstances, he still has time, I will try to remain more positive.