Rafa fans: Which tournament do you want more?

[El Dude]

Which of the listed tournaments do you most want to see Rafa win one more of? "Any and all" is not an answer. You can pretended that it may be the last big title he wins...the point is, which do you want most for his resume?

If you are not a Rafa fan, feel free to participate but instead vote for which title you think Rafa most needs to strengthen his career resume and/or what he wants most.

 

[El Dude]

I'm personally torn between the AO to complete a double career Slam--something no one has done in the Open Era--and the World Tour Finals, the single biggest hole in is resume. I suppose the double career Slam would be the most impressive, but I have a feeling that Novak will also get there, which will diminish its value slightly (because of two people doing it). But the WTF is a big gap in his resume, especially considering how dominant his two best peers have been there. Hmm...

 

[Kieran]

Oz for the 2nd career slam, or Wimbledon, to become the only player to win three slams on clay, grass and hards. Currently he stands on two each, with Mats...

 

[shawnbm]

^ Did Mats win SW19 three times??? I don't recall that. At any rate, either one of the above would be great, but a career slam twice over would mean he would stand alone and share the record with no one, even though I also tend to think Ol' Mister Djoker will likely do that soon. Poor Wodge, to coin a certain Dubliner's phrase, will only be able to look back and lament he played the Spanish Bull at the height of his powers all those years ago and was thereby denied the double career slam!

 

[shawnbm]

I just looked again and must correct myself--Mats won 2 Wimbledons--okay

 

[shawnbm]

Not winning the special event of the top 8 against each other at the end of the year is definitely my strong second pick--a la El Dude. Beating the best in such a lucrative and prestigious event with a great history dating back to the Seventies is one that Rafa really needs as well. Oh I love that event--the top guys battling each other all week, with no walkovers or easy outs. Tough stuff to end the year and make a statement going into the next year.

 

[El Dude]

^ Did Mats win SW19 three times??? I don't recall that. At any rate, either one of the above would be great, but a career slam twice over would mean he would stand alone and share the record with no one, even though I also tend to think Ol' Mister Djoker will likely do that soon. Poor Wodge, to coin a certain Dubliner's phrase, will only be able to look back and lament he played the Spanish Bull at the height of his powers all those years ago and was thereby denied the double career slam!

Or rather a quadruple Slam. If Rafa had become a fisherman instead of the greatest clay court player of all time (sorry, Bjorn), Roger would probably have won 3 or 4 more French Opens to go along with his 4+ in everything else.

It is an interesting thing to consider: Rafael Nadal single-handedly kept Roger from compiling career accomplishments that would have made him the easy pick for GOAT. No Rafa, and Roger easily has 20-22 Slam titles.

 

[Carol]

Definitely I wish he would win this next AO which was almost in his hands two years ego and he couldn't because his back injury and since then his game/mind has been a roller coaster, it would be a release for him

 

[Kieran]

^ Did Mats win SW19 three times??? I don't recall that.

Mats won 2 slams on grass (Oz 1983 & 1984), 3 on clay (FO 1982, 1985, 1988) and 2 on hards (Oz and USO in 1988). Him and Rafa are the only players to have achieved this. If Rafa won another Wimbo, he'd have 3 on each surface...

 

[the AntiPusher]

AO..that's all I will say because you said I needed to grow up when all I did was just responding to another poster's message.

 

[shawnbm]

I forgot about the AO still being on grass into the Eighties, but that was the time most of the big guns were skipping it until it moved to the beginning of the year.

 

[Kieran]

I forgot about the AO still being on grass into the Eighties, but that was the time most of the big guns were skipping it until it moved to the beginning of the year.

That's true, to an extent, but he beat Mac in the semis one year, and Lendl in the final. Not too shoddy!

 

[El Dude]

I forgot about the AO still being on grass into the Eighties, but that was the time most of the big guns were skipping it until it moved to the beginning of the year.

The AO was generally quite inferior to the other Slams until it moved to January in the late 80s, 1987 to be exact, but it really fluctuated year-to-year. Some years it was like a glorified ATP 500, others it was quite strong.

Wilander's 1983 title was a pretty strong year, with three of the four top ranked players of the year playing (McEnroe, Lendl, Wilander). After those three it got weaker, with no year-end top 10 players but was still solid.

McEnroe didn't play in 1984 but otherwise it was similar, with some future stars playing: Cash, Edberg, Mecir.

Compare that to Kriek's two years, 1981-82, when not a single top 10 player played in 1982 and only a fading Vilas and a decent McNamara played in 1981 among top 10 players.

To make a long story short, Wilander's three AO titles were all during strong years and worthy Slam titles.

 

[rafanoy1992]

El Dude, to answer your question, I would say that winning a second AO will strengthen his resume more than winning a WTF title.

The reason I say this is because winning at least 2 majors at each Slam is a very tough task. Yes, all the courts have been homogenized but it is still a tough task winning each major once let alone twice. Also, while WTF is a prestige tournament, I don't think it will diminish Nadal's legacy even if he does not win one. The reason for that is because indoor hardcourts are Nadal's worse surface so I don't think experts or pundits will crucify him if he doesn't win a title on his worst surface.

My third pick will be any slam so he could surpass Sampras. Personally, I really want him to surpass Sampras in the GS titles count so at the very least he will be in the Top 3 in Slam count.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I think most Rafa fans would want him to win the case against former French Sports Minister
Roselyn Bachelot :lolz:

p.s. Would Rafa release his WADA medical records before the Russians do so?

 

[Carol]

I think most Rafa fans would want him to win the case against former French Sports Minister
Roselyn Bachelot :lolz:

p.s. Would Rafa release his WADA medical records before the Russians do so?

That case is already won and done
You should better ask if Roger would release his WADA medical records before the Russians do......I say....

 

[Kieran]

I forgot about the AO still being on grass into the Eighties, but that was the time most of the big guns were skipping it until it moved to the beginning of the year.

The AO was generally quite inferior to the other Slams until it moved to January in the late 80s, 1987 to be exact, but it really fluctuated year-to-year. Some years it was like a glorified ATP 500, others it was quite strong.

Wilander's 1983 title was a pretty strong year, with three of the four top ranked players of the year playing (McEnroe, Lendl, Wilander). After those three it got weaker, with no year-end top 10 players but was still solid.

McEnroe didn't play in 1984 but otherwise it was similar, with some future stars playing: Cash, Edberg, Mecir.

Compare that to Kriek's two years, 1981-82, when not a single top 10 player played in 1982 and only a fading Vilas and a decent McNamara played in 1981 among top 10 players.

To make a long story short, Wilander's three AO titles were all during strong years and worthy Slam titles.

The Australian Open was elite, except for maybe 10-12 years where the first generation professionals decided to skip it, because it was scheduled too close to Christmas. This was mainly the Borg-Connors era, but then Mats won it, Stefan, there were strong fields in the late-grass era, and then it moved to hards, where its bona fides have been protected ever since. But Mats wins also highlight how different the grass courts played back then, just like Connors winning a claycourt US Open, beating Borg in the final, but never reaching the final in Paris.

These are all elements which make it difficult to compare across the eras. But even still, it's a nice record to share with a great player like Mats...

 

[BIG3]

No one pick 10th RG? That will be unprecedented achievement, more difficult and rare than double career slam. Yes, Novak is approaching. 10 trophies in one single major? Hard to imagine any one. As good as Pete and Roger on grass, they stopped @ 7. It will be insane to ever think Noval collect 10 AO.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

I think most Rafa fans would want him to win the case against former French Sports Minister
Roselyn Bachelot :lolz:

p.s. Would Rafa release his WADA medical records before the Russians do so?

That case is already won and done
You should better ask if Roger would release his WADA medical records before the Russians do......I say....

Carole, as is often the case, you don't know what you are talking about. Rafa's case against Roselyn is scheduled for hearing in July 2017. :cover

 

[Fiero425]

No one pick 10th RG? That will be unprecedented achievement, more difficult and rare than double career slam. Yes, Novak is approaching. 10 trophies in one single major? Hard to imagine any one. As good as Pete and Roger on grass, they stopped @ 7. It will be insane to ever think Noval collect 10 AO.

Martina Navratilova the only one with that type of Mastery with 9 Wimbledons and quite a few other events with double digit wins in singles and doubles! :angel: :dodgy: :clap