Rafael Nadal has announced his retirement from tennis

[atttomole]

Nadal had a never say die attitude. He was a warrior. If Federer had that attitude, he would’ve won a lot more.

I couldn’t admire Nadal’s grit because he made life difficult for Federer, especially on clay. I didn’t enjoy their matches that much until after AO 2017.

 

[Kieran]

Tell me about it! I think even his old man tried to talk Djokovic out of going to Japan in 2021! He was going for a CYGS & wouldn't pass up the chance to elevate himself just a touch more over Fedal! It was a wonder he made the USO Final, but I said before the event started, "someone needed to upset Medvedev" & I was right! It wasn't even a contest w/ Nole going down in straight sets! He'll probably keep telling himself it was worth the try! Even coming from Paris, all 3 medalists lost early in NY! That should tell future generations something! I'd just assume tennis was eliminated from the GAMES!

Amen. It’s a vanity project. Even Rafa playing singles when he was supposed to be having fun with Carlos playing doubles. What did Rafa think he was going to achieve there? Then the doubles became more difficult for Carlos and he swamped outta the USO yawning from lack of sleep…

 

[mrzz]

Good reason to come back, brother. Brought me back, too. Hard to quantify a true great. So many flashbacks, memories, even nightmares. Flash-floods of panic, blood pressure exhilaration. That gigantic effort-filled forehand, look how animated Rafa is when he hits it, every smidgen of his body contorted, leaning awkwardly into the shot, his eyes grim and hungry, his muscles giving Federer fans fits. Rafa, one foot in the air, hungry like a butcher’s dog, choking life out of opponents, and their families in the players box.

Rafa was the best, that’ll be known. I know people who can do basic math will beg to differ, they’ll say, em, Novak won, eh, 1…2…3…um…4…eh…what’s after 4?..ah yeah, 5…6…etc.

Sure. Now let’s see him do that with his left hand.

There’s times Rafa’s kept me awake all night, manning the phone, following the scoreboard. I remember enjoying the build up to the Wimbledon final in 2008, that god amongst tennis matches. Soon as it started, I plugged in the hoover, sang loudly and couldn’t watch it. The year before, his Achilles knees fatally wounded him when he was marching toward victory, with Roger screeching so high pitched, the nearby Battersea dogs home reported countless complaints of deafness among its residents.

Who can forget Rafa’s face, at times twisted in comprehension, like Indiana Jones, an embattled sweat stained frown when he faced oblivion so many times and realised things were getting tight, and somehow he found a line, found an extra yard of spin, found a racket-tip passing shot, a gutsy volley, a suicide mission off a weak second serve where Rafa’s heels are dug into the ground, grunting backhands crosscourt, trying to fight his way off the ropes.

There’s never been a player like Rafa. He redefined the sport. Jimmy Connors likes to think he’s cut from the same cloth. Sure he is, but Rafa has the much bigger portion of that cloth. And Rafa never cheats, cusses, breaks a racket, or threatens an opponent. Unless we count his pre-match jumping and racing around the dressing room as a threat, which I suppose it is.

In Yellowstone Kevin Costner gets to say many great lines, and early on he corrects somebody who mentions something else as being “the definition of resistance.” John Dutton demurs: “resistance is the kind of thing that defines itself.”

Rafa is that thing. And he defined himself, and tennis followed. A great hero on the court, a champion with humility, took defeats with grace. Vamos, King! Let’s hope he’s badly missed, causing other great players who follow to try to imitate the way he played, the way he won, the way he left the sport, classy until the end!

The reason I started reading the forums, back when they were in tennis.com, was that it was clear for me that a few posters there knew more about tennis, and could write better, than the people from the actual site.

This post made me remember that feeling.

 

[PhiEaglesfan712]

Tell me about it! I think even his old man tried to talk Djokovic out of going to Japan in 2021! He was going for a CYGS & wouldn't pass up the chance to elevate himself just a touch more over Fedal! It was a wonder he made the USO Final, but I said before the event started, "someone needed to upset Medvedev" & I was right! It wasn't even a contest w/ Nole going down in straight sets! He'll probably keep telling himself it was worth the try! Even coming from Paris, all 3 medalists lost early in NY! That should tell future generations something! I'd just assume tennis was eliminated from the GAMES!

Although I don't think it should be a problem in 2028. The Olympic games will be held in LA and 2 weeks earlier than normal, so the players will already be acclimated to the United States. I also think there will be 2 slams post-Olympics, as Wimbledon will likely need to be moved to not conflict with the LA Olympics. My guess is that Wimbledon gets moved to the late-May/early June slot (when the French Open usually takes place) and the French Open gets moved to the fall (late September/early October) like 2020. If the French Open is the last slam of 2028, I guess that would be fitting if Novak retired at the place where he won his Olympic gold medal.

 

[Kieran]

Although I don't think it should be a problem in 2028. The Olympic games will be held in LA and 2 weeks earlier than normal, so the players will already be acclimated to the United States. I also think there will be 2 slams post-Olympics, as Wimbledon will likely need to be moved to not conflict with the LA Olympics. My guess is that Wimbledon gets moved to the late-May/early June slot (when the French Open usually takes place) and the French Open gets moved to the fall (late September/early October) like 2020. If the French Open is the last slam of 2028, I guess that would be fitting if Novak retired at the place where he won his Olympic gold medal.

I would be both surprised and annoyed if Wimbledon dropped its slot to accommodate the bauble…

 

[tented]

With all respect, I think you're considering those matches in retrospect, and not in terms of what they meant at the time. However much Coria seems like a footnote now, he was considered the King of clay from 2003-05. Their Rome final was particularly good, as it went 5 sets, and Nadal won in a TB in the 5th. That brought his ranking to #5, and made him one of the favorites to win the French that year, even though he'd never played it before.

This is why I thought they deserved a place on the list, and I'm guessing that's why @tented included them on his. Also, the Rome final is worth a revisit, in particular, for 2 classic clay courters in a pitched battle.

Yes, exactly. In retrospect Coria seems so minor, but in 2005 he really was the one to beat on clay. That the MC went four sets, lasting over 3 hours, and the Rome final went five sets, lasting over 5 hours, tells you how things were at that point.

 

[tented]

BTW with the news that Rafa would be playing for Spain at the DC finals in November, the event sold out weeks ago, and now resale prices are soaring, with some tickets reaching up to 34,540 Euros, on platform like Viagogo.With the official allocation sold out, the only option left is the steeply priced resale market

34,540 Euros? Really? That’s crazy.

 

[tented]

I would be both surprised and annoyed if Wimbledon dropped its slot to accommodate the bauble…

I don’t think they adjusted the dates even when they hosted the Olympics themselves in 2012, if I remember correctly.

 

[tented]

This is one of the reasons why I picked it as his second most important/great match. I gave Rafa ZERO chances of winning when he was down two sets, serving at 2-3, 0-40 in the third, at that age and that point in his career. I vividly remember almost turning it off, except that I was running the live chat and couldn’t walk away.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

View attachment 9727

This is one of the reasons why I picked it as his second most important/great match. I gave Rafa ZERO chances of winning when he was down two sets, serving at 2-3, 0-40 in the third, at that age and that point in his career. I vividly remember almost turning it off, except that I was running the live chat and couldn’t walk away.

I remember that match, we suffered together for soo many hours on that Live Chat, Moxie was really the only one that 'never gave up faith in Rafa winning, I thought he had to win that 2nd set to have a chance, of course Rafa again proved us wrong, indeed he makes up suffer over the years and especially in that AO final.What a win, one of his finals I wont ever forget!

 

[El Dude]

I saw it...happenstance of timing. "Happenstance of timing" also stuck Rafa in between Roger and Novak, which even you have admitted was probably infelicitous for Nadal. So just give him the one, eh? And you're not raining on the parade...you've been generous and appreciative. Unlike some people I won't mention. @Fiero425

If you want a similar stat that Rafa has the edge over the other two on, look at Slam-winning span. So instead of this:

You get this...

In the second, Rafa gets bragging rights - and that should be lauded. In the first, Federer and Novak get the edge.

Just hope that Novak doesn't win one next year!

Oh yeah, Ken Rosewall still has the record for a 20-year Slam span. Crazy.

 

[Kieran]

View attachment 9727

This is one of the reasons why I picked it as his second most important/great match. I gave Rafa ZERO chances of winning when he was down two sets, serving at 2-3, 0-40 in the third, at that age and that point in his career. I vividly remember almost turning it off, except that I was running the live chat and couldn’t walk away.

I kinda took a deep breath, it acted like a pill and calmed me down. I said, ah well, Rafa did incredibly well to reach the final, but Medvevev was world number one then, USO champ, the coming thing. Look how disastrous that match became for Medvedev! He never recovered. He’s reduced to cracking jokes at the net with Carlitos after another thumping by Alcasin. He’s a jovial cowering loser that doesn’t want to provoke the bullies. Please like me. The future has abandoned him and left him behind. Sissypussy too. They’re empty shells, an utter irrelevance. Ghosts still trapped in a career.

Sad, really…

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I kinda took a deep breath, it acted like a pill and calmed me down. I said, ah well, Rafa did incredibly well to reach the final, but Medvevev was world number one then, USO champ, the coming thing. Look how disastrous that match became for Medvedev! He never recovered. He’s reduced to cracking jokes at the net with Carlitos after another thumping by Alcasin. He’s a jovial cowering loser that doesn’t want to provoke the bullies. Please like me. The future has abandoned him and left him behind. Sissypussy too. They’re empty shells, an utter irrelevance. Ghosts still trapped in a career.

Sad, really…

You took just a deep breath, I paced up and down my hall way, swore, cursed Rafa, etc in that final match against Meddy, one final I will never forget in a big hurry I think being on the Live Chat with Moxie and Trent gave me at times in that 5 set match, a calmness that I probably would not have had it I watched it by myself, my husband went to bed and said to me Rafa will win, I looked at him and said Whatever! at that point in the match I was in no 'mood' lol!

 

[Fiero425]

I kinda took a deep breath, it acted like a pill and calmed me down. I said, ah well, Rafa did incredibly well to reach the final, but Medvevev was world number one then, USO champ, the coming thing. Look how disastrous that match became for Medvedev! He never recovered. He’s reduced to cracking jokes at the net with Carlitos after another thumping by Alcasin. He’s a jovial cowering loser that doesn’t want to provoke the bullies. Please like me. The future has abandoned him and left him behind. Sissypussy too. They’re empty shells, an utter irrelevance. Ghosts still trapped in a career.

Sad, really…

It's unfortunate, w/ all his skills, Med has never met his potential, winning a gift major at the USO in '21 due to Novak overplaying at OG's in Japan!

 

[El Dude]

It's unfortunate, w/ all his skills, Med has never met his potential, winning a gift major at the USO in '21 due to Novak overplaying at OG's in Japan!

Oh quit it. If a player doesn't become an ATG, they're a disappointment? Sure, Daniil could very well have won a couple more Slams - but he ain't done yet, and even if he doesn't, he's had an excellent career. As things stand now he's in the same category as "almost greats" like Chang and Roddick - not just talking Slam count, but overall accomplishments. That makes him one of the 25 or 30 best players of the Open Era. Not too shabby.

In my various stat inquiries, I've often been struck by how the ATGs are a breed apart. The Open Era has been dominated by about 20 players, only 14 of whom have won 5+ Slams, plus a handful that have won 3-4 a piece. The point being, we're talking about 15ish men who could be considered true ATGs - with Alcaraz and Sinner being quite likely to join their ranks.

Short and sweet: There have been less than 20 truly great players in the Open Era. The fact that Daniil Medvedev isn't one of them doesn't make him a disappointment. It just means he's in the next 10 or so.

 

[Kieran]

It's unfortunate, w/ all his skills, Med has never met his potential, winning a gift major at the USO in '21 due to Novak overplaying at OG's in Japan!

Novak was an idiot and it’s disappointing to us all that he didn’t try rig the jury on the USO to try influence them to help him get the title anyway.

But in fairness to Medvedev, he knew his man was under pressure and poorly prepared. He deserved that win..

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Tented
I also think the 2009 SF at the AO between Rafa and Verdasco deserves 'Special Mention' I was live at both the SF and Final at the AO, probably the best match Verdasco played and lost, incredible SF! another match I wont forget in a hurry!
If you can get a video of that SF match thanks in advance
To this day I dont know how Rafa recovered and defeated Federer in 5 sets in the final

 

[tossip]

Thanks for the memories Rafa

Yes..he has lived a thousand lifetimes in this lifetime.So long muchacho

 

[Moxie]

I remember that match, we suffered together for soo many hours on that Live Chat, Moxie was really the only one that 'never gave up faith in Rafa winning, I thought he had to win that 2nd set to have a chance, of course Rafa again proved us wrong, indeed he makes up suffer over the years and especially in that AO final.What a win, one of his finals I wont ever forget!

Yes, we suffered through that match together, maybe like no other. But, as @tented said above, this is why he put it as his #2 of Rafa's great wins...because it was an absolutely heroic effort. And look at the score in the 5th: 7-5. Medvedev didn't give up. I think Rafa even had a break in the 5th, and Daniil got it back.

When Rafa lost the 2nd set, which he really should have won, having a break lead, and then a lead in the TB, we were all quite deflated. It is kind of you to remember that I was the one who never gave up the faith, but that was a front, as I have said...not actual belief. As I've said, we all process stress differently, and I simply couldn't stay up all night to keep watching that match without some manufactured belief. Rafa was on the razor's edge of losing that match, especially from 3 BP's down in the 3rd, as per above. Nothing about winning that match was easy, and he just gutted it out. That's why many people say, "One player to play for your life," they'd pick Rafa.

No wonder Medvedev has never really recovered from that loss. Sometimes I feel like I still haven't recovered from that match.

 

[Moxie]

Tented
I also think the 2009 SF at the AO between Rafa and Verdasco deserves 'Special Mention' I was live at both the SF and Final at the AO, probably the best match Verdasco played and lost, incredible SF! another match I wont forget in a hurry!
If you can get a video of that SF match thanks in advance
To this day I dont know how Rafa recovered and defeated Federer in 5 sets in the final

He did put that one in as a combo with the Final. Another heroic effort.

This should be the full match, though youtube also has shorter highlights.