The Fall of Rafael Nadal

[ClayDeath]

There is no area of his game and no area of his fitness where he has not suffered staggering casualties.

That is not by accident. He just doesn't care to win. the end came over a year ago you people missed it.

Now there is only denial on the part of Rafa fans.

I said staggering casualties in every single aspect of his game.

Just take the return of serve for example. He could only break serve slightly less than 20 percent of the time against the top 10 players even on clay in 2015.

And this is an all time great. and also the greatest clay court player of all time.

The man doesn't care to win. Get that through your skull.

we can have a debate about why he is out there but he doesn't give a damn about fighting and winning anymore.

This is not rocket science. 2016 is going to be far worse than 2015.

This trend has been in place for a number of years now. You should have been able to pick this trend up.

he cant even make up his mind about Buenos Aires. this should have been a bloody no brainer.


also why go to Miami? skip Miami and take in another small clay event before monte carlo.


but all this just doesn't matter now. he is done. all we will ever be able to do now is remember him as the game's greatest gladiator he once was.


I don't watch him play anymore. I cant even bear to watch the highlights.

it just breaks my heart. it is what it is. we all have to live with this.

 

[ClayDeath]

The fall of Rafael Nadal continues.

 

[shawnbm]

I stand by my belief that Nadal will win another major, likely one more French. He is too good, on top of being a match-up problem for so many due to his topspin and lefty delivery. It is something I will take odds on. He is not as far off as Clay Death makes him sound--he just needs to win an event or two and he will be right back in the mix.

 

[EdbergsGhost]

I stand by my belief that Nadal will win another major, likely one more French. He is too good, on top of being a match-up problem for so many due to his topspin and lefty delivery. It is something I will take odds on. He is not as far off as Clay Death makes him sound--he just needs to win an event or two and he will be right back in the mix.

To be "as far off as Clay Death makes him sound", would be to place him in a coffin with folded hands. I believe this Spring swing will give an idea of what he will be like coming into Roland Garros. I disagree with you on one point. Novak and a number of other players have figured out how to deal with his topspin and have punished him on short balls he used to be able to get away with. Clay will provide him the extra advantage, but we need to see some of the old dominance he exerted every time the season moved to the red dirt.

 

[Carol]

I disagree with the others players have figured out how to deal with his topspin, nothing more far than that.
Like Rod Laver correctly has said the problem is coming just from Rafa, his drive is not so good like three or four years ago, his topspin has lost the speed, strength, deep and attack like he always has executed with very good results and nobody knows why it's happening, he is the only one to know why but he will do

 

[shawnbm]

I like both of the replies above and the truth likely resides somewhere in the middle. Rafa goes through spurts wherein his Fh has greater spin and hits deeper in the court. It still intimidates a lot of players and many still have obvious difficutly with him. It is just that the aura has been diminished a bit and players feel less nervous in the big moments and he, conversely, has not gotten back to where he was confidence-wise. It has left and returned in the past, and there is no reason to think it can't come back again. That being said, even Nadal and his gang have conceded that Rafael plays a brand of tennis that requires a lot of him physically. So, any reassertion of domineering tennis will likely not last as long as in past incarnations. He, like Roger, is on the other side of the mountain, trodding gently down.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Rafa's fhand in 2015 did not have the depth or intensity it once had full stop.Towards the end of 2015 it did improve slightly.Rafa is not in his prime anymore.Rafa's game has always been a physical one.Rafa will turn 30 this year,his movement is slower,which is to be expected.His best chance of another GS title will be on his beloved clay.

 

[Carol]

Ok, call me 'a optimist/ positive/ fan' or whatever you want but I don't think Rafa's problem is the age but a huge deep a lack of confidence which makes his best shots to become 'too smooth' and easier respond by his opponents.
Any solution? yes, to leave his past injuries/vicissitudes to one side and believe in himself again

 

[shawnbm]

It is tough to get the aura back once lost--every great player has had that happen to him or her. Rafa has confidence issues--less on his part and more of it in his opponents when they face him. That is a huge thing--many greats, not just Federer or Borg, have had that aura and won many titles before they even stepped on the court.

 

[Moxie]

It is tough to get the aura back once lost--every great player has had that happen to him or her. Rafa has confidence issues--less on his part and more of it in his opponents when they face him. That is a huge thing--many greats, not just Federer or Borg, have had that aura and won many titles before they even stepped on the court.

I don't agree that it's less on his part. I do get that the players see him as vulnerable, and have much more belief that they have a chance. But when he hangs tough, he has the game and the wiles to get past them. We saw a lot of that last fall.

 

[shawnbm]

I don't agree that it's less on his part. I do get that the players see him as vulnerable, and have much more belief that they have a chance. But when he hangs tough, he has the game and the wiles to get past them. We saw a lot of that last fall.

I don't know, moxie--I may be misunderstanding you but I do believe Rafa has admitted to having less confidence in the big moments. He's remarkably candid about some of these things. I too believe he has another major in him though.

 

[Moxie]

I don't know, moxie--I may be misunderstanding you but I do believe Rafa has admitted to having less confidence in the big moments. He's remarkably candid about some of these things. I too believe he has another major in him though.

Perhaps I misunderstood you, or didn't explain myself well. Yes, he's having confidence issues, which I think are more the reason for the recent surprising losses than that other players feel he's lost his aura. Though I do think that both contribute. And I'm glad you think he's got a shot at another Major.

 

[britbox]

Nadal has confirmed he is accepting a wild card for Buenos Aires.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/nadal-2016-buenos-aires-wild-card

 

[ClayDeath]

this is not rocket science.

he wont work therefore he wont win.

I would not be too confident of winning anything either if I let every damn thing go.

even the analysts and the reporters made some remarks about the definitive loss of muscle tissue in his last match against Verdasco.



again I have gone over this a few times now. I don't need the bloody experts to tell me what is going on. I am the bloody expert when it comes to Rafa and all things clay.



luke Jensen also spelled this out but evidently nobody is paying any attention: he said very clearly that rafa has no endurance and not sufficient weight and spin on his shots.


he also added that he spent some time with verdasco in new delhi. he said verdasco just lived in the gym.


rafa needs to find the hunger and fire in the belly. that is pretty much gone. that is the first thing.


next he needs to start logging in very long hours on fitness/endurance work and also great deal of physical work in the gym


and finally he needs to be practicing 2 times a day.


monica seles practiced 3 times a day.


if you don't care to win then you wont win. no work ethic = no titles.


he does go to the gym but it is more like token work. the most minimum required work which is not even good enough for a good college player.


more next time.



I am not saying anything at all that is not being said by some others but in a more diplomatic way since they run into Rafa out there and are the ultimate tennis insiders.



also I can see. he is not just a shell of what he used to be. he is something even less.


numbers say it all anyway so nobody ever has to take my word for it.

 

[Tennis Fan]

I don't think he's back now, but I think he's working on it. I can't say what the issues are, because there are many, but as a fan I can't ascertain what the ultimate hold back is at this point.

I agree with the poster about Federer and Andy not winning in a long time too, and not one word is said about that. Those injuries have more than a physical effect, they have an emotional effect as well.

Rafa is too good to simply go away. I anxiously await his return to form and the elimination of whatever is holding him back.

 

[ClayDeath]

I am glad he is going to Buenos Aires. the field is fairly strong there but he has to try to navigate it.

we need this title and we need the rio title. that is something to build on.
and then along the way hopefully he finds the hunger and the drive to run over Djokovic on clay.

Rafa is in a race against time now. it pretty much has to happen either this year or the next.

I am afraid he cant obtain supreme fitness and the physicality in a couple or 3 months. but why not get started this year and finish the job in 2017 with another RG crown.

 

[ClayDeath]

the good news is that Rafa is still young. he also happens to be the greatest physical specimen our sport has ever had.

even with endless injures he captured 14 slams. 9 of them at RG which is the hardest slam to win.

he overcame all of his injuries and fought back to carve out his immortality.

he was just 3 slams away from ending up at the same place as Roger and also stopping Djokovic in the process.

Rafa can get his 10th RG in 2017. he has to decide to make it happen and ride into the sunset at the top.

 

[ClayDeath]

welcome to discuss tennis "Tennis Fan".

 

[Tennis Fan]

I am glad he is going to Buenos Aires. the field is fairly strong there but he has to try to navigate it.

we need this title and we need the rio title. that is something to build on.
and then along the way hopefully he finds the hunger and the drive to run over Djokovic on clay.

Rafa is in a race against time now. it pretty much has to happen either this year or the next.

I am afraid he cant obtain supreme fitness and the physicality in a couple or 3 months. but why not get started this year and finish the job in 2017 with another RG crown.

So am I, it's a start, right? I think what's going on with Rafa is confusing to him as well. I'm also sure that he'll figure it out.

 

[Carol]

Rafa looked pretty well and fitted the last two months of 2015 and later who knows why he took a step back but I I don't think he will wait to play well at 2017, he will do before