The Fall of Rafael Nadal

[Carol]

I see Samson is still pissed off because Rafa lost, but this was very much the best of Rafa, not far from the best, wasn't it?

Don't try to add fuel to the fire, tomorrow or any time you could get back a respond
And yes, he is not so far but still doing too many errors which was gold for his opponent even not playing so well

 

[Mastoor]

Don't try to add fuel to the fire, tomorrow or any time you could get back a respond
And yes, he is not so far but still doing too many errors which was gold for his opponent even not playing so well

What fuel? What fire? I didn't try to add any fuel to any fire, I just said my opinion.

 

[Carol]

What fuel? What fire? I didn't try to add any fuel to any fire, I just said my opinion.

Of course it was your opinion but my opinion is that Rafa didn't play his best at all, not even close, otherwise he would have won

 

[Ricardo]

Blah, blah, blah. If you're so disgusted with him, why do you bother? Really. It's so much palaver that has no meaning, little basis in reality, and is tediously repetitive. Why don't you just give up posting about him? Have you no other web identity? Just pick a new favorite. We'd forgive you the "Clay Death" handle. Or, pick a new handle, and make a clean slate of it. It's not like we wouldn't recognize you.

My word Moxie, he can just pick a new idol and be done with it. My suggestion would be Nole, who is winning everything at the moment so he has nothing to complain about. And when Nole declines he can move on to someone else, so he's always on top of things

 

[Ricardo]

I see Samson is still pissed off because Rafa lost, but this was very much the best of Rafa, not far from the best, wasn't it?

very much the best of Rafa? you Nole fans do live in your lala land don't you? everyone Nole beats is at their best, and Nole loses only when he plays crap. You should be very gracious that Nole has the good fortune that the best players from 10 years ago have declined and the best from new generation has't quite arrived or matured. Bit of a vacuum at the moment.

 

[Ricardo]

Rafa is physically better than ever but he needs to win and the only way he can do it is shaking off all those ghosts in his head and anxiety which doesn't allow him to recovery his lost confidence but he is close, very close

Physically better than 'ever'? I've seen a few exaggerations and this tops the lot.

 

[Carol]

Physically better than 'ever'? I've seen a few exaggerations and this tops the lot.

Yes, physically better than ever, his knee is not bother him like usually did before but his head is not working so well yet

 

[Ricardo]

Yes, physically better than ever, his knee is not bother him like usually did before but his head is not working so well yet

Fans thought he is not as fast as before? not the same stamina as before? can't change direction as well as before?

Physically better?

I think not.

 

[Moxie]

My word Moxie, he can just pick a new idol and be done with it. My suggestion would be Nole, who is winning everything at the moment so he has nothing to complain about. And when Nole declines he can move on to someone else, so he's always on top of things

That would be my suggestion, too. I mean, if you're going to jump ship, there is really only one ship. He might pick a youngster, and rebuild Camelot from the ground up, though that would also be risky. In case the kid turns out to be a dud like Dimitrov. For example.

 

[Carol]

Fans thought he is not as fast as before? not the same stamina as before? can't change direction as well as before?

Physically better?

I think not.

When the head/confidence doesn't work well neither the body

 

[Moxie]

I see Samson is still pissed off because Rafa lost, but this was very much the best of Rafa, not far from the best, wasn't it?

In your usual cryptic way, I'm not sure if you thought Rafa played well against Djokovic, or not, and I would like to know.

 

[Ricardo]

When the head/confidence doesn't work well neither the body

according to your theory if a player is confident he will not be slower even when he gets old and has huge mileage on his body.

it's only in the head.

well done, you just rewrote a new chapter in medical research.

 

[Mastoor]

In your usual cryptic way, I'm not sure if you thought Rafa played well against Djokovic, or not, and I would like to know.

I thought it was in plain English. Yes, he played extremely well, not far from his best. I read a part of his interview and I think he's right. he should just keep up playing this way and will be in a chance to win titles soon.

 

[Carol]

according to your theory if a player is confident he will not be slower even when he gets old and has huge mileage on his body.

it's only in the head.

well done, you just rewrote a new chapter in medical research.

What old, 29 years old? last year playing so bad been still 28? then Federer is methuselah and look he is still #2.....

 

[Ricardo]

What old, 29 years old? last year playing so bad been still 28? then Federer is methuselah and look he is still #2.....

So Fed is physically as good as 2008, same ranking. Rafa's physical ability is all dependent on his confidence, all in the head.

Where did you study? very innovative theories....

 

[Moxie]

I thought it was in plain English. Yes, he played extremely well, not far from his best. I read a part of his interview and I think he's right. he should just keep up playing this way and will be in a chance to win titles soon.

Thanks for the clarification. It'll be interesting to see if he can up the ante in the clay season.

 

[Carol]

So Fed is physically as good as 2008, same ranking. Rafa's physical ability is all dependent on his confidence, all in the head.

Where did you study? very innovative theories....

I did in a very good school. Federer is 35 years old but I'm sure that he takes care himself more than anyone in the Tour though he should be more careful walking in the park.....yeah....
And Rafa if you like or not that loss in the AO 2014 where he would been the only player of this decade winning more than one of each GS (but his back didn't help him) it affected him so badly that look how long he is taking to get his best and confidence. Messi got a surgery two years ego and when he came back he was playing worse than ever for one year but his whole team (10 more players) helped him a lot to go through the game and recovery his best.
But tennis is a different story because is individual, no team, just you against the opponent so when they lose the confidence it's not so easy like some people think, and that's exactly what is happening to Rafa until he has a couple of good wins and I'm sure he will

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

^^fedster is 34 not 35.

 

[ClayDeath]

I see moxie is taking her blind worship to new levels.

for the record I don't blindly worship. I call the reality on the ground as it is.

and I often call it 4-5 years before anybody.


Rafa sealed his own doom and now the mountain is simply too steep to climb. so he did the next best thing:


he decided to make his way out of the sport while paying a huge lip service for the sponsors and for public consumption. now he says he plays to enjoy.

djokovic plays to win every single match on every single surface and rafa plays to enjoy. well nobody really that great--especially an all time great-- plays to enjoy. and plays to get his ass handed to him by the top players as well as the lesser players time and again. this cant go on indefinitely.



2015 and 2016 constitute his retirement circuit. he is not getting better. he is getting worse.


translation: he is making his way out of the circuit.


I don't even know where to begin. he is horrible in every single department of his game. and then there is the biggest issue: fitness and physicality


supreme fitness and physicality would take at least 9 months to develop. it would take extreme amount of sacrifice as he would have to also put in very long and hard hours on clay.

clay is vital and critical to finding his ground game again.


that is ticket. otherwise just take it from nalbandian: he said it is clay or the exit.


it is the exit.

 

[ClayDeath]

Fans thought he is not as fast as before? not the same stamina as before? can't change direction as well as before?

Physically better?

I think not.

luke Jensen had a chance to see Rafa up close and personal a number of times. he said this:

1. not enough fitness and physicality. meaning drastic drop in fitness and physicality
2. not enough pace on the shots
3. not enough spin on the shots
4. not enough depth on the shots

and lost of fitness also means tiring early so pitiful movement.

now he is even more terrified at the net than ever before. and also he just cant help giving them too much court to work with. overplays his backhand side in order to hit more forehands which leaves the court open.

of course this is not exactly rocket science unless you name happens to be moxie. we can just see what is going on for the last 4 years.