The Fall of Rafael Nadal

[ClayDeath]

beating Rafa means very little now. history will make the adjustment.

you saw what happened in Rafa's last 8 of 9 matches against Djokovic. he did not just get beat. Djokovic wiped the floor with him.

so compete is the devastation that now Rafa says it is no shame in losing to djokovic.

only now he is taking it a step further: he says that djokovic---and not Federer--- will be the greatest player ever lived if he can keep this up.

 

translation: I (rafa) have no chance against djokovic on any surface and I also don't care to beat him since I refuse to work hard like I used to in the old days.

 

we all have to face this reality on the ground. the gulf between and djokovic has never been greater than it is now. this is not all djokovic.

even fognini beat rafa 3 times 2015. and you saw what dustin brown--who is 30+-- did to him at Wimbledon.

dustin was ranked around #105 at the time.

 

people are just not getting this. rafa is done. he produced greatness with a limited game and became an all time great. he tied Sampras with 14 majors.

he is spent and done but the money is too big so he is hanging around and cashing in on his fame. he made 0ver $41 million in 2014.

he may be on track to make $50 million in 2015 and even more in 2016.

 

I personally would have held on to my kingdom on clay for a couple of more years just to deny djokovic a chance to catch up with the slams count with him (rafa), Sampras, and even Federer but he does not feel like fighting to the death anymore.

you can say that injuries had a role in this but he has been healthy for a while now.

 

I would not have walked away from the fight. at least not on clay. but that is what rafa did.

 

djokovic threw down the challenge and drew a line in the sand.

 

rafa, for his part, is comfortable with his decision.

 

more on this later.

 

more later.

 

[ClayDeath]

^ You can’t use the age excuse when they are only one year apart. Djoker will hopefully continue to make Nads look stupid and that annoying Rafa vs. the top 30 stat will start to get a whole lot worse just like his win %. Father Time is undefeated.

 

actually father time is doing just fine if you want to work like hell.

a 31 year old won RG once. he was about 6 foot 4 or a little bit taller and left handed. what was his name?

 

 

stan is 30+ and he just won RG. roger is 35 in a few months and he is still showing up in slam finals and winning masters events.

ferru is older than dirt and has no weapons. he is also 4 feet tall. he won 6 events in 2015. he also kept rafa on the court for hours at ATP tour finals.

not that it would have mattered anyway in his next match against Djokovic.

 

old age is nothing. some overcome it. a 40 year old won the u.s. open doubles title a couple of years ago.

but rafa's situation is different. he is not old but he walked away.

 

so I don't count his head to head against others anymore. he simply refuses to work hard and he refuses to change a single thing.

he says he is doing fine.

so head to head is meaningless when he is on his own little retirement circuit just cashing on his fame as an all time great of our sport.

 

he will be destroyed and decimated to pieces by djokovic again and again in 2016 but he is ok with it.

djokovic is not going away. in fact you have not seen the best of djokovic. he has sworn to work harder that ever for 2016.

 

djokovic is so disciplined and so single minded in his approach to assault on the records in tennis that they cant even get him to drink a beer.

not even a single glass of beer.

 

[ClayDeath]

tony said that Rafa even refused to practice at the start of 2015. he said that he practiced a little bit harder towards of end of 2016 and accordingly could fight a little better out there.

now add to that the fact that he lost early at all of the events. now do you get the picture of inactivity.

now throw in endless vacations and promotional activity for his sponsors, foundation, and his school and academy.

rafa is just cashing in on his fame and out there enjoying himself. it is his life and his career. he is doing it his way.

 

he has no desire to win the big events anymore. and sure enough he is not winning any of them.

 

[ClayDeath]

if rafa can embrace supreme fitness and endless hours of practice on the red clay then he is back in business.

he has to skip Miami masters and just say no to $1 million appearance fee. they also fly him and his staff in. it is a nice deal but he has to think about his clay season.

it is his last chance to get his clay kingdom back. he has to be able to make a difference at monte carlo, Barcelona, and rome.

he needs 2 of these 3 titles and a win over djokovic.

 

you heard very clearly what nalbandian said: it is clay or it is the exit.

 

 

only I said it ages ago. it is time you start listening and stop ignoring the reality on the ground.

clay is the wellspring from which he flows.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Moxie wrote:
<blockquote>
Twisted wrote:
^ You can’t use the age excuse when they are only one year apart. Djoker will hopefully continue to make Nads look stupid and that annoying Rafa vs. the top 30 stat will start to get a whole lot worse just like his win %. Father Time is undefeated.

I didn’t actually mention age, I mentioned how long it had taken Novak to tie the h2h. And you’re the one that mentioned Father Time, in the end. I know it annoys you that Rafa has had a positive h2h over much of the field for such a long time, as well as his win %. But it does bear mentioning, (and since you mentioned it…thanks…,) because it is often Federer fans on the forums who take the tack that Roger’s negative showing vis-a-vis Nadal isn’t so important, as it’s his showing versus the field that matters. If that point is taken, then it is worth noting Nadal’s very good record against the field, as well. Which in his case includes Federer, Murray and Djokovic.</blockquote>
So basically Rafa got fat in the H2H for the 5 years where Nole was a very good but not great player (2006-2010) and since then it has come full circle even though Rafa was still a major force from 2011-2013 and won RG in 2014. I don’t really see what your point in all this is. Be grateful it took long for Nole to come into his own

By the same token, be grateful Nadal's body broke down early.

 

[ClayDeath]

rafa overcame all of his injuries and has actually been healthy for well over a year now.

additionally he has been able to win in the past even when he was limping around. he played in pain.

injuries have been hounding him for the longest.

 

but the last string of injuries could have been avoided with better dedication to commitment and fitness.

just look at djokovic and Federer. how come they never get saddled with injuries endlessly.

they both stretch at least twice a day and have dedicated considerable time to fitness.

 

 

rafa also could have made some adjustments with his training but he simply refuses to change a damn thing.

most of all of his injuries have occurred on and because of the hard courts. he has been reckless and careless.

he just wont bother to back off the hard courts and cut back a little bit on the hard court activity.

it has destroyed his ground game and his career. he basically has no ground game left compared to his own standards.

 

 

more later.

 

[ClayDeath]

not a single rafa fan has been able to come forward and list a single event that he is going to win in 2016.

not one person has the guts to step forward and tell us and the world what he is likely to capture in 2016.

 

so I ask again. can you think of any title outside rio and hamburg? even rio may be questionable now since ferru has entered the field.

being in the top 10 is not good enough for an all time great who is just 29.

just tell us what he can win.

 

[DarthFed]

Twisted wrote:
<blockquote>
Moxie wrote:
<blockquote>
Twisted wrote:
^ You can’t use the age excuse when they are only one year apart. Djoker will hopefully continue to make Nads look stupid and that annoying Rafa vs. the top 30 stat will start to get a whole lot worse just like his win %. Father Time is undefeated.

I didn’t actually mention age, I mentioned how long it had taken Novak to tie the h2h. And you’re the one that mentioned Father Time, in the end. I know it annoys you that Rafa has had a positive h2h over much of the field for such a long time, as well as his win %. But it does bear mentioning, (and since you mentioned it…thanks…,) because it is often Federer fans on the forums who take the tack that Roger’s negative showing vis-a-vis Nadal isn’t so important, as it’s his showing versus the field that matters. If that point is taken, then it is worth noting Nadal’s very good record against the field, as well. Which in his case includes Federer, Murray and Djokovic.</blockquote>
So basically Rafa got fat in the H2H for the 5 years where Nole was a very good but not great player (2006-2010) and since then it has come full circle even though Rafa was still a major force from 2011-2013 and won RG in 2014. I don’t really see what your point in all this is. Be grateful it took long for Nole to come into his own</blockquote>
By the same token, be grateful Nadal’s body broke down early.

If Rafa's body actually has broken down... If so it took 10 years of top tennis before it happened.  Rafa is definitely not what he once was physically but after so many years at the top of the game that's the norm.  It's normal for top guys to be past their prime at 29.  For all the praise Roger gets he has hardly torn it up since turning 29.  1 GS, 2 YEC's and a brief stint at #1 is not chopped liver but compared to where he was... it's a night and day difference. People go ballistic about him just reaching an MS or YEC final these days.

 

[Moxie]

Moxie wrote:
<blockquote>
Twisted wrote:
^ You can’t use the age excuse when they are only one year apart. Djoker will hopefully continue to make Nads look stupid and that annoying Rafa vs. the top 30 stat will start to get a whole lot worse just like his win %. Father Time is undefeated.

I didn’t actually mention age, I mentioned how long it had taken Novak to tie the h2h. And you’re the one that mentioned Father Time, in the end. I know it annoys you that Rafa has had a positive h2h over much of the field for such a long time, as well as his win %. But it does bear mentioning, (and since you mentioned it…thanks…,) because it is often Federer fans on the forums who take the tack that Roger’s negative showing vis-a-vis Nadal isn’t so important, as it’s his showing versus the field that matters. If that point is taken, then it is worth noting Nadal’s very good record against the field, as well. Which in his case includes Federer, Murray and Djokovic.</blockquote>
So basically Rafa got fat in the H2H for the 5 years where Nole was a very good but not great player (2006-2010) and since then it has come full circle even though Rafa was still a major force from 2011-2013 and won RG in 2014. I don’t really see what your point in all this is. Be grateful it took long for Nole to come into his own

I think the point is clear.  Djokovic was a solid #3 from 2008, and still Rafa owned him.  Call it getting "fat in the h2h," if you like, but it's not fair to discount it.  Since Novak's run of 7 against Nadal thru the 2012 AO, when that took them to 16-14 in Rafa's favor, and Nole had become the full-force he is now, and a troubling player for Nadal, it still took a dreadful year from Nadal for Djokovic to bring it to a mere tie, and this many years after full-strength Novak, even though he's been within 2 since 2012.  And they have played each other.  As to your bolded above:  you said I couldn't use age as an excuse (which I didn't)...so, by your standards, you can't use Djokovic's slower maturity as one, either.  And I haven't conceded the H2H.  Novak still hasn't led it.  B-)

 

[ClayDeath]

that is a great post by Moxie.

 

 

very well done.

 

[DarthFed]

Twisted wrote:
<blockquote>
Moxie wrote:
<blockquote>
Twisted wrote:
^ You can’t use the age excuse when they are only one year apart. Djoker will hopefully continue to make Nads look stupid and that annoying Rafa vs. the top 30 stat will start to get a whole lot worse just like his win %. Father Time is undefeated.

I didn’t actually mention age, I mentioned how long it had taken Novak to tie the h2h. And you’re the one that mentioned Father Time, in the end. I know it annoys you that Rafa has had a positive h2h over much of the field for such a long time, as well as his win %. But it does bear mentioning, (and since you mentioned it…thanks…,) because it is often Federer fans on the forums who take the tack that Roger’s negative showing vis-a-vis Nadal isn’t so important, as it’s his showing versus the field that matters. If that point is taken, then it is worth noting Nadal’s very good record against the field, as well. Which in his case includes Federer, Murray and Djokovic.</blockquote>
So basically Rafa got fat in the H2H for the 5 years where Nole was a very good but not great player (2006-2010) and since then it has come full circle even though Rafa was still a major force from 2011-2013 and won RG in 2014. I don’t really see what your point in all this is. Be grateful it took long for Nole to come into his own</blockquote>
I think the point is clear. Djokovic was a solid #3 from 2008, and still Rafa owned him. Call it getting “fat in the h2h,” if you like, but it’s not fair to discount it. Since Novak’s run of 7 against Nadal thru the 2012 AO, when that took them to 16-14 in Rafa’s favor, and Nole had become the full-force he is now, and a troubling player for Nadal, it still took a dreadful year from Nadal for Djokovic to bring it to a mere tie, and this many years after full-strength Novak, even though he’s been within 2 since 2012. And they have played each other. As to your bolded above: you said I couldn’t use age as an excuse (which I didn’t)…so, by your standards, you can’t use Djokovic’s slower maturity as one, either. And I haven’t conceded the H2H. Novak still hasn’t led it.

I wasn't discounting anything, rather it is you trying to discount this year or the last few in general.  From 2011 - 2015 Nole has generally dominated Rafa while it was the opposite from 2006 - 2010.  If we want to analyze it further the H2H was 6-2 for Nadal before 2008 when Nole won his first slam and Nole had a nice easy 4-0 in 2015 when Rafa was dreadful.  But regardless they are one year apart.  Rafa had the advantage before Nole came into his own and Nole has had the advantage since.

 

[Moxie]

I wasn’t discounting anything, rather it is you trying to discount this year or the last few in general. From 2011 – 2015 Nole has generally dominated Rafa while it was the opposite from 2006 – 2010. If we want to analyze it further the H2H was 6-2 for Nadal before 2008 when Nole won his first slam and Nole had a nice easy 4-0 in 2015 when Rafa was dreadful. But regardless they are one year apart. Rafa had the advantage before Nole came into his own and Nole has had the advantage since.

I'm not discounting anything.  You've failed to see how simple my point is: that it took Djokovic this long to even the h2h.  But, since you bring it up, Nole hasn't actually had the complete advantage since 2011.  In 2012, he won 1 and Rafa won 3; in 2013, they took 3 apiece; 2014, Nole led 2-1, though Rafa took the only major they played in, and this year it was 4-0 Novak.  Also, since 2011, 3 Majors to Novak, 4 to Rafa in their h2h.  I'd say he dominated Nadal in 2011 and 2015, though.

 

 

[DarthFed]

Twisted wrote:
I wasn’t discounting anything, rather it is you trying to discount this year or the last few in general. From 2011 – 2015 Nole has generally dominated Rafa while it was the opposite from 2006 – 2010. If we want to analyze it further the H2H was 6-2 for Nadal before 2008 when Nole won his first slam and Nole had a nice easy 4-0 in 2015 when Rafa was dreadful. But regardless they are one year apart. Rafa had the advantage before Nole came into his own and Nole has had the advantage since.

I’m not discounting anything. You’ve failed to see how simple my point is: that it took Djokovic this long to even the h2h. But, since you bring it up, Nole hasn’t actually had the complete advantage since 2011. In 2012, he won 1 and Rafa won 3; in 2013, they took 3 apiece; 2014, Nole led 2-1, though Rafa took the only major they played in, and this year it was 4-0 Novak. Also, since 2011, 3 Majors to Novak, 4 to Rafa in their h2h. I’d say he dominated Nadal in 2011 and 2015, though.

It is 4-4 in GS H2H since 2011 and it should be noted that Nole beat Rafa in all 4 slams.  Also has taken both of the big YEC matches and dominated the H2H overall.

 

[Billie]

I don't know what the big deal about H2H is and the timing of it.  Nole (even when he wasn't as good as he has been since 2011) at least made semi finals in major clay tournaments to face Nadal.  Who knows what H2H could have been if Nadal had been able to reach more semis and finals at AO to face Nole there more times, or Paris or Miami (where Rafa has yet to beat Nole), even Wimbledon, where Nole's been rock solid in the past few years.   Anyway Rafa wasn't the only player that Nole had to worry about.  He had to beat Roger, Andy, other top players, and all that without hardly skipping any tournaments for years.  He is the only player to beat each of the big 3 (Andy, Roger, Rafa) at least 20 times so far.   I mean what else do you want? :scratch:

But if that stat that it took Nole 9 years to tie the head to head with Rafa really makes you feel better, then you should enjoy it.  I honestly don't care.

 

[ClayDeath]

Rafa is screwing up his clay season already. to me it is just another indication that he is on his retirement circuit.

he has to talk the talk for his fans and his sponsors and for the tennis community since he is still in the sport.

this is not rocket science. even a blundering idiot knows that he has zero chance to beat anybody of any importance and significance unless he can make some serious strides on clay.

what does going to Miami again prove? last time he sprained his ankle there while winning no more than a match or two.

I don't know why he is doing this? the risk of injury is high and he has just one chance left and that is clay.

just one chance left and just one season left to slow down djokovic and try for one last slam. it has to be on clay and it has to be RG. and it has to be in 2016.

he is throwing away 10 days of absolutely vital and critical practice on clay by going to Miami.

 

he also just farted away a month of valuable and vital practice on clay where he could have tried to rediscover his ground game.

if he wont change a thing then it is over. it is all talk. djokovic will just keep wiping the floor with him on every single surface known to mankind.

if he wont bother or care to change a single thing then it is also safe to say that he does not care to win.

it is really that simple.

 

by now even a mindless fool would have figured out that clay is the wellspring from which he flows.

 

there are points to be had at the Australian Open but he has said that he wont be ready. there are points to be had in indian wells, monte carlo, Barcelona, rome, Madrid.

he can go after those points and land in the top 4 or even top 2 depending on the circumstances. he has to be in the top 4 or top 2 going into RG in 2016 in order to go after djokovic's scalp there.

but I cant see that happening at the current rate. I think he has to skip Miami and put in some extra preparation on the red clay.

rio is not a lock anymore. I would also play 3 clay events in south America. one is not enough.

 

[Moxie]

Moxie wrote:
<blockquote>
Twisted wrote:
I wasn’t discounting anything, rather it is you trying to discount this year or the last few in general. From 2011 – 2015 Nole has generally dominated Rafa while it was the opposite from 2006 – 2010. If we want to analyze it further the H2H was 6-2 for Nadal before 2008 when Nole won his first slam and Nole had a nice easy 4-0 in 2015 when Rafa was dreadful. But regardless they are one year apart. Rafa had the advantage before Nole came into his own and Nole has had the advantage since.

I’m not discounting anything. You’ve failed to see how simple my point is: that it took Djokovic this long to even the h2h. But, since you bring it up, Nole hasn’t actually had the complete advantage since 2011. In 2012, he won 1 and Rafa won 3; in 2013, they took 3 apiece; 2014, Nole led 2-1, though Rafa took the only major they played in, and this year it was 4-0 Novak. Also, since 2011, 3 Majors to Novak, 4 to Rafa in their h2h. I’d say he dominated Nadal in 2011 and 2015, though.</blockquote>
It is 4-4 in GS H2H since 2011 and it should be noted that Nole beat Rafa in all 4 slams. Also has taken both of the big YEC matches and dominated the H2H overall.

I did forget about this year's RG, but who could blame me?  ;-) I should have said, "of the ones that mattered."  To which I would have added an "LOL," had you not decided to distinguish between the YEC matches that were "big." (Otherwise, they're 3-2.)  And I'm not sure how you can say, with a straight face, that Nole has "dominated the H2H overall."  Firstly, it's tied.  And yes, Novak has won more 3 more finals, but he's 3-4 in Major finals.  Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I thought you were the guy who was all about the Majors. (And I'll let you decide for yourself how to rate Nadal's SF win over Djokovic at RG in 2013 and its implications.)  Nole has the YECs, and yes, he has beaten Nadal in all 4 Majors.  (Nadal has not yet returned the favor at the AO, but they've only met once.)  Still, Rafa leads the tally at Majors by 9-4, and also beat Novak at the Olympics, where he would otherwise have likely won the Gold.  The H2H will likely change in Novak's favor over the next couple of years, but I'm not going to let you color it differently than it stands now.  Whatever edge Djokovic might have in it you can't call "dominant," or at least that can't be countered with a Nadal one.

 

[Moxie]

I don’t know what the big deal about H2H is and the timing of it. Nole (even when he wasn’t as good as he has been since 2011) at least made semi finals in major clay tournaments to face Nadal. Who knows what H2H could have been if Nadal had been able to reach more semis and finals at AO to face Nole there more times, or Paris or Miami (where Rafa has yet to beat Nole), even Wimbledon, where Nole’s been rock solid in the past few years. Anyway Rafa wasn’t the only player that Nole had to worry about. He had to beat Roger, Andy, other top players, and all that without hardly skipping any tournaments for years. He is the only player to beat each of the big 3 (Andy, Roger, Rafa) at least 20 times so far. I mean what else do you want?

But if that stat that it took Nole 9 years to tie the head to head with Rafa really makes you feel better, then you should enjoy it. I honestly don’t care.

I think we already talked about what the big deal is:  it's that there are 3 all-time greats playing in the same era, and their various records and H2Hs are part of the parsing of who leads whom.  You pretend you don't care, but you're playing the game, too.  ("If Rafa had been there to meet Nole"...you can fill in the name "Roger," for an old argument, though they stopped, when Rafa was there, and Roger wasn't.)  Now you've got a stat that Novak has beaten each of the other Big 4 twenty times.  And that's a good one.  Nadal fans have the stat that he had the H2H over all of the big 4...well, forever, until now, when Djokovic tied him.  (OK, Fed tied his with Rafa at 1-1 in 2005.)  So, yes, I do enjoy the fact that it took Novak 9+ years to even tie Rafa in the h2h.  It means something against the only one player who has really troubled him and gotten into his head.  And you can say you don't care, but, in fact, you do, otherwise you wouldn't put up an argument.  No worries...this is a game that will go on for a long time. ::sw1::

 

[brokenshoelace]

I don’t know what the big deal about H2H is and the timing of it. Nole (even when he wasn’t as good as he has been since 2011) at least made semi finals in major clay tournaments to face Nadal. Who knows what H2H could have been if Nadal had been able to reach more semis and finals at AO to face Nole there more times, or Paris or Miami (where Rafa has yet to beat Nole), even Wimbledon, where Nole’s been rock solid in the past few years. Anyway Rafa wasn’t the only player that Nole had to worry about. He had to beat Roger, Andy, other top players, and all that without hardly skipping any tournaments for years. He is the only player to beat each of the big 3 (Andy, Roger, Rafa) at least 20 times so far. I mean what else do you want?

But if that stat that it took Nole 9 years to tie the head to head with Rafa really makes you feel better, then you should enjoy it. I honestly don’t care.

Nadal has been reaching hard court semis since before any of us even heard of Djokovic. He won his first hard court masters title in 2005, and his second in 2007  (Indian Wells), where he faced...Djokovic himself. They played a couple of weeks later in Miami (Novak won). In 2008, they played at Indian Wells (Novak won), and the only reason they didn't face in Miami is because Novak lost early while Rafa reached the final.

Nadal has been reaching more or less every semi final of a hard court major since 2008. Except that year, Novak ended up on the other side of the draw on both occasions.

Now, why am I only focusing on 2008 in those pre 2011 years you're referring to? Well, because Novak was too busy stinking up the joint in the next couple of years to even make it to Rafa in many of the events you're referring to. Where was Novak when Rafa won the AO and IW in 2009? It's not like a Federer-Nadal circa 05-07 kinda thing where Rafa was not making it to Roger off of clay.

I actually find the Nadal-Djokovic head to head to be pretty logical and a very accurate reflection of reality: Nadal peaked earlier and largely dominated, then Novak peaked and turned things around. Then they went back and forth for a while then Nadal declined. I don't see what the big deal is.

 

[Billie]

^^ Well don't ask me, ask Moxie, I already said that it makes sense that Rafa was so much better especially on clay from their beginnings and that head to head was heavily in his favor before 2011 (and he probably leads on clay even after 2011).   Nadal still leads 14-6, which means they met 20 times on clay and there are only 4 big clay tournaments where they could have met.  So it really goes to show that even though Nole was not that good, he still was able to make it to semis and finals to meet Rafa, the Clay King, all those times.  The rest of the tournaments are hard courts and Wimbledon.   Nole leads 16-7 in their hard court matches (so I find it strange that they only met 5 more times than on clay when there are so many more hard court tournaments than clay.  As you point out, Nole was terrible at 2009 and 2010 AO, everybody knows that, but he did win a title even before Nadal made a final there.  Where was Nadal in 2008, 2011, 2013, 2015?  Where was Nadal at Wimbledon the last 4 years?  Couldn't even reach semis, so Nole couldn't even face him there.  Thank god Nole won USO this year otherwise I would have to listen how Nadal is so much better at that tournament as well.    My point is that even as bad as you want to paint Nole, he at least makes semis and finals at all slams (FO included) while you really can't say that for Nadal on other surfaces.  Yes he surprises for a couple of months, like AO 2009 or that famous summer of 2013, but it is short lived.  I am talking about consistency throughout the whole season year after year.

I never claimed that Nole is better than Nadal when it comes to clay, the results prove that.  They met 7 times at FO alone, yet in all other 3 slams combined they met 6 times only!   But just as Nole can sometimes beat Rafa on clay,  the same goes for Rafa beating Nole on other surfaces.   You are welcome to demean Nole's achievements all you want but I don't see Rafa playing with a walking stick.  He is just 1 year older than Nole.   Additionally whether being bothered with an injury or not, being tired or not, Nole has played all slams and most masters for years.   It does add miles on his legs and he is not a spring chicken really.

Just as I keep saying over and over again, I judge tennis players over their whole career and their achievements will be known when they retire.   Who cares that Nole really didn't have funds or opportunities to develop more quickly than maybe some of his contemporaries?  Only his fans know how tough it was for him to develop, to mature in a world without any real guidance.  It took him perhaps longer than Rafa, but he did find his way and has become a model in the world of tennis professionals.

Here is a look at their rivalry (which I really find fascinating):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djokovic%E2%80%93Nadal_rivalry

 

[ClayDeath]

Rafa has brought about his own decline. his failure to embrace innovation, progress, continuous improvement, and continued hard work on fitness only expedited this decline. it led to more injuries also. and now he knows that it is just too tall of a mountain to climb.

 

anybody who observes this sport closely could have seen all this coming years ago.

and now the decline is so severe that there is absolutely no coming back from it. he has just one small shot left but he is refusing to bring that about.

he needs 3 clay events in south America and not just 1.

he needs to skip Miami. he has to embrace clay after the Australian open ASAP. just one week of training on the hard courts for indian wells will do. clay to hard courts adjustment is the easiest and the fastest for top players. and he really needs clay.

bottom line: he has to make a difference in monte carlo, Barcelona, and rome.

from everything I am seeing it does not look like it is going to happen.

looks like he is conceding to djokovic already. he just said that if djokovic can keep up his level then he will do something that has never been don't before.

why worry about djokovic right now. why not just get on with your bloody fitness and go find that ground game on clay.

talk is cheap and has produced absolutely nothing. only thing it has produced is further decline.

all my indicators suggest that he is done. it is really impossible to come back from such a steep decline.