The Fall of Rafael Nadal

[ClayDeath]

4 tournaments played this week, 3 on clay, 1 on hard court.
Plenty of opportunities to get some hardware.
And who were the winners?

Paolo Lorenzi well into his 35th year won the title in Kitzbuhel, Austria
Feliciano Lopez a couple months shy of completing his 35th year won the title in Gstaad, Switzerland.
Fabio Fognini who finished his 29th year back in late May won the title in Umag, Croatia.
Finally, honorable mention goes to Dr. Ivo Karlovic, almost halfway through his 38th year, served for the Washington DC 500 Citi Open tournament, got a bit nervous, and was broken for the first time in the tournament and some 50 odd service games, then had match and tournament point in the tiebreaker, but couldn't quite carry the day, and Gael Monfils, close to finishing his 29th year of age, broke early in the 3rd set and made that stick to win the title, so congrats to him for his fine effort all tournament.

The point is that even these older players are doing the hard work to be fit enough to give themselves chances to win titles..
They are still beating the so called #Next Gen youngsters (1994-1998), and the #Lost Generation (1989-1993), because they don't expect wins to come on a silver platter. They are putting in the tough yards.

You can't win anything sitting on the sidelines. You can't even put in the practice needed.
General Hercules can tell you why Rafa's wrists are prone to injury these past 2-3 years.
The great topspin he tries to pull off with his swing takes a lot of conditioning and strength, and if it isn't there, something else has to take the punishment. Years of wear and tear don't help either, so proper conditioning is a must to avoid injury.

Well, being laid up has given Rafa the opportunity to open up his museum and show off his trophy winning accomplishments.
Rafa also talks about trying to get fit enough to compete in Rio, but doesn't sound too confident about it.
Besides his wrist, he'll obviously lack match fitness. If he plays, it looks like he'll need a great draw to go past 3 rounds.


Respectfully,
masterclass

it is all lip service from rafa and his camp. he is not going anywhere at any event.

that is why he is playing all 3 events in Rio. he might get lucky and win a couple of rounds in mixed doubles and doubles.

this is hard courts.

he cant even beat anybody of any significance on clay.

people just cant see what he is doing. he is on his retirement circuit. he will see how long he can keep his dog and pony show going until he cant win any matches at all.

it really is time to exit and stop damaging his legacy. money is going to bigger than ever in retirement. as it is, he is pocketing around $41 million a year and he cant win a damn thing. corporate world wants him. he is a model athlete and a model citizen.

he is on track to amass $1 billion over the course of his life time.

his legend grows but he has no game and no fitness.

in order to get something you must have desire and ability. right now he has no desire and no ability. he threw it all away because that is what he wanted to do.

but he does have lip service. and those lame practice sessions for show.

 

[Tennis Fan]

Excellent of Rafa for making good use of his injury time off. A much maligned legend who ignores the negative thoughts and ill wishes of others. A happy and contented man who has no need to chase elusive and mythical statuses that will only fade with the passage of time. Instead he surrounds himself with family, friends and loved ones. That's what will matter in the end when accolades fade and your name is no longer on people's lips.

He lives life exactly the way that I would; smelling the roses along the way, accepting circumstances beyond his control, and ignoring the haters. The best sportsman ever, an example for everyone.

 

[ClayDeath]

general masterclass and I have been right on this for the last 8 years now.

10 injuries in the last 8 years. and he just happens to be the finest and the most durable physical specimen the sport has ever produced.

95% of those injuries could have been avoided with better training and better fitness and slightly less activity on the hard courts.

andre Agassi was one of the first ones who said that rafa needed to change his training and his scheduling but we said it earlier than he did.

he would be sitting in 18-19 slams right now if he had just bothered to maintain his fitness, let alone improve it.

 

[ClayDeath]

andre Agassi said very specifically that rafa needed to change his training and his "scheduling" in around 2009.

by scheduling he meant slightly reduced activity on the hard courts where clearly he was to suffer most of his injuries.

for the record, rafa played and won more hard court matches than anyone on the tour in 2008.


I said very clearly that his relentless infatuation with the hard courts would not only lead to endless bout with injuries but that it would also cost him his clay prowess. and it did.

he would even go on to install an indoor hard court in Mallorca.

 

[ClayDeath]

even F. Lopez--who is 50 years old and has zero backhand and limited movement--is pocketing clay titles.

those who want to compete, battle, fight, and win are doing it.

http://www.skysports.com/tennis/new...r-title-on-clay-for-feliciano-lopez-at-gstaad

 

[Tennis Fan]

general masterclass and I have been right on this for the last 8 years now.

10 injuries in the last 8 years. and he just happens to be the finest and the most durable physical specimen the sport has ever produced.

95% of those injuries could have been avoided with better training and better fitness and slightly less activity on the hard courts.

andre Agassi was one of the first ones who said that rafa needed to change his training and his scheduling but we said it earlier than he did.

he would be sitting in 18-19 slams right now if he had just bothered to maintain his fitness, let alone improve it.

No, you all are absolutely wrong.

1. You've never answered the question of why it's only Rafa's injuries that both count and don't count. He's supposedly lazy and lackadaisical, and you actually said, "His injuries don't count." What kind of sense does that make when other players are often injured, but never maligned?

How can you have one set of rules for one person only? For the last three years when other often injured players such as Monfils, Tsonga, Nishikori, and others are mentioned, you all never address that. Instead, you'll say, "Injuries don't count (except for Rafa), or then it becomes a case of "One has nothing to do with the other." It becomes a faulty debate when you don't mention points made by someone else. That's not how it's supposed to work, by simply dismissing other people's claim but never addressing them.

2. For all of the talk about how horrible Rafa is, he's still #4 with a lot of time off; as opposed to Federer being # 3 with only a small window of time off. So, how profitable is all this talk about how great Federer is doing, when the results are only separated by about 600 points? I don't see the logic anywhere in you all's statements, and ordinarily I wouldn't say anything, but I've been seeing this tripe for three solid years on Camelot.

3. How do you all know the ins and outs of his fitness regime? Can you do what you did before your accident? Don't you need time to come back to full strength? It doesn't make any sense.

The worst thing is that you all's posts are 100 negative towards Rafa only. It's like being back on TT, only this time you're participating. Sad.

 

[britbox]

Only a few weeks ago, Nadal won Monte Carlo. It's not like Lopez and Lorenzi are setting the world alight doing something Rafa isn't capable of doing now.

 

[Tennis Fan]

Only a few weeks ago, Nadal won Monte Carlo. It's not like Lopez and Lorenzi are setting the world alight doing something Rafa isn't capable of doing now.

Exactly! Stronger arguments are needed. Feli has been touted for being so fit, but what's his rank, and what big title has he won? At some point your player isn't going to stay at the top of the pile and new blood is going to replace them. That's the nature of sports. But dogging someone (anyone) out on a daily basis is bizarre. I don't understand how anyone has the energy to do that.

At this point in time Novak is still winning everything and Andy is getting what's left over. That's life. Tennis fans have had a decade of Rafa and Federer, at what point do the unrealistic expectations stop? It's only a game and it really doesn't have that much of a bearing on our lives.

 

[ClayDeath]

Only a few weeks ago, Nadal won Monte Carlo. It's not like Lopez and Lorenzi are setting the world alight doing something Rafa isn't capable of doing now.

I hear what you are saying general but we are making a different point:

those who want to compete, battle, fight, and win matches are doing exactly that. age is no barrier now.

those who have called the dogs off are not doing a damn thing except for paying lip service for the fans and the sponsors.

but he is a tennis immortal with legendary status. each endorsement that drops off will be replaced by 2-3 other endorsements.

his stock price will actually go up in retirement.

you simply must be present to win. he is either an early out or a no show now for 3 years.

and hence the dramatic decline in game and fitness.

practice sessions are lame at best and look more like photoshoot sessions for the masses and the sponsors. there is little or no work on the fitness front. he is worn out after 30 minutes on the practice courts.

this is just not going to cut the mustard. he is my player but I cant be happy with him.

he has left 3-4 slams on the table and countless masters shields. he threw away countless opportunities that wont come again.

only one man was capable of staring down history and within just 3 slams of Federer's slam haul. and only one man could have slowed down djokovic.

I have to call it like it is. I will leave the blind worshipping to the blind worshippers. I just have to be objective.

rafa has 100 million fans. he doesn't need my admiration. I will call it exactly as I see it.

he has wasted away endless opportunities that will never come again.

 

[Carol]

I hear what you are saying general but we are making a different point:

those who want to compete, battle, fight, and win matches are doing exactly that. age is no barrier now.

those who have called the dogs off are not doing a damn thing except for paying lip service for the fans and the sponsors.

but he is a tennis immortal with legendary status. each endorsement that drops off will be replaced by 2-3 other endorsements.

his stock price will actually go up in retirement.




you simply must be present to win. he is either an early out or a no show now for 3 years.

and hence the dramatic decline in game and fitness.

practice sessions are lame at best and look more like photoshoot sessions for the masses and the sponsors. there is little or no work on the fitness front. he is worn out after 30 minutes on the practice courts.

this is just not going to cut the mustard. he is my player but I cant be happy with him.

he has left 3-4 slams on the table and countless masters shields. he threw away countless opportunities that wont come again.

only one man was capable of staring down history and within just 3 slams of Federer's slam haul. and only one man could have slowed down djokovic.

I have to call it like it is. I will leave the blind worshipping to the blind worshippers. I just have to be objective.

rafa has 100 million fans. he doesn't need my admiration. I will call it exactly as I see it.

he has wasted away endless opportunities that will never come again.

I see that you have 0 admiration for Rafa and that's why you are criticizing him so much, you are acting like his haters, pity

 

[ClayDeath]

every real and objective tennis fan that has ever existed and will exist wants his/hers players to win.

not a single real and objective fan wants his/her players to keep showing up horribly unprepared and be at the mercy of endless and unremitting injuries.

we all want our players to win.

 

[Carol]

every real and objective tennis fan that has ever existed and will exist wants his/hers players to win.

not a single real and objective fan wants his/her players to keep showing up horribly unprepared and be at the mercy of endless and unremitting injuries.

we all want our players to win.

Because I'm a real and objective fan I see and understand what Rafa is going through. I'd love to see him win but unfortunately he can't due to his injuries but I always keep the hope that he still will do something good but if not I always will keep in my head that he has been an extraordinary player and I know it will be very difficult to see someone else like him since he was 17 years old, probably never

 

[ClayDeath]

Because I'm a real and objective fan I see and understand what Rafa is going through. I'd love to see him win but unfortunately he can't due to his injuries but I always keep the hope that he still will do something good but if not I always will keep in my head that he has been an extraordinary player and I know it will be very difficult to see someone else like him since he was 17 years old, probably never

I think it is over carol.


only thing that is guaranteed at the current rate is more injuries and the exit.

I would do what roger has done. take the remaining 5 months off to go work on fitness and do the required physical work in the training room.

I would also go get on clay ASAP. clay is all he has. clay is the wellspring from which he flows. it is there he can make some noise in 2017.

he doesn't need excuses from his fans. he and uncle tony have made enough of them.

nalbandian made it very clear: it is clay or the exit.

 

[ClayDeath]

he has not won a title on the hard courts since 2013. we will hit 2017 soon and the story will be the same.

it has to be clay. I would target roland garros in 2017 and drop the activity on the hard courts.

but that assumes he wants to get back in the saddle. right now there is exactly zero indication that he is interested in winning tennis matches.

 

[Tennis Fan]

I see that you have 0 admiration for Rafa and that's why you are criticizing him so much, you are acting like his haters, pity

Agreed. It totally emulates the haters' behavior, and Rafa doesn't deserve it.

 

[Tennis Fan]

Because I'm a real and objective fan I see and understand what Rafa is going through. I'd love to see him win but unfortunately he can't due to his injuries but I always keep the hope that he still will do something good but if not I always will keep in my head that he has been an extraordinary player and I know it will be very difficult to see someone else like him since he was 17 years old, probably never

Same here. You have to take a person warts and all, and injuries have stalled his quest, but that's no reason to crap on a player day in and day out where everything you post is negative. Like the smaller bicep; why would your bicep stay the same when you have a dang injury on that side? Totally ridiculous, but anything to tear Rafa down. Not so hidden agendas, in fact, totally transparent if you ask me.

What other fans do this to their guy? And for all of the years that Rafa has thrilled us. It's downright disrespectful. May as well have stayed at TT, at least those that trolls admit it.

 

[Carol]

We know that the professional sport career is very short and Rafa knows better than us and that's why he is preparing his future in the most smart way, I mean I don't think he would like to be just a coach or a tennis commentator, he seems to like to be involved in some business which will give him enough security to have a confortable life with his future wife and family. But it doesn't mean that he doesn't care to win anymore, he wants very badly, he played in Roma, Madrid and beginning of RG with injections in his wrist because he wanted to play until his doctor told him it was enough before the injury would become worse
We'll see now if he would be able to recovery completely or not, if he does then we (his fans) will have two or three more years to enjoy watching him, if not I hope that all those business will be very successful like his tennis career was

 

[britbox]

I hear what you are saying general but we are making a different point:

those who want to compete, battle, fight, and win matches are doing exactly that. age is no barrier now.

those who have called the dogs off are not doing a damn thing except for paying lip service for the fans and the sponsors.

but he is a tennis immortal with legendary status. each endorsement that drops off will be replaced by 2-3 other endorsements.

his stock price will actually go up in retirement.

you simply must be present to win. he is either an early out or a no show now for 3 years.

and hence the dramatic decline in game and fitness.

practice sessions are lame at best and look more like photoshoot sessions for the masses and the sponsors. there is little or no work on the fitness front. he is worn out after 30 minutes on the practice courts.

this is just not going to cut the mustard. he is my player but I cant be happy with him.

he has left 3-4 slams on the table and countless masters shields. he threw away countless opportunities that wont come again.

only one man was capable of staring down history and within just 3 slams of Federer's slam haul. and only one man could have slowed down djokovic.

I have to call it like it is. I will leave the blind worshipping to the blind worshippers. I just have to be objective.

rafa has 100 million fans. he doesn't need my admiration. I will call it exactly as I see it.

he has wasted away endless opportunities that will never come again.

Nadal is 30... These are the players in history who have won majors over 30.

Connors, Korda, Gomez, Laver, Newcombe, Agassi. Laver, Federer, Ashe, Rosewall, Gimeno

Jimmy Connors 1982 US Open 30y 0m 10d
Petr Korda 1998 Australian 30y 0m 9d
Andres Gomez 1990 Roland Garros 30y 3m 14d
Rod Laver 1969 Australian 30y 5m 18d
John Newcombe 1975 Australian 30y 7m 9d
Andre Agassi 2001 Australian 30y 8m 30d
Rod Laver 1969 Roland Garros 30y 9m 30d
Rod Laver 1969 Wimbledon 30y 10m 26d
Roger Federer 2012 Wimbledon 30y 11m 0d
Jimmy Connors 1983 US Open 31y 0m 9d
Pete Sampras 2002 US Open 31y 0m 27d
Rod Laver 1969 US Open 31y 1m 0d
Arthur Ashe 1975 Wimbledon 31y 11m 25d
Andre Agassi 2003 Australian 32y 8m 28d
Ken Rosewall 1968 Roland Garros 33y 7m 7d
Andres Gimeno 1972 Roland Garros 34y 10m 1d
Ken Rosewall 1970 US Open 35y 10m 11d
Ken Rosewall 1971 Australian 36y 2m 12d
Ken Rosewall 1972 Australian 37y 2m 1d

Of those, only one has won a major in the last fifteen years over the age of 30.

Nadal was winning majors when he was 17 years old. He's got a lot of mileage and silverware on the clock.

I think your aspirations for Nadal continuing his trail of silverware indefinitely are unrealistic CD. Maybe he's got a major left in him - one at most I 'd guess... possibly more masters. He won Monte Carlo already this year. I don't know why you care about being absent during the hard court season as you don't want him to play on hards anyway.

 

[Tennis Fan]

We know that the professional sport career is very short and Rafa knows better than us and that's why he is preparing his future in the most smart way, I mean I don't think he would like to be just a coach or a tennis commentator, he seems to like to be involved in some business which will give him enough security to have a confortable life with his future wife and family. But it doesn't mean that he doesn't care to win anymore, he wants very badly, he played in Roma, Madrid and beginning of RG with injections in his wrist because he wanted to play until his doctor told him it was enough before the injury would become worse
We'll see now if he would be able to recovery completely or not, if he does then we (his fans) will have two or three more years to enjoy watching him, if not I hope that all those business will be very successful like his tennis career was

Excellent post, Carol. That's the way I see it too. I think the moves that he's making are very smart. He's not only working to secure his future, but also ensuring that others may get the same opportunities that he has been blessed with. It's not just about him, trophies and accolades; it's about giving back to those less fortunate and helping them on their way. One thing we know is that he is not a selfish champion, only thinking about himself.

I love that he isn't married and doesn't have children as well, because I don't think that one can properly do it without sacrificing on one end or the other. "Success" is great and all, but it depends on what you sacrifice to get it. I would never put career before my child, because you can't serve two masters.

These are the things that make Rafa heads above the rest for me. It's the ability to be a celebrity, without acting like one, and keeping your feet on the ground. Last week I saw where this commentator wished Rafa a happy birthday and said that he was one of the best persons' that he'd ever met in his life. When he pulled out of the French Open earlier this year, he stopped by to thank the woman who did his transcripts and gave her a kiss before he left. Then, as he was getting into the car to leave, they said the organizers, all grown men were seeing him off and they had tears in their eyes.

That's what makes a great person, someone who touches the lives of others. Everything else is temporaral, but the memories that you make will outlast any piece of hardware or mythical status that someone can achieve.

Regardless of what he does from this point on tennis-wise. I will be forever grateful for his example of how to be humble in triumph and defeat. This is the person that I point out to my son as actions to emulate. The world has got it all wrong, IMO.

 

[Carol]

Excellent post, Carol. That's the way I see it too. I think the moves that he's making are very smart. He's not only working to secure his future, but also ensuring that others may get the same opportunities that he has been blessed with. It's not just about him, trophies and accolades; it's about giving back to those less fortunate and helping them on their way. One thing we know is that he is not a selfish champion, only thinking about himself.

I love that he isn't married and doesn't have children as well, because I don't think that one can properly do it without sacrificing on one end or the other. "Success" is great and all, but it depends on what you sacrifice to get it. I would never put career before my child, because you can't serve two masters.

These are the things that make Rafa heads above the rest for me. It's the ability to be a celebrity, without acting like one, and keeping your feet on the ground. Last week I saw where this commentator wished Rafa a happy birthday and said that he was one of the best persons' that he'd ever met in his life. When he pulled out of the French Open earlier this year, he stopped by to thank the woman who did his transcripts and gave her a kiss before he left. Then, as he was getting into the car to leave, they said the organizers, all grown men were seeing him off and they had tears in their eyes.

That's what makes a great person, someone who touches the lives of others. Everything else is temporaral, but the memories that you make will outlast any piece of hardware or mythical status that someone can achieve.

Regardless of what he does from this point on tennis-wise. I will be forever grateful for his example of how to be humble in triumph and defeat. This is the person that I point out to my son as actions to emulate. The world has got it all wrong, IMO.

How many people

Excellent post too Tennis Fan, and also I almost has had tears in my eyes reading about that woman who did his transcripts and about the organizers
One of my cousin lives in Mallorca, her husband is from there and knows Rafa and his family well and he says that they are wonderful people, very friendly and educated. Rafa has the same friends that he had when he was a little boy and also he is far to act like a celebrity, on the contrary he is very simple keeping his feet on the ground .