What do you see going forward for Nadal?

[nehmeth]

What do you see going forward for Nadal? Here's my prediction.

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSPNQ82Sq4E[/video]

:laydownlaughing :lolz: :clap


uzzled
but remember... Rocky came back.

 

[Johnsteinbeck]

^^ :laydownlaughing

I think in some ways, we're over-reacting to an extent. Rafa has won a major ten years running, he's 29, and starting to slow down. This is normal, and natural. His only hope is to accept his limitations and try work around whatever is still strong in his game. He's always been good at adapting, and he has to adapt now. Players hit a certain age and start to physically feel the wear and tear. Sampras skipped Oz in 1999 (Oz! After the Christmas break!) citing fatigue. He was aged 27. They reach a certain point where physically it gets harder.

Mentally, Rafa lacks confidence now. He's not sure of himself, he looks like he wants it to go away when there's pressure on. The huge Hercules of mental toughness is now finding that he has an Achilles heel (to mix metaphors and Greek myths )...

^ funny, i wanted to do a post about how many orthodox Rafalites focus mainly on him getting back to his old self rather than adapting... so thanks for proving me wrong in advance

my point is/would have been though, that while Fed made some drastic changes in response to his last two slumps (Annacone, Edberg, racquet switch, daringly different style), there hasn't been anything like that with Rafa yet. and the fans don't call for it as much either - except for the occasional plea for more aggression (although that's more often by his haters).

yet in the past, it was Rafa who showed much more willingness and ableness to adapt. re-inventing himself from clay courter to all-surface-champion... and that little trick he did with his serve at the '13 USO. however, all of these changes were made when he was at his best, to go from great to even greater; when he was down, so far, it had always been mainly about an injury, getting healthy again, some playing groove and confidence to find back to his game, not to find something new. so this is different, in a way. just like Kieran says - he has to work around things now. we'll see how he does there (especially since a change in the team doesn't really seem to be an option ).

 

[Kieran]

What do you see going forward for Nadal? Here's my prediction.

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSPNQ82Sq4E[/video]

:laydownlaughing :lolz: :clap


uzzled
but remember... Rocky came back.

Don't look so sad, brother, you used to quite like Rafa. Now you're in a hurry to see him gone?

 

[nehmeth]

Don't look so sad, brother, you used to quite like Rafa. Now you're in a hurry to see him gone?

That emoticon is labeled "puzzled".

You're right though, I won't be sad when he calls it a day.

 

[Kieran]

Don't look so sad, brother, you used to quite like Rafa. Now you're in a hurry to see him gone?

That emoticon is labeled "puzzled".

You're right though, I won't be sad when he calls it a day.

I suppose he put you Novak fans through the ringer too often. You have nothing to fear from him for the moment, and you should appreciate him while he's still here, if you ever appreciated him at all...

 

[nehmeth]

Don't look so sad, brother, you used to quite like Rafa. Now you're in a hurry to see him gone?

That emoticon is labeled "puzzled".

You're right though, I won't be sad when he calls it a day.

You have nothing to fear from him for the moment, and you should appreciate him while he's still here, if you ever appreciated him at all...

Good point.

 

[herios]

Don't look so sad, brother, you used to quite like Rafa. Now you're in a hurry to see him gone?

That emoticon is labeled "puzzled".

You're right though, I won't be sad when he calls it a day.

I suppose he put you Novak fans through the ringer too often. You have nothing to fear from him for the moment, and you should appreciate him while he's still here, if you ever appreciated him at all...

I was hoping to see Novak taking a revenge for the two finals he lost to him, but that was not meant to happen here. It is not much a consolation for me that F3 had other thoughts. Probably that Hamburg loss stirred him up.

 

[Denis]

That emoticon is labeled "puzzled".

You're right though, I won't be sad when he calls it a day.

I suppose he put you Novak fans through the ringer too often. You have nothing to fear from him for the moment, and you should appreciate him while he's still here, if you ever appreciated him at all...

I was hoping to see Novak taking a revenge for the two finals he lost to him, but that was not meant to happen here. It is not much a consolation for me that F3 had other thoughts. Probably that Hamburg loss stirred him up.

I was really looking forward to that potential 80 minute beat down fiesta full of bakery products. It was not to be, looks like rafa will still qualify for the wtf: good opportunity to work a bit on the h2h at least.

 

[brokenshoelace]

Novak had plenty of opportunities to work on the h2h. He started on the right track in 2011, then he faltered. Waiting for Rafa to be washed up is a sound tactic in theory, but ever the genius, Rafa has other plans, and has decided to be so washed up that he doesn't get to play Novak at all. Even in decline, Rafa is as cerebral as ever.

 

[El Dude]

I for one don't think he's completely done, although the huge drop-off this year is a bit disconcerting. It isn't like he was great last year, so we're really looking at a year and a half of significantly declined play - with no signs of recovery. I've heard it said, and I've said it myself, that when Rafa goes he'll go quickly. This isn't the gradual decline and then re-organization at a slightly lower level that we're seeing from Roger, for instance.

Someone cited Federer's adjustment after 2013. I think the situation is different. Roger was nursing a back injury at the same time as he was adapting to a new racket and also incorporating more net play. By the end of the year he was looking much better. I'm not sure that Rafa is nursing an injury of any kind - I think we would have heard about it. I think what we're seeing is an erosion in his physical skills which is impacting his confidence, which in turn has reduced his results in high pressure situations.

We also need to remember that while Rafa is biologically 29, his tennis age is more like 31 or 32. Plus, given his style of play and his lack of a good serve and it makes sense that he's no longer an elite talent.

I think 2016's clay season will make or break for him. If he can regain some of his glory, win at least a Master or two if not Roland Garros, then we might see another couple years of Rafa. If he can't regain at least some of his dominance on clay I just don't see him playing beyond the year (2016). I'm not a fan of Rafa but I must admit that I wouldn't mind seeing a heroic clay return and one more title at Roland Garros...If he doesn't win at Roland Garros in 2016, I think that's it.

 

[Front242]

He's already won 9 Roland Garros titles too many for my liking No need to win another.

 

[herios]

He's already won 9 Roland Garros titles too many for my liking No need to win another.

Exactly. The Musketeers trophy is full of Rafa bites. Enough already. :devil

 

[El Dude]

Yes, but even us non-Rafa fans have to admit that it would be high drama to see him blaze through Roland Garros, tearfully hoisting his 10th and final French Open trophy...

 

[Front242]

He can blaze through to the final and lose to Fognini in straight sets with Fog making 200 unforced errors. Then I'm happy :snicker

 

[herios]

Yes, but even us non-Rafa fans have to admit that it would be high drama to see him blaze through Roland Garros, tearfully hoisting his 10th and final French Open trophy...

Novak fans will not agree. The more titles to Rafa, less opportunities for Novak. Don't you think we have waited enough to see him win the last slam missing in his portfolio?

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

nadal has stopped beating the top players since winning the French open 2014. thatsa long time ago,

amongst all the guff ..that is a telling stat, since then I think he's only beaten ferrer and skeletor burdych.

 

[El Dude]

OK, fair enough. Novak is over-due at Roland Garros. He remains the favorite going into next year.

 

[Front242]

Ok, so either you think Wawrinka is gonna defend his title or then who else do you see winning RG next year? Murray? Since you don't think Djokovic or Nadal will.

 

[Denis]

Ok, so either you think Wawrinka is gonna defend his title or then who else do you see winning RG next year? Murray? Since you don't think Djokovic or Nadal will.

Both could happen, then again, I really don't think any real conclusions can be made about RG at this point in time.

You just said you were sure Djokovic was not going to win RG next year.... :s

 

[brokenshoelace]

Is there a player who divides opinion like Nadal? I mean, his fanbase is obnoxious but boy oh boy so are his detractors. This is the first top player where people are publicly and actively hoping he disappears of the face of existence (in a tennis context of course). I mean even Kieran wouldn't wish that upon Fed (in fairness, why would he? His favorite player has reduced Roger into a punching bag - if punching bags could cry I mean).