Rafael Nadal

A page and forum to discuss all things Rafael Nadal.

Nadal 5

Current ranking: 14

Last result: Australian Open second round (lost to Mackenzie McDonald)

Next tournament: Roland Garros

73 Comments on Rafael Nadal

    • yes, i was wondering about that…why isn’t he there??? david and nando are so you would have thought he would be as well……was he not invited?

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    • amy,

      I did read your paraphrase and also the actual article in its entirety. I don’t know that I agree with everything that was said. For instance, I do not think it’s necessary for Rafa to get rid of Uncle Toni as his coach. I also don’t think it’s necessary. What I do believe is that Rafa needs to add someone to his team.

      Vamosrafa quoted the great Billie Jean King saying that Rafa needs a lot of positive reinforcement now. He’s not getting it from Uncle Toni. He needs a different approach. I do think that this article did a good job of analyzing the nature of the difficulties that a player faces as he gets older. I do not know that Rafa can change his essential game as this article seems to suggest. Rafa is who he is and one cannot just throw out the old. There’s also no reason to do so. With some renewed confidence and maybe some techniques for dealing with the stress of competition and also the aging process, Rafa can work on improving his serve, especially his second serve. He can play aggressive tennis quite well. He just seems to not be able to do it right now.

      The people quoted would all be great choices. A new voice, a different perspective, a new way of looking at things, can only help Rafa.

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      • nny, i too do not agree with some of the things said. it would be a huge shock to the system to ditch toni and so it would definitely be better to go down the djoker-vajda-becker route. my only worry with this is that it’s hard to see toni working with someone else, unless that would be moya (and ed has made a strong case for this partly for these reasons). i also don’t think that rafa has to radically alter his game…as per the SI article of last year which vamosrafa quoted from repeatedly he was voted as having best forehand and passing shots (many would have these as best of all time) so the idea that these have suddenly become ineffective is just nonsense. it’s a problem with the execution of the shots not the shots themselves. but the article does highlight the need to play more aggressive first-strike tennis which i do think myself… and one shot which does need work on and maybe a specialist coach is the serve as it’s become a big liability. all the 5 choices for new coach are interesting ones!!!

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    • Yes, that’s for sure! Although Toni has already said that he bears no ill will towards JMac for his comments..

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    • amy,

      I agree about not seeing Toni working with someone new. He’s been in charge since the beginning. Moya would be the only person I could see having a shot at making it work. They are from the same culture and Moya has known both of them for a long time.

      Yes, we are in agreement that it’s not necessary or even reasonable to change Rafa’s core game at this stage of his career. You don’t see the other top players doing that, either. Fed, Novak, Murray have all kept their core game with some tinkering and adjustments here and there. That’s what Rafa and Uncle Toni have been doing over the years. But with Rafa out because of the wrist injury and then the appendicitis, they haven’t had a chance to work on anything.

      We know that they were planning on Rafa using a new racket. But that has been put off for now. The top players may change rackets, add various experts to their team, maybe add another coach, all the things that must be done in order to continue to be competitive.

      The first order of business is to restore Rafa’s innate confidence and belief. There was ways of controlling anxiety in matches. If they can do that, then the serve has to be the next order of business. Rafa needs a better second serve. Novak’s average second serve speed in 100 mph. He knows that if he can’t get a first serve in, then he has a strong second serve to rely on. Rafa doesn’t have that and it’s causing too much pressure, especially when he’s up against big servers or guys with a strong ROS. Yes, I do mean Novak at the top of that list! 🙂

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      • nny, yes agree with those points.
        BTW andy murray has credited gilbert for his won excellent ROS…did gilbert ‘teach’ agassi on ros as well?? that’s some record if so….!

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      • It would appear from the comments of certain fans here that they think Toni is not trying to improve Rafa’s serve. In fact before USO 2010, Rafa team were working on improving his service but nothing worked until Rafa himself came out with something which worked. However it was a temporary solution as rivals had begun to read it and returned it quicker than Rafa would have liked. Also, I think it caused him some shoulder issues.

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  3. Contrary to what the uninformed think developing a good serve is not magic. Djoko himself had a tough time before he found one which worked with his body.

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  4. Amy says
    “i also don’t think that rafa has to radically alter his game…as per the SI article of last year which vamosrafa quoted from repeatedly he was voted as having best forehand and passing shots (many would have these as best of all time) so the idea that these have suddenly become ineffective is just nonsense. it’s a problem with the execution of the shots not the shots themselves.”
    The above comment makes no sense to me. What does, ” it’s a problem with the execution of the shots not the shots themselves.” mean? All shots are perfect in theory. The difference between a genius and a hack is in the execution.

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      • Oh so according to our self styled Maestro, the difference between a genius and a hack is just between the ears? Hilarious!!! The truth is, it is between the ears when two players are equal in skill. Otherwise just by hypnotizing me into believing I can execute like Serena Williams, you would have Mary in contention for status of female GOAT!

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    • The discussions by native and her followers would seem to indicate that team Rafa is not aware Rafa needs a better serve or even that he needs to win. They have no ideas and are content to see him in a slump and blame him for everything!!! Hilarious!!! So Team Rafa consists of idiots and they require the services of native to “brainstorm” ( her word and her suggestion) to come up with ideas to bring back Rafa’s winning ways!!! Ha ha ha ha ha…………..!!!!!

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  6. And Maestro will convey these brainstormed ideas to Beni who will gratefully implement them ( no. 1 suggestion: hire vr who is an authority on everything including weather)!!!
    Hilarious!!!!

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  7. Actually they want your tin hat back. But I told them there are at least 4 more in line clamoring to wear that hat ( rest of native’s gang of 4 + amy)

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    • Same old, same old. Just attacking others and being a stalker. Notice nothing of merit to contribute to the discussion, just more of the same cheap shots and trash talk. You don’t need a brain to come on here and just go after people all the time. But then it seems to be so convenient not to give any ideas or offer reasonable answers.

      It’s like reading spam! 🙂

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      • nny, just popped in here and read this farce. you are right it is exactly like spam : mechanical, pointless, inane, repetitious but unlike spam with a malicious intent. ie endlessly foisting upon people opinions and arguments they do not hold so at that level it’s an attempt at identity theft as well.
        i thought that saying that that post was meant for you (which it was) would set he/she/they off ( the moniker appears to cover a multitude of disguises) as you are the person who is harassed the most and i use that word advisedly. am somewhat surprised that more people don’t call this out for what it is…….
        actually on the whole i think it’s best just to ignore it rather than give it the oxygen of publicity it so craves……

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      • Sad thing is some Rafa fans seem ready to jump fences and claim Djoko has the best ROS because most of the experts say so!!! As vr would say, it is comical and delusional!
        If somebody had the best ROS ( the first shot made by the receiver when receiving serve, yes, native I know that’s what you mean) then obviously it would be positively correlated with ROS stat like 1st serve and 2nd serve return points won etc. ROS stats do not support this claim. Secondly who are these experts ( the definition of this population)? How many experts are there? Out of these how many claim Djoko has the best ROS and what do they give as the basis for their claim?
        Flat Earthism at its best (or worst) ! Hilarious!!! There aren’t enough tin hats to distribute to this gang.

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    • amy,

      Regarding your post @ 11:58 am, thanks for the support and for realizing what is going on here. You said it all so well.

      What bothers me is that a person who obviously dislikes me enough to persist in harassing me here, has devoted enough time to remembering so much of what I say here. Even knowing that I now live in Florida. Even hawkeye still thought I was on the west coast. That information was revealed more than a year ago, so why would anyone want to bring it up now? To be so obsessive about someone is kind of scary.

      I am grateful that you called it out for what it is. Ultimately, there is this thing called overkill and eventually it creates a backlash. You are relatively new here, yet you have already seen it for what it is.

      I am the one who is being targeted and in the most vitriolic, stalkerish way. I am just sorry that our discussion was once again interrupted by this garbage. I was enjoying it and then I come here to read my comments being twisted and distorted to be something that they are not. I do agree that it’s best to try and ignore it, but sometimes it gets out of control.

      However, I am not going anywhere. I look forward to more great discussions with you about all things tennis. 🙂

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  10. Let’s have your multivariate analysis! You are talking through your tin hat!!! Hilarious!!!
    # God it is killing me!

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  11. What? you admit you are ignorant ? That is some self awareness, Maestro!!! Respect!
    # tin hat but honest hat
    # maestro’s nose is growing shorter.

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  19. So it is confirmed that Rafa is playing in Hamburg. Why a clay tournament before the summer hard court season starts? I guess to pick up some points.

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    • hawkeye,

      Okay, but how is that going to prepare him for the USO? Isn’t switching to different surfaces hard on the body?

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      • He needs to find his game and confidence first and no better surfrace to find that on.

        Lots of time for hard courts as Montreal would be his next in any event in three weeks time.

        He’d do better to bring in another coach during this time with our without Hamburg.

        Reply

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