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

  1. U.Toni believes in Rafa.
    Times of India, Dec. 11, 2015: ¤¤ Uncle Toni’s ‘tough love’ shaped Nadal.
    (Excerpts)
    Hailing from a small village of Manacor near Mallorca in Spain, Toni and Rafa are undoubtedly one of the most successful tennis combos with 14 Grand Slams and one Olympic gold medal to their name. But his uncle was not easy on Rafa…
    Toni and Rafa were both here on Thursday to conduct a tennis clinic. The 54-year-old says it was his tough love that made Rafa a better player. “I was tough because to be No. 1, you have to work hard. I was never tough with guys I don’t love. Rafa is same as my son and daughter and I wanted the best for him.Today the kids want things that are not tough but life is not easy.I am proud that I have prepared my nephew to be at his best,” Toni told TOI on Thursday.
    “We are from small village with 30,000 people. Sometimes we had no partners for practice and it was not easy,” said Toni, who bettered Bjorn Borg’s coach Lennart Bergelin’s record to become the most successful coach on Tour.
    Rafa has slid down the ranking to No 5 and his last Grand Slam triumph was back in 2014. But Toni believes that his nephew still has a lot more up his sleeve. “I always think that he’ll be back to his best. You can’t work without that confidence. I believe he is one of the favourites for the Australian Open.” ¤¤

    Read more:

    http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tennis/international-premier-tennis-league/Uncle-Tonis-tough-love-shaped-Nadal/articleshow/50133195.cms

  2. Fix his serve and returns and he should be fine. If possible add in a good quality BHDTL and he should be ready for Novak.

    I feel Nadal is the only one who could give Novak fits at the slams, except Wimbledon while Stan could do so at AO and FO. I do miss that Rafa of 2012 on clay, imo, he played better in the whole clay season of 2012 except blue slippery clay of course, than his 2013 clay season. He was hitting deep penetrating shots on clay at MC and Rome and so was able to push Novak behind the baseline and so won the battle.

    Rafa was doing poorly at the Masters events vs Novak, won only three – MC & Rome 2012 and Montreal 2013 – whilst Novak won all their other Masters encounters including the WTFs. Its time for Rafa to reverse the trend or at least stop the trend.

  3. Q&A with Rafa with Times of India:

    Two defeats in the French Open. One against Robin Soderling (2009) and the other against Novak (2015) in so many finals. Which one hurts more?
    It was tougher in 2009, yes.
    Why is it so? Because it was the first time?
    (Laughs). No. Because I was so bad. The knees were very bad during that period of time. I couldn’t play Wimbledon after that too. I was having a great year. I won in Australia, I won in Indian Wells, in Rome, in Barcelona, in Monte Carlo, played the final in Madrid, all but with very bad feeling on my knees. When I went to Roland Garros, the knee was not improving and Soderling was playing great.
    I fought but I knew I shouldn’t have played there. It’s like the Australian Open in 2014 against Wawrinka. That’s one of the toughest losses in my career without a doubt because I got back problem at the end of the first set and I couldn’t move. It was so bad. Probably the worst two hours I have spent on a tennis court in the final of one of the most important tournaments for me and knowing that there’s nothing to do.

    You, Federer and Novak have been the dominant three in this generation. What do you feel about the next generation -the 18, 19-year-old players?
    We are not forever. We will pass and the new generation is going to come. It’s true that there wasn’t a new generation for a couple of years, but yes, now there is. There’s (Eduardo) Velez, (Nick) Kyrgios, (Thanasi) Kokinakis, (Borna) Coric, (Hyeon) Chung and more. A lot of new players are there and are fighting strong to play for the top position and they are close. In a short time, they will be there.
    You have so many French Open titles, yet your book revolves more deeply around the 2008 Wimbledon final and the 2010 US Open final. Did you from a very young age feel that French Open is yours, like a kind of a given?
    (Laughs) I never felt like this. Roland Garros is the most important tournament of my career without any doubt. No, no, there is no doubt about this. It’s the most special place for me.
    But it is (also) obvious that probably one of the most important, most beautiful moments of my career was the Wimbledon final of 2008 and the US Open final of 2013 especially after the injury of 2012. Roland Garros, though, is the tournament that I love the most. (Getting slightly emotional). My career without it is very different, that’s for sure.

    There was a time when you were racing past Federer. You seemed to be winning everything. Then injuries happened. It slowed you down. Have you ever thought that in the last 3-4 years if injuries did not happen, what might have been? How did you handle that period the doubts coming back from injury, going through the grind again?
    Doubts are part of life. Doubts are good. If you don’t have doubts, maybe it is because you are too arrogant (and that’s wrong) because nothing is clear in this world. Yes, injuries are there. The term “if you don’t” doesn’t exist, you know. I have it, and that’s it. Injuries are tough to recover from. They stop your career.
    In 2012, I was playing great. I had a big chance of being No. 1 in the world but I got injured for 7 months. In 2014 again, I was No. 1 of the race, then I broke my wrist practising in Mallorca…. So it’s okay, I missed much more important tournaments in my career compared to Djokovic and Federer because they didn’t miss nothing during their careers.
    I missed many ones -few ones I did not play and few ones that I did play, I got injured during the tournament. But it’s not right to feel unlucky for that. I feel very lucky about all the things about all the things that happened to me.
    With all the other things that happened to me, I still got 14 Grand Slams and an Olympic gold, so I did much more than I ever dreamt.

    Your coach Toni has always said that he wants to see you as the greatest player ever. Recently he said that Federer is the best ever, because of the Slams he has to his name. Does he say this intentionally to provoke you? Does the number 17 (Federer’s Grand Slams) charge you up?
    I always did it my way (laughs). I never had that ambition about being the best in history or being where I am today with 14 Slams. I did it my way and tried to improve my tennis every year, try to do something better every day in my practice. And then we’ll see if I’m able to keep winning important tournaments. That’s my job. And no, I am not thinking about 17. Djokovic has 10 too. I want to focus and be fit for tournaments over the next few years but it’s not something that I have an obsession with.

    • vamosrafa,

      I am so glad that you posted this interview with Rafa. I remember how the rabid Fed fans and haters all kept saying that there was nothing wrong with Rafa’s knees at that time. I used to get into so many fights with them because of that. But now we know from Rafa himself that he lost that match to Sod because his knees were so bad. Of course, Sod played a great match but that would not have matter if Rafa was healthy. I also appreciated his thoughts on the 2014 AO loss. It was as hard as we thought for him.

      • Nativenewyorker DECEMBER 12, 2015 AT 8:21 PM
        –But now we know from Rafa himself that he lost that match to Sod because his knees were so bad.—
        ===
        .
        Haven’t you read Rafa’s autobiography “Rafa: My Story” that was published in English more than 4 years ago?

    • you have to love rafa’s philosophy on success and on life. He never allowed himself to be consumed by some constant pressure of trying to be the GOAT. He has just focused on himself and being a better player. I really admire this.

  4. Are you happy 2015 is ending and do you have any targets for 2016?
    I finished it well, you know, after a tough six, seven months of the year, I finished it with positive energy. I’m practising well now so my mentality is to just keep going the same way. Practice, practice, practice. The targets are always the same. The motivation is to be ready to compete for the more important events and that’s what I’m looking for.
    Between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, do you switch your strategy? Who is harder to play?
    Both players are unbelievable, you know. We are talking about the best players in the history of our sport. Both opponents are so difficult that I can’t pick one. I think, it depends always on the moment of someone’s career -someone is playing better in some moment, someone is not.
    Who do you like playing more?
    Well, you know, with Federer, the things are more clear. Both of us, we play within a strategy. There is a little bit more combination of styles that makes the match always special and the people get involved, so … I enjoy with both but if I had to choose one, because of that combination of style, I would have to say Federer.

    Rafa thinks novak is also one of the best of the history. This has become a three-way battle now. Legacies.

    • —Rafa thinks novak is also one of the best of the history. This has become a three-way battle now.—
      ===
      .
      Politeness shouldn’t be taken very seriously.

      • So you think Rafa is only being polite about Novak? He doesn’t mean what he is saying? Sorry, but I don’t buy that at all. Rafa could just as well say nothing or be less effusive with his praise.

        • Exactly! How on earth is this ‘politeness’ :s He has always praised his rivals but before this year, he did not used to hand such big compliments to Djokovic. He just did that now and rightly so. Djokovic had an insane year and now has 10 slams and has beaten Fedal nearly fifty times!! NEARLY FIFTY TIMES.

          Djokovic has no RG. That’s the blemish on his resume. He also needs to win a few more slams to build his legacy further.

          It does appear this has become a three-way battle now. It was all federer, then Fedal and now Fed-rafa-ovic ? LOL

          Truly a Golden generation.

          Rafa is heading the right way and I hope he can take one step further and win a couple of slams in 2016. He CAN do it. I have faith in him.

    • vamosrafa,

      Again, thanks for these words from Rafa. I am not surprised at what he said about Novak. Rafa is always honest and has no problem respecting his rivals and giving them all due credit. It’s one of his best qualities.

      I thought his comments about playing Fed were a bit revealing. You can sense that he knows how to take on Fed and beat his game. His words reflect the confidence he has shown in his matches with Fed. Clearly, he’s more comfortable playing him and the game plan is easier. His H2H against Fed shows Rafa’s ability to deal with him. But Novak is a more difficult prospect, especially in recent years as he has worked to elevate his own game and get even better. He presents different problems for Rafa.

      I really enjoy reading Rafa’s thoughts in interviews like this.

      Thanks again for posting it!

      • you’re welcome NNY. Yeah, well put. That’s how the dynamics. He feels a lot more in control against Federer. Djokovic is a NIGHTMARE matchup for Rafa just like rafa is for federer. THe difference is, rafa’s been able to overcome his nightmare plenty of times but federer has never quite done that enough.

        • vamosrafa,

          Yes, it’s true that Novak is so tough for Rafa the way Rafa is for Fed. Well said. But as you said, Rafa’s been able to find the answers. Fed was never able to find a way to beat Rafa consistently.

          Thanks for also standing up for the fact that Rafa doesn’t have to be polite. Some people just cannot stand the fact that even their favorite player can acknowledge Novak and give him credit for what he’s done. It takes a special person to have that kind of grace and decency.

  5. A great wish.
    ¤¤ Question: “From your point of view, what makes Novak so difficult these days? …”
    RAFAEL NADAL: “…He played just fantastic. When somebody’s doing like this, just the only thing I can do is congratulate him and just WISH not the best of luck for the next year (smiling).”
    [Source: Rafa’s post-match interview on November 21, 2015]
    🙂

    • point no.1 : only you would take this seriously because he was joking. He knows him wishing good luck or bad luck to his rival is totally insignificant.

      point no.2 : I don’t think any rafa fan here is wishing good luck to djokovic to dominate again 2016 (PLEASE NO GOD).

      Can’t see even the slightest of relevance of the post above to what was being discussed :S

      • vamosrafa,

        Yes, I agree with your points. Obviously, Rafa was joking around. We know that when Rafa and his rivals speak at trophy ceremonies, it’s common for them all to wish each other luck for the season. It’s a courtesy and good sportsmanship. But in that interview, Rafa was trying to make a joke and say maybe not good luck to Novak next year! In parenthese – smiling! See, that’s the key!

        I absolutely agree with your second point. I sure am not going to wish good luck to Novak in 2016! No way!

        Again, I appreciate you posting the comments from Rafa on his career and its ups and downs. He knows that he’s gotten some bad breaks, but he doesn’t let it get him down.

        I am going to wish Rafa the best of luck in 2016 and a great comeback!

  6. Both Rafa and Roger think the Fedal rivalry is special and I agree. Djoker could have had that with Murray if there was no Fedal although, on the other hand, they do play such boring tennis against each other.

  7. Rafa likes to wear bright and joyful colors that transmit energy and fit with his jovial personality. 🙂

    Rafa was interviewed by RTVE (Spanish TV) during the Tommy (Hilfiger) x Nadal event in Madrid on Dec. 1, 2015. The video was shown on TV on Dec 12, 2015.
    Translated from Spanish by Genny SS:
    ¤¤ Rafa talks about his long time relationship with Tommy Hilfiger and how he was offered to be ambassador of the brand. Rafa says he likes to wear jeans with T-shirt, polo or shirt, but for special events he likes to wear jackets with jeans or full suits. About “BOLD” he says he likes fresh scents that can give him the feeling of cleanliness. Rafa says he’s not picky with what he wears on court. Except to play at night at some tournaments where he would wear black, he likes to wear bright and joyful colors that transmit energy and fit with his jovial personality. Rafa says that it still feels a bit strange to see himself with few clothes on in the streets of most of the cities he visits, but he’s happy to be ambassador for TH, as it’s also an opportunity to have new experiences and know new things, as is the fashion world in this case. Rafa finally talks about the Rafa Nadal Foundation, what they’re doing both in India and Spain, where they’ve just opened a center in Mallorca (in Palma, the capital of Mallorca).¤¤

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfPvShAUmaQ

  8. João Sousa wrote on his FB page on Monday: ¤¤ Hello everyone! I’m already in Mallorca with my coach Frederico Marques and my trainer Marc Marti for a week of work with the Rafael Nadal! …¤¤
    The first photo is taken in Rafa’s gym located in the center of Manacor, in the apartment block of the extended Nadal family. (Rafa lives in the beach-house of his parents located in Porto Cristo, 13.8km {8.6 miles} away from Manacor.)

    Rafa is going to practice with Joao Sousa in Mallorca until Dec. 22.

    https://www.facebook.com/joao30sousa/posts/903407266375173

  9. U.Toni believes in Rafa.

    TennisWorld, Dec.13, 2105: ¤¤ Toni Nadal: “I think Rafael has found tranquility.”
    (Excerpts)
    Tennis World USA managed to catch up for an exclusive conversation with Toni Nadal, who also toured the IPTL along with Rafa.
    A key aspect of Rafa’s game that’s changed in the two halves of 2015, according to Toni, has been that Rafa’s started to go more on the line. He also emphasised, “It is also tranquillity. During the mini-month, Rafa found tranquillity to make things right and better. He started to move again better and take long steps. He also started to make good shots again. But before, it wasn’t so.”
    Toni finally concluded the tête-à-tête by speaking about their objectives for the upcoming 2016 season, “First objective is to play well, play with confidence and be aggressive. Then, to improve his service, his forehand and then win tournaments. I think Rafael is on the way. In the last month, I have seen Rafael not too far from where he was when he was no. 1 or no. 2. I hope when we play outdoor (events) in the next month, we have the possibility to make very good tournaments.” ¤¤

    http://www.tennisworldusa.org/TENNISWORLD-EXCLUSIVE—Toni-Nadal-I-think-Rafael-has-found-Tranquility-articolo28611.html

  10. That’s what João Sousa has told to Portuguese journalists about his practice with Rafa in Mallorca:

    [Translated from Portuguese by Google]
    Monday, the first day:
    “This morning we started training at 9 am…The training went very well, it lasted about three hours – from 9 am to 12 pm – and served basically to feel the ball. We did not play points. ”
    “The physical training was done in Rafa’s personal gym. It was great to see all the facilities that he has available.”
    “At noon, Rafa had to leave because he had something to do with his foundation. ”
    .
    Tuesday:
    “It was a very intense day, consisting of two training sessions: a morning and one in the afternoon. The first was from 10 am to 12:30 pm and the second from 4 pm to 6:30 pm. It was five hours at a very good level. The first practice was more composed of some field background checks and in the afternoon we took the opportunity to make services, returns and volleys. We played ​​some points and some trial matches.”

    http://bolamarela.pt/joao-sousa-mais-um-dia-em-cheio/

    • Thanks, augusta. It’s always worth knowing the schedule well in advance. I am planning to go to Doha for 2 days but only when Rafa is playing. I can’t buy tickets now because I don’t know when his first match will be.

      I was in Doha in 2014 from the 2nd Rnd onwards but I knew Rafa was sure to make the latter stages then. It was particularly satisfying to see him beat Rosol sitting courtside. I hope losing in the early rounds is now well and truly behind him.

  11. Uncle Toni:

    “I have learnt a lot during these few years. Because as a coach, I’ve had a lot of opportunities on the ATP tour,” Toni Nadal told Tennis World. “I’m with one good player on the Tour and I have had the possibility during these years to see the best players. I have seen Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer; how they practice and play – either on the court or on the video. I think I have improved. I have things I haven’t seen, things that before when I was in Manacor [where they live] that I had not seen then. I have gained lot of experience.”

    This is what I have been talking about for quite some time now. Uncle Toni, as a coach, had plenty of limitations when he he training rafa in rafa’s teenage years. He was technically wanting and that reflected in rafa’s serve and strokes technique , which was quite obvious. However, he trained rafa in a way which made rafa perhaps the strongest player mentally ever in tennis and helped rafa attain an X factor.

    Over the years, Toni has improved a lot though. He has been a great student of the game and has definitely improved his competence in the technical department.

    I still think rafa would have/ can benefit a lot by getting help from elsewhere too. Toni should stay but no harm in experimenting with some former great.

    Rafa can definitely win slams again with Toni but things might easier if he gets more help.

    • I think after a certain age you cannot make basic changes in technique. None of the players can. They tinker here and there. So in my opinion as no one except Uncle T has dealt with the kind of technique employed by Rafa, any other coach will at best not be of much use or at worst, cause a lot of damage. Uncle T is aware of this.

      • Uncle T learns by watching and adapts new lessons to Rafa’s basic technique. But other coaches will think oh my God, Rafa’s technique needs to be changed.

      • no, it does not work like that. The easiest way for me to explain this is to refer to that Oscar borras episode. If you are aware of that, you won’t be saying this. He successfully enabled rafa to adapt his service motion in at least 3 ways! How much time did it take for genius rafa to adapt to the new motion? a couple of weeks?! We know what happened to his serve in the tournament then. It became a monster.

        There is a fine line as to what you can change. No coach will actually dare tell rafa to change the technique on his forehand as it is one of the best shots ever in tennis. His forehand has had physical cost but its so unique.

        His backhand has some unusual elements in its technique and that would certainly at least partly explain why his backhand can sometimes be a bit inconsistent and why he has some issues such as dealing with high ,heavy balls. Quite likely.

        Uncle Toni has been trying to make rafa finish his forehand infront of his body and that is what rafa does most of the times in practice but he often reverts to the lasso whip finish which is not considered to be ideal by many coaches. Anyway, as far as his forehand is concerned, no need to change except for may be some little tweak to enable him to flatten it out more often 😉

        Volleys and net game is something he can excel a lot more at. Look at how much fed’s improved under anacone and then especially Edberg.

        Plus, rafa’s not a kid! he won’t just change things that have worked for him for ages. He has been willing to change the strings of his racket, weight distribution of his racket and the racket itself! Adding another coach is something he has never done.

        I hope he starts playing so well that we don’t even have to talk about all this but I do wish to see a former great in his camp. Who knows how much potential is untapped!!

        • Vamosrafa, what do you think about Rafa’s FH on quick surfaces? Some people believe Rafa couldnt excel on quick surfaces because of the back swing on his FH. However, I see Rafa have that flatter FH that finishes across his body i/o above his head. I believe he could have a shorter back swing on the flatter FH and if he uses that FH to play on quick or lower bounce surfaces, do you think he would have more successes?

        • vamosrafa DECEMBER 17, 2015 AT 5:45 AM
          —The easiest way for me to explain this is to refer to that Oscar borras episode. If you are aware of that, you won’t be saying this. He successfully enabled rafa to adapt his service motion in at least 3 ways!—
          ===
          .
          And Rafa got a shouder problem.

        • One more thing, I do feel Rafa has not fulfilled his full potential , imagine he has a bigger serve, an alternative flat FH, continues with his more aggressive play on the HC the way he played when younger, etc and etc. These are things achieveable by Rafa with the talent he has, esp if he starts from young. I can imagine how formidable Rafa will be. If he’s born a few years earlier and played in the S&V era for a while, I do think he would have the S&V skills too.

          Ive mentioned before, Toni has not helped Rafa realized his full potential. However, we cant fault him for what he has done for Rafa, and has helped Rafa to be what and who he is now.

          My regret as Ive mentioned before, is that Rafa couldnt capitalize during 2009 when he should be at the peak of his power and his youth, to seal his fate as the greatest of this era, if he went on to win the FO and Wimbledon that year. If not for his ridiculous schedule that year, he might not suffer that knee injury imo and might be on his way to a calendar slam in 2010 even when he lost to Delpo at USO2009.

          • Luckystar DECEMBER 17, 2015 AT 11:57 AM,
            —Rafa couldnt capitalize during 2009 when he should be at the peak of his power and his youth, to seal his fate as the greatest of this era, if he went on to win the FO and Wimbledon that year. If not for his ridiculous schedule that year, he might not suffer that knee injury…—
            ===
            .
            Rafa suffered from tendonitis/tendinitis in his knees since the age of 21. He recovered from it thanks to PRP treatment in 2010 (April & July). Due to an anatomical peculiarity of his left foot, his left knee has been affected more than the right.
            In 2009, he also suffered the divorce of his parents.

          • The knee tendinitis problem was aggravated by his heavy schedule; he could have skipped Rotterdam after the AO that he had. He was having knee issue after Rotterdam and then Miami yet still played a full schedule on clay. He was complaining about Madrid being changed to a clay court and with the altitude wasn’t a suitable preparation for the FO, but still played there and not skipping any of the other clay events. All these cumulating to his knee issue and his loss at the FO. Of course his parents separation was affecting him too.

        • vamosrafa,

          I thank you for an insightful and reasonable post. It’s great to read your analysis of Rafa’s game. We can’t expect Rafa to change his basic game or technique at this stage of his career. But he’s been willing to tweak and make incremental changes as needed. I hope he and Uncle Toni continue to do that. While we know that Rafa is not going to be a serve and volleyer, he certainly can incorporate more volleying into his game. He’s got great hands and is good at net, so why not look for more opportunities to do it? That would also shorten some points and rallies. We know that Rafa will have to engage in baseline rallies, but if he can use some tactics to change it up and close out points or even get cheap points that would help his body.

  12. I have always felt, and still do, that it would be a mistake for Rafa to add a heavyweight coach to his team. The relationship his has with U.Toni is unique and the last thing Rafa needs is to have conflicting advice from a third party.

    Vamosfafa: you menton the spell with Oscar Borras. I agree wholeheartedly he produced that amazing serve which resulted in his first NYO title but the partnership was shortlived and ended acrimoniously
    plus injury to his shoulder which affected his results at the end of the season. He now has a lingering back problem and has mentoned the shoulder troubles him from time to time which I’m guessing is the reason why double faults creep in much more frequently these days.

    • ed, as usual, is insightful.
      I am surprised vr quoted example of Oscar Borras to prove his point that a new coach would be helpful. That example actually proved my point that a new coach could cause damage!!!
      Not only did the new serve cause damage, it was not integrated with the rest of Rafa’s game so that when great returners like Djokovic learnt how to return it, Rafa was not ready for the return which came back too fast for his response!!
      Pat cash claimed Rafa’s technique is flawed and all Rafa’s woes can be set right if the technique is corrected. This is exactly what every coach would think and what Rafa would dread. Rafa is like a great piece of art constructed in an unknown style. Anyone who wants to repair this needs to first understand the flow of the lines lest that repair work disrupt some basic pattern.

      • ‘Not only did the new serve cause damage, it was not integrated with the rest of Rafa’s game so that when great returners like Djokovic learnt how to return it, Rafa was not ready for the return which came back too fast for his response!!’

        No, this is not correct. Rafa did say that serving too big does not suit his game that much but where on earth did djokovic caused him troubles? his serve worked wonders against Djokovic in the USO 2010 final! The only tournament where he used that serve again was in Tokyo when he beat Troicki in the final and hi 17 aces in the match!! He then reverted to the old ‘bad habits’ on his serve in 2011 and got totally owned by Djokovic. He then worked really hard and finally by 2013 he had a much better service motion.

        Those who are just mentioning the shoulder injury are completely missing the point. The reason I gave that example was not to show how good Oscar Borras’s guidance was but to show HOW BIG a difference fresh guidance and different perspective can make! I am sure Toni learned a great deal from those serving lessons as well.

        It was given as an example to illustrate that players can adapt their games as needed.

        Do you think such benefits come without a risk?! Sorry, that’s not the way to go. There is a risk but there is reward too and that’s how it works. Nobody can impose anything on you! That’s way I always say KEEP TONI in the team! Do you see how many coaches federer has worked under? He has often worked on specific areas.

        Working on his net game and a few adjustments to his service and perhaps a bit of help in ROS.

        I don’t understand the rocket science here. You can look at The Grand Stand. We are having discussions here. If two people keep giving ideas, that will only be limited but when 10 insightful people do that, you get a whole lot of new ideas and then it is your judgement and capability to use them.

  13. No coach would teach a new kid how to play like Rafa. Only Rafa can play like Rafa.
    It is quite possible a textbook approach especially a great serve would have helped Rafa to overpower Djoker today. A great serve especially would have been helpful. But I think he would not have been able to beat prime Fed with any textbook technique. Fed is an intuitive player and an amazing genius and he could find answers for everybody except Rafa. Djoker is having success only after Fed aged. Muzz was having intermittent success but never on a big stage till Fed crossed 30.

    • I doubt a great serve would hurt Rafa, esp when playing against prime time Fed. There’s no need to meddle with Rafa’s FH for eg, just look to enhance his game by improving his serve to earn cheap points, let him continue with his aggressive game esp when playing on HCs (the way he played during 2004) instead of playing the clay court game on other surfaces.

      I say Rafa is the only one who could match Fed’s genius as Rafa is a genius himself. Toni has helped him to develop his tennis accumen from young, how to remain calm on the tennis court and analyze and then break down his opponents’ game.

      Rafa as a teenager was already able to win big and thus accumulating big match experiences very quickly, and he was able to go toe to toe with Fed the first time they played at a slam and even winning it. He was quick to find out and then took advantage of Fed’s weakness. Rafa was also amazing with his footwork and speed that Fed finally met his match. Fed was always quicker than his peers and beat them with his quickness cum aggression. In Rafa, he couldnt do as he pleased, as Rafa was so quick and could even read his moves.

      I do feel Rafa could also play well on instinct, not necessarily having a game plan or a stratetgy each time he steps on court. He just has to play freely and let his instinctive game be on free flow. He’s already so good with his game that he could just play without thinking and his shots would just come out naturally.

      • Nobody said a great serve would hurt Rafa!!! That is ridiculous!!!!
        What I said is that textbook technique would probably have given Rafa a great serve but it would not have helped against Fed without his unconventional techniqe

      • lucky,

        I agree with you. Of course a great serve wouldn’t hurt Rafa! It sure didn’t hurt him when he won the USO in 2010! That was one big reason why he was able to do it.

        Rafa’s forehand doesn’t need improvement. He does need to get power on that shot and hopefully the new racket will help him with that. Anything that helps Rafa earn cheap points is a good thing.

        • Nativenewyorker DECEMBER 17, 2015 AT 4:26 PM
          —It sure didn’t hurt him when he won the USO in 2010! —
          ===
          .
          THIS serve damaged is shoulder.

          • Would you have preferred that he didn’t have the big serve and lost the USO that year? Rafa had no way of knowing that it would hurt his shoulder.

            Also, I am not saying that he has to serve that big again. He doesn’t have to blast 130+ aces all the time. It would be great if he could manage to come up with some big serves when he needs them to get cheap points or get out of tough spots when he’s behind on service games.

    • Textbook or not textbook is not the matter. Rafa’s forehand is not a textbook shot but it is on of the best forehands ever!

      The serve was a very poor one! He actually transformed it more into a textbook serve and the more he did it, the better it got.

      It is not about having a textbook ground-stroke or a serve. It is about how effective it is (without causing much damage). The forehand has always been a monster so need to change.

      BY THE WAY, are you also aware that rafa also changed his backhand in 2013? He told Wilander about this before the USO 2013 final and said it is totaly different now and that he transfers weight to his right leg to protect his left knee! Wilander visualized and seemed unsure but anyway, he made a rather drastic change again ! he did that because he had time before 2013 season began.

      @LUCKYSTAR, yup, his forehand swing has always been an issue on fast,low bouncing courts. His backswing causes limitations and also does not help in returning serve. See how much he often struggles to take heavy kick serves on the rise.

      Point is, rafa and Toni have been working on technical aspects for more than a decade now! Little by little or sometimes even suddenly, they have made changes. Most of them have worked quite well. Rafa’s wise enough to understand that works for him and what does not. I would definitely want to see him getting guidance from a former great.

      • Vamosrafa, what do you think of Rafa’s flatter FH? Now he uses it when hitting it I/O at his BH side and that is a lethal shot. Could he hit it CC from his FH side when playing on quicker or lower bouncing courts to cause damage when his topspin FH doesnt work as well on such surfaces?

        I always think Rafa not doing well on quicker courts is not because of poor reflexes or poor reaction but due to big swing of his FH. If he has good hands/reflexes at the net, he should be quick enough to handle quick hard flat shots from his opponents at the baseline.

        Ive seen Rafa able to handle quick ROS from Novak, those that just touched the baseline – Rafa just skipped a step and was able to get the ball and hit it back over the net. As long as Rafa was ready for it he normally had no problem. I suppose applying the same logic, as long as Rafa is ready for the hard flat shots the likes of Delpo’s on a quick court like Shanghai for example, Rafa should be able to return such shots with his own flatter shots and with interest.

        I feel Rafa’s topspin FH sometimes can be too short thus giving his opponent chances to attack and on a quicker court Rafa would have too little time to react. If he hits a flatter FH with power, he would be able to push his opponent further back and thus giving himself more time to get into position, be it at the net or anywhere.

        On clay which is a slower surface, Rafa being the best mover on clay has no problem getting to any ball. I watched the way he beat Novak on clay in 2012, and compared that to 2011 when he was beaten by Novak on clay. In 2012 he was hitting with more depth forcing Novak back behind the baseline and so Rafa was able to control more points in the match and so he won. In 2011 Rafa was hitting short balls and Novak, unlike all others, was able to capitalize even on clay against Rafa.

        Novak is getting the better of Rafa in BO3 matches even on clay. Its time Rafa turns the tide on clay starting with a BO3 match. If he hits with depth the way he did in 2012 and then comes forward and attack at the net, he should have more successes vs Novak on clay. Hitting a flatter and more penetrating FH on other non clay surfaces may help him vs Novak and anyone else.

      • you are completely missing the point, vr. It maybe because as you once said, you speed read and skip paragraphs so fail to grasp the other’s argument. The point is not that Rafa cannot make changes. He can. He has made big changes but these changes have to be worked out to fit Rafa’s unique style. So no former great can fit the bill as none of them would have ever worked with somebody like Rafa. Others can make suggestions but ultimately it is Uncle T and Rafa who have to work out how to implement it.

      • textbook or no textbook is NOT irrelevant. This argument is not even about which is better. Somebody trained in conventional style can benefit from a great coach as the coach is familiar with it. But somebody like Rafa would pose a challenge.
        Without understanding Rafa and why he plays the way he does, no coach however great can help.Frankly I think any coach will simply try to “correct” Rafa’s technique and that would be of no use.
        I am a little surprised that vr is arguing for a former great as coach. From amy that is no surprise. But from a Rafa fan??

        • It is not about a former great, it is just about getting some good guidance. Be it technical guidance or even tactical guidance! Boris has served djokovic in the tactical department too! I don’t understand this nothing-but-guidance-from-Toni will work for Rafa.

          Actually, you are the one totally missing the point here. Rafa’s volleys for example, have a very solid technique and are pretty much text book! He would certainly benefit a lot by evolving his his overall ‘net game’. Fed’s volleying technique was not too good and yet he has been able to improve his net game so well without any transition issues to related to technique.

          As I said, rafa need not listen to everyone that will be said to him. May be, what you are saying is the reason rafa does not want to add someone else in his team. Could be the reason. But, he can definitely get some benefit on specific areas. NO NEED to mess with the forehand or even the backhand . Only minor tweaks here and there (which he himself has been doing all the times) would work.

          The serve, volleys of rafa are a lot closer to textbook version now.

          It would also be good to get some tactical guidance. When federer had his first few sessions with Edberg, fed said he was surprised to see that there is literally a whole different world out there as far as net game is concerned!

          Taking such risks and experimenting is part of the sport. You can’t just say I don’t want to do it because there is risk. Risk-reward is part of everything. Rafa’s smart enough to know that.

          Francisco Roig also works with Rafa and he trains rafa in a slightly different way.They profited a lot from their training sessions in the NA hard court swing in 2013.

          • Not sure about others but what I think is that rafa will probably benefit and he may realize some untapped potential (we don’t even know how much is untapped and there is no ‘neutral’ observer to tell us so).

            However, I don’t say or believe that rafa cannot turn this around without making changes to his team. He CAN and he most probably will. I just wish certain areas of his game cold get a boost :/

          • Another way to improve is to watch how other greats play. I do believe when Fed was younger he aspired to be another Sampras and so he watched how Sampras played via videos if not live matches.

            I think only Toni and Rafa know best what’s good for Rafa and what work best. Toni had told Rafa to flatten his FH by watching how Fed did it. Rafa has a flatter FH but only uses it when hitting I/O CC and when during practices.

            Rafa has spent so much time playing well behind the baseline that he needs to make an effort to play at a more aggressive court position when in 2004 it came naturally to him to play close to the baseline when not playing on clay. He has to re-learn some old habits and some old ‘tricks’ besides adding in some.

          • vamosrafa,

            I think you make some valid points. I appreciate how you have laid out your argument, which is well reasoned. I will never understand this idea that Rafa cannot possibly benefit from getting additional input. He has the option to take such advice and help or not. It’s up to him, as it should be. But to just throw this idea out completely, doesn’t seem reasonable to me.

            It’s important for players to adapt as they get older in this sport. There are things that have to be taken into consideration. I agree that taking some risks and getting outside help can be a good thing. What’s the harm? So Rafa doesn’t like what is being suggested and he moves on. Simple. No one is asking Rafa to throw out his core game or make major changes.

            I believe it’s being discussed because we want Rafa to continue to be competitive and do well. We want him to explore every opportunity and option that might help him improve some aspects of his game. That’s all.

          • No one is saying Rafa shouldn’t take suggestions or make changes. And how is our discussion going to help Rafa? I think it is pretty presumptuous on the part of people to claim that we can think of more options than uncle t and Rafa. Some people ( a Djoker fan comes to mind) have a hidden agenda and are hoping all the cacophony will convince Rafa to part ways with U T and thereby dig his tennis grave. But Rafa is too smart.

          • All you are doing is make some argument and then in the next post say nobody is saying this or that! I responded to many of the points but they get ignored. Doesn’t matter.

            So how is our discussion going to help rafa? what type of question is that. Whatever we write here is not to help rafa!! We are just discussing what we think. Feel free to opt out of the discussions if you feel they are not useful. lol

            @NNY,

            yup, you got it. You know his game pretty well 😉

            @Luckystar,

            this is in response to your posts about rafa’s forehand. You have made some sharp obervations about his forehand and I have often thought about these. Rafa has developed a killer down the line forehand which he hits very flat when on the run. It is a life saver! He wins the point out of nowhere. He NEVER does that with his CC forehands! This is something I have never understood. He should be varying it :s

            He always goes CC with plenty of height on his forehand. He tries to generate depth with loads of spin on the ball and if he is able to do that, it is very good because he is also able to recover his court positioning in the meanwhile and deep ,heavy forehands of his usually draw short balls which he can pounce on. BUT, he often drops it short and on faster surfaces he is at the mercy of players esp Novak who has an extraordinary backhand DTL. It is all defense from then on.

            I also believer rafa should sometimes flatten out his CC forehand AND the inside-in DTL forehand. Those two shots he ALWAYS hits with heavy , heavy spin. As you said, esp on faster surfaces, he should hit flatter forehands CC and inside in. That is what will make his forehand a big weapon on fast courts too. I agree that his forehand is a major issue on fast, low bouncing court because of its intricate preparation and backswing. He can make things a bit better by hitting flater. We know he re-developed his flatter inside out developed a flatter DTL forehand post 2008. Would love to see more of that with his CC and inside in. With the inside in , he often gets in troubles because novak is so quick, he is able to track those down even when pulled out of the court. A combination of spin and pace would serve rafa better.

    • vamosrafa,

      Thanks for answering that comment about some of us being presumptuous. This is why it’s hard to have any kind of reasonable discussion here. We are just brainstorming basically. Nobody here has indicated that they know more than Rafa or Uncle Toni. In fact, quite the opposite. I have said many times that Rafa and his Uncle Toni will be working on his game so that he can be ready for the new year.

      I don’t think there are any hidden agendas here at all. For myself, I enjoy the conversation with you and lucky especially. I think both of you made some insightful points about Rafa’s forehand, particularly the cc forehand. I appreciate this discussion.

  14. Probably Garbine Muguruza will be his mixed doubles partner.
    Wonder who his doubles partner will be. Ferrer, Lopez…some younger guy?

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