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

106 Comments on Rafael Nadal

  1. Rafa on his loss to Thiem:

    “I’m not worried. I just lacked consistency and need to make fewer unforced errors, but that’s nothing.”

    Well, it is surely something to be worried about. He is right that he ‘just’ needs to reduce the UE errors count but not sure how easy that would be. He seems to have doubts all of a sudden. Or, just misses forehands by a long distance.

    The problem is not that he is dropping the ball short and short and short and getting punished. The problem is that he is not able to hit good shots consistently enough. I saw him hit some magnificent forehands and I can what he is practicing on the practice courts BUT, he follows those good shots with some of the ugliest ones I have ever seen from him. So, when the match enters a deciding phase, I always have doubts. Will he hit the magnificent shot or the one that misses the court by 5 metres? if I as a fan have those doubts, I am sure he also has them.

    He must overcome these doubts and keep pushing. I know he does not like the humid conditions but that is far from the reason he lost. He even held a match point.

    If he reaches the final without dropping a set, I could very well see him beat ferrer.

    Reply

    • Maybe without the humidity he would have converted the MP? When not playing well he still had MP against his opponent, so if he’s playing a bit better he would win. I think if he keeps pushing for it, he would get better match after match. Hopefully he does better at Rio and then IW.

      Reply

      • @Ricky, perhaps you are right. But, I would still not have said he is back. Would have been great but he would have won it the ugly way and that’s not the rafa we know when he is playing on clay.

        @Luckystar, humidity can’t play such a big role in ONE particular point, esp a match point! When you have match point, it is normal go get that injection of energy which is enough to cross the finish line.

        He was hitting fine before that point in the game but played short balls, starting with a very short second serve backhand return. Thiem had control and did not miss.

        Rafa has, however, sometimes played match points like this in the past even in his peak years. He has a tendency to get a bit defensive when having match points. It is the opposite when he is facing match points , in that case he gets really aggressive.

        He is making way too many unforced errors. he started the match with a forehand that sailed about 5 metres long ! These types of misses keep happening.

        I hope he somehow is able to reduce them.

        funnily, his ROS was pretty solid against Thiem! He was getting decent length on it and was easily good enough for him to win in straight sets. But he just could not back them up with consistent groundies.

        Reply

        • I absolutely would not have said that Rafa is back if he beat Thiem and won Buenos Aires. It would take more than winning a clay 250 tournament for me to make that statement.

          Reply

        • vamosrafa,

          I agree with you about the humidity. It’s not going to affect a player on one point. Also, Rafa has played in humid conditions throughout his career and had no problem winning.

          It’s not the conditions, the weather or anything else. This is all about Rafa’s mind and lack of confidence and belief. I don’t think that first round loss to Nando helped at all. Each big loss like that just erodes whatever is left of Rafa’s confidence.

          It’s a vicious cycle. Rafa needs to win to get confidence, but he can’t win because he’s not confident. That’s why getting some kind of outside help is the only way to get out of this vicious downward spiral. There are times in life and in sport when someone just cannot do it alone.

          Reply

          • Nativenewyorker (AT 4:33 PM),
            —Rafa has played in humid conditions throughout his career and had no problem winning.—
            ===
            .
            Rafa has had serious problems due to the combination of humidity and heat (stomach cramps, dizziness, dehydration). He almost withdrew from match against Tim Smyczek at the 2015 AO.

          • 2015 AO was mental problema.

            Halfa-Rafa exhibited profuse sweating in relatively cool conditions over the last two years.

            When did he struggle in humidity prior to 2014?

  2. Words from Uncle Toni:

    “I had the luck to be his uncle, changing coach was much more difficult. If I were not his uncle probably he would have substituted me,”

    “I would have liked to see him hitting his forehand forward, we have done it when he was little. But when we started to play in the Professional Tour, Rafael started to hit ball a little bit later, and started to bring the hand behind.”

    “Without any doubt, I like who hits like Federer.”

    You teach [someone to] will the same way you teach forehand. I think the main thing in life is sheer willpower. I was a coach, who was more worried about character than a technical question. In life, character is fundamental, because at the end making the ball pass over the net is unimportant in life, but dominating will, [taking] effort, and having perseverance in what you do has value.”

    So Rafa would have changed his coach if Toni were not his uncle!!!

    And, as I have said many times, Toni has not focused on the technical aspects of rafa’s game enough when Rafa was a kid but he deserves lots of credit for developing rafa’s ‘character’.

    And yeah, agree about the forehand. We saw that forehand in 2004

    Reply

      • what? :s

        He can replace Toni with any other coach any time he wishes so.

        We know he won’t though. Getting rid of Toni won’t be a good idea IMO. Toni must stay but if rafa loses in Rio again, he must seriously consider adding a former great to his side.

        Reply

        • Rafa has been asked the same questions over and over again during many years and he has given the same answer.

          An excerpt from Rafa’s interview at AO on January 14, 2014.
          ¤¤ Q. There’s been a recent trend to get legends to coach the top players. No other coach has coached a player to more slam wins than Toni. What has it been like working with just one coach over the years? Do you think that is a strength in your game?
          RAFAEL NADAL: Well, I am thinking with McEnroe for me now (laughter).
          No, seriously for me, I believe in the continuation of the things, something long time work. So my team is the same since I start. I never fired out no one in my career of my team. That is something that I am proud of.
          I always believe that you are playing well, if you are playing not that well, is always your fault, not the fault of the coach. /…/
          My education was on that way, and not finding excuses outside of me. /…/

          Q. These players say they got the legends to coach them because they’ve had such great experience in the big matches. What has been Toni’s approach in the finals of all these tournaments? What sort of things does he tell you?
          RAFAEL NADAL: My secret (smiling).
          Toni knows very well my tennis, knows very well my character. He knows what he has to say to me in the important moments, when I am under pressure, when I am scared, when I am confident. Nobody knows better me than what my team knows me, because all my team knows me since long time ago.
          So I feel very confident with them. Really don’t get really wrong when something bad happens. I really would love to finish my career with the team I have today. I will fight for that. ¤¤

          http://www.asapsports.com/show_interview.php?id=95851

          Reply

          • It is only fitting that the same question gets asked over and over again! Have you ever seen him suffer like this in the past? With every loss , his confidence is taking a massive beating.

          • These comments coming just after Rafa’s amazing 2013 comeback and just before his AO back injury are meaningless in his current state.

            Without a change, Rafa’s done.

          • AT 3:31 PM,

            The old interview I posted is just an evidence that Rafa has been asked the same question during many years.
            A newer example.
            An excerpt from Rafa’s interview at the Banco Sabadell promotional event in Valencia on Oct. 22, 2015 (translated by Genny):
            ¤¤ Rafa’s asked if there has been any moment during the season that he’s been about to throw the towel & give up. Rafa says none at all. At no time he’s felt tired or felt that he couldn’t continue. He’s also asked if he’s thought of changing the coach. Rafa says that since he was a kid, he has assumed his responsibility and if things are done wrong on court, that’s all him to blame. ¤¤
            http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3anqze_rafael-nadal-at-the-banco-sabadell-event-in-valencia-22-oct-2015_sport

          • vamosrafa,I gave a resounding “YES” to your comment, but it appeared down thread.

            I do not see any possibility of improvement for Rafa unless he is willing to make changes.

          • AT 3:31 PM,

            Another quite new example.
            An excerpt from Rafa’s interview with EL PAIS on Dec.28, 2015 (translated by Genny):
            ¤¤ Question. “By the way, there have been people who ask you to change your coach, those who say that with another coach you would win more majors. But you, with Toni until the end?”
            RAFA: “…First, until Toni wants, and then, while both of us are happy with each other. I have always disagreed with the idea that, as soon as the situation changes, when things start to go badly after a lot of years going very well, some persons have to be blamed for it. People lack self-criticism and are too critical. Not to brag, but I am not one of those. I try to be critical of myself first, therefore in this case the only one to blame for things not having gone well this year is me. I am the only culprit. The others have helped me and have done things just as well as always.”
            .
            Question. So, no changes?
            RAFA: “I have another coach who is Francis Roig and I think both together make a good combination. One gives me one thing and the other, another. With Toni I am confident that he knows me better than anyone. We have known each other since I was born and he understands my game better than someone who has not been following me day to day.”¤¤
            http://deportes.elpais.com/deportes/2015/12/23/actualidad/1450866445_221734.html

        • That is my opinion, too. I cannot see Rafa getting rid of his uncle. But he does need to add someone to his team, asap!

          It takes time to get used to someone new. It took time for Murray to get results with Lendl and it took time for Novak to get results with Becker. It doesn’t happen overnight.

          Reply

          • Becker has certainly tweaked Novak’s game on grass but TBH other than that, and his overall serve quality not much has changed in his game. The serve IMO is a sign of his confidence in himself right now. But his footwork has really improved on grass.
            That said, I still don’t consider him to be a better player than Nadal on grass. They’re both at par and Novak in particular has clearly overachieved there. It’s actually quite shocking that he’s won more majors on grass than a consummate grass-courter like Edberg.

          • Fedfan,

            The point I was making was that other top players have made changes in their team, either adding new people or changing coaches or getting new rackets, employing sports psychologists, etc.

            I think that BB has helped Novak with his volleying quite a bit. Novak was never that great at net. However, now he seems more comfortable and his volleys are much better. Novak is serving more aces and his second serve has always been strong, but now seems to have even more speed.

            I am not discussing the relative merits of Novak and Rafa on grass. It’s not the point I was trying to make. Regarding the ongoing discussion here about Rafa needing to make changes to his game in order to get himself together, I was merely pointing out the changes that other top players have made to stay competitive and on top in this sport.

          • Yep. Ditto on the improved volleying.

            Also, BB was brought on to improve Nole’s mental strength in later stages of slams where Novak felt he was losing matches he should have won.

            It’s paid huge dividends.

            To say that BB has not done much for Nole’s game other than a tweaked grass game and an improved serve shows a fundamental lack of knowledge of professional tennis and the importance of required mental strength and consistency, something that Nole sorely lacked prior to 2011 and after that year after expectations (especially his own) sky rocketed.

          • The point I am trying to make, is that the changes Becker introduced are not so major as to lead to a conclusion that Nadal needs a legend or someone new on the tennis front on his team himself. I guess in terms of strategy, a different voice helps. But Nadal’s problem looks more fundamental to me. He’s not mentally in the game for whatever reason and a different coach won’t change that. It’d be one thing if Nadal was already playing well but wasn’t winning the big titles due to strategic reasons or as a result of being unable to add another wrinkle to his game. Right now, his basic game is foundering. I don’t know which coach will help him with that.

          • Also, Novak’s volley technique is good but he rarely shows the intent to attack. It doesn’t have to be ‘pretty.’ It has to get the job done. A good volley is a good surprise tactic but to be a strategy by itself it has to be backed by an attacking mindset and excellent coverage of the net, neither of which Djokovic has or to be fair, needs right now.
            Djokovic’s mental game has more to do with his confidence in being able to physically outlast the other guy than anything Becker fed into him.

          • If it as just about endurance and outlasting opponents, then Nole should have won more slams from 2012-2014 where he went 2-5 in slam finals.

            He’s 4-1 since.

          • hawkeye,

            I agree with all of the comments you have made relative to this latest discussion. Novak doesn’t have to be the greatest volleyer on the planet. It’s another aspect of his game that he can use when/if he needs it. Obviously, Novak is tough just staying on the baseline with his strength off both wings. But this is the point I was trying to make, that Novak is always searching for ways to improve. It’s a good thing to tweak different aspects or look to improve. That’s why Novak is doing as well as he is now.

            I also definitely think that BB helped Novak with his mental strength in the tough moments of matches. I think that’s one of the biggest improvements in Novak’s game – his mental strength.

            I respect Novak’s effort to do better in all facets of his game. He has no problem adding someone new to his team or doing whatever it takes to keep him on top.

  3. Loose translation of Nick Bollettieri’s take on rafa’s coaching change:

    “I think Andre Agassi could help Nadal, it would be something big. Because he never did and have a lot of respect, I think Toni receive an opinion from Andre.

    Reply

    • He believes in his will and determination.

      He just doesn’t believe in his chances.

      Said Guga last fall:

      “It’s unlikely enough to see Rafa being world number one again.”

      “The chances to see him win another Roland Garros title are less. It’s rather unlikely for him to win another Grand Slam title, due to his tennis level against the other guys. If his level is not at 100%, there is nothing he can do.”

      Do you?

      Reply

          • Summary:

            Guga believes Rafa’s will and determination.

            Guga doesn’t believe in Rafa’s chances.

            “It’s unlikely enough to see Rafa being world number one again.”

            “The chances to see him win another Roland Garros title are less. It’s rather unlikely for him to win another Grand Slam title, due to his tennis level against the other guys. If his level is not at 100%, there is nothing he can do.”

            And finally:

            In 2013 I didn’t think he could comeback the way he did. He has to give himself a little hope. The guy is from another planet. You can’t say that he’s finished because he wins only 2-3 titles, but sometimes you’re almost finished when you see the results you achieve in the Grand Slams”.

            You left off the last statement.

            #NothingNew

          • No. It’s the same.

            Guga believes Rafa’s will and determination. This is unchanged.

            Guga doesn’t believe in Rafa’s chances and there is nothing in today’s comment to suggest otherwise.

            This is also unchanged.

            #NothingNew

    • Hawkeye,

      I appreciate you posting Guga’s comments in their entirety. Taking comments out of context seems to happen all too often here.

      Reading the totality of Guga’s comments is very enlightening.

      Reply

      • Nativenewyorker FEBRUARY 15, 2016 AT 8:26 PM
        Hawkeye,
        —I appreciate you posting Guga’s comments in their entirety. Taking comments out of context seems to happen all too often here.—
        ===
        .
        What, what what ??? LOL Hawk did NOT posted Guga’s comments entirely!
        He started panicking after I posted the quote he SKIPPED and a LINK to the article! Then he copied some more text from the article I posted! LOL LOL LOL

        Reply

        • hawks,

          Thanks for your efforts to clarify this exercise in semantics. Guga said what he said. That’s it. Cherry picking a line or two here and leaving out other comments is unfortunate.

          The comment “LOL” is not a reasonable response to the point I made in my post @ 8:26 pm. My comment still stands. I appreciate being able to read everything that Guga said. The last statement by him was not posted.

          Thank you again for including it. 🙂

          Reply

    • hawkeye,

      Thanks so much for posting this! I have read Steve Fink in the past. This was a beautiful piece of writing that brought me to tears. He articulated so well why I have loved Rafa and turned my life upside down to make sure I watch him. It’s also why my heart is breaking to see him like this.

      I do agree that this is a make or break year for Rafa. Time is running out if he wants to be back on top in this sport. He detailed what is
      wrong with rafa’s game now and what needs improvement. But he did not say how Rafa should do it.

      I enjoyed reading this because he said so much of what I have been feeling. I have my doubts as to whether Rafa can come back, but I still have hope and am not counting him out.

      Reply

  12. The same question yet again.
    EL Confidential, Feb. 16, 2016:
    (Google translation)
    ¤¤ Question: “”If I were not his uncle Rafa would probably have substituted me,” said Toni in Buenos Aires. Does the addition of new members to the technical team is something that has been raised?”
    Francis ROIG: “It has not been raised at all. We have spoken with Rafa and he is happy with the way it has worked…”¤¤
    http://www.elconfidencial.com/deportes/tenis/2016-02-16/rafa-nadal-francis-roig_1152563/
    (A Spanish speaker has promised to translate the whole article).

    Reply

    • “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
      – Albert Einstein

      More practise anyone?

      Reply

    • “The price of doing the same old thing is far higher than the price of change.”
      – Bill Clinton

      Practise, we’re here talkin’ ’bout practise Man!

      Reply

    • rafa’s probably too nice a human being to show the door to his dead uncle (who has led him to 14 slams). He is perhaps even not willing to add a new member because he thinks it would to rude/unfair to Toni?

      The fact that he keeps saying he is satisfied with the current setup suggests he is still very much held back by the ‘Only I am responsible’ theory. He thinks he won 14 slams under the same people and now that he is not winning, it MUST be his fault.

      He seems to be very firm on this kind of thinking I suppose.

      Reply

      • I don’t think he necessarily feels that way. He might just want to shoulder the blame to protect Toni.

        Vamos Rafa no matter what.

        Reply

        • may nbe….we can only make educated guesses here.

          But why protect Toni? Toni should be given lots of credit for sharping rafa’s career. There is no dishonor involved in hiring someone else to overcome a specific obstacle at a specific stage of his career.

          THe mentality of taking the blame on himself and holding himself responsible is generally GOOD and rafa is a role model in that regard. But, it’s not necessarily going to help one in overcoming every difficulty.

          Reply

    • true indeed…in fact, this whole situation, this downward path of Rafa makes me extremely sad but I am suddenly being realistic to my own surprise…

      I guess of those 5 stages of grief (denial, anger, depression, negotiation and acceptance) I have finally reached the “acceptance” stage…

      I have hopes, I have dreams…I have no expectations…if there is no change, there will be no prosperity, no success…

      Rafa, can you hear this?.. 🙁

      Reply

      • That’s my selfish concern, that Rafa is now adapting to cope unwilling to make the changes necessary to adapt to win.

        Again, Rafa has gotten more out of tennis than he needs and family has always been first for him and I see nothing wrong with that.

        This is why, for me, he is the most successful player of all time.

        “But perhaps no one in the last fifty years has intrigued me more as a human being than Rafael Nadal. He has brought a singular brand of joy, verve and intensity to the arena, an earnest and unshakable professionalism, and a deep sense of humility that has been exceeded by no one in the upper reaches of the sport with the exception of the honorable Australian Ken Rosewall. “

        Reply

        • yeah, Rafa is the best of all time for me as well…But he does not deserve to end his career like this…I really believe he has potential for more…I am not being selfish as a fan of Rafa…I am primarily a fan of tennis…tennis needs Rafa…and Rafa has more to offer I strongly believe…

          If Rafa would just perform certain adaptability measures the things would change I am sure…

          Vamos Rafa no matter what!

          Reply

  14. I want Rafa to go out on a high note. It’s not about being selfish or being with him when he’s winning, I was there through the ten month title drought after he came back from the knee problem that cost him both RG and Wimbledon. I was there through the seven straight losses to Novak and all of 2011. So it’s not about Rafa winning.

    I have always believed that every champion has another great run in him. That is what I have to believe with Rafa. I want to see him doing what he does best as only he can do it.

    Reply

  15. Nativenewyorker FEBRUARY 17, 2016 AT 1:33 AM
    —Guga said what he said.—
    ===
    .
    Yep, Guga said what he said. It doesn’t matter how hawk has tried to discredit him here!
    SUMMARY.
    [augusta08 FEBRUARY 15, 2016 AT 6:36 PM]
    Guga believes in Rafa: “It’s in his blood, this will to win. This is the same Nadal. His determination is incredible.”
    https://twitter.com/RioOpenOficial/status/699297442857091072

    [augusta08 FEBRUARY 15, 2016 AT 7:32 PM]
    The most important quote (hawk SKIPPED that quote!!):
    ¤¤ Guga: “In 2013 I didn’t think he [Rafa] could comeback the way he did. He has to give himself a little hope. The guy is from another planet…”¤¤
    http://www.tennisworldusa.org/Gustavo-Kuerten-Probably-Rafael-Nadal-Will-Not-Win-Another-Grand-Slam-Title-articolo26434.html{
    .
    [New]
    BreakPointBR, February15, 2016:
    (An excerpt, Google translation from Portuguese)
    ¤¤ Question: “Can Nadal get back to the top?”
    Guga: “You have to expect everything from a guy like him. In the same year he was injured, he returned to number one in the world [2013]. We have to expect the impossible from Nadal. Confidence is the main issue. That counts for a lot, this is a matter of being steadfast and feeling invincible on the court. Nadal has always been so, it needs to build that armor [?] during the championships.
    In his head he is a guy who will get all the answers…[e o esforço que a gente não consegue possivelmente alcançar ele vai tentar para se satisfazer.] It’s inside of his blood, he has the determination to win, to win. What is missing are the details that are reliable week after week, which may be the case.” ¤¤
    http://www.breakpointbrasil.com.br/2016/02/15/guga-fala-sobre-dominio-de-djokovic-ma-fase-de-nadal-e-exibicao/

    🙂
    End of.

    Reply

    • LOL, proving my point, someone cherry picks and leaves out AGAIN!!!!

      “”It’s unlikely enough to see Rafa being World No 1 again. The chances to see him win another Roland Garros title are less. It’s rather unlikely for him to win another Grand Slam title, due to his tennis level against the other guys. If his level is not at 100%, there is nothing he can do”.

      #HowManyTimes!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂

      Reply

      • Until Rafa makes a serious change beyond “more practise”, there is good chances that Guga is correct (as Guga is correct about Rafa’s will and determination).

        Someone is confusing “will” with “winning slams”.

        Nothing new.

        #DesperateObfuscationAndRedirectionAttemptsAreEverywhere

        Reply

      • Someone copied yet AGAIN (AT 5:36 PM) a phrase from the article I posted already 2 days ago – on FEBRUARY 15, 2016 AT 7:32 PM. Just saying.

        Reply

  18. A tennis fan from Texas wrote this open letter to Rafael Nadal: Rafa, I write this letter to offer you hope and encouragement, to help you galvanize yourself to regain complete faith and confidence in your game. I am old and a lifetime hack, a snickered at 3.5 at best. I suffered through the braying jackass and crotch grabbing days of McEnroe and Connors and was rewarded by your arrival on the scene. You have been the perfect foil to the majesty of Federer. You both have written chapters for generations to read. Out of nowhere came this kid who dressed like a pirate and had the deportment of a choirboy who just rolled on and on and before you knew it was on par with Roger the great. There was never any shirt tearing, racket thrashing or trash talking, just you taking care of business in a way business had never been conducted before. Everyone has been right to marvel over your unique game, athleticism and never seen before abilities-the king of clay, indeed; but I am prone to admire your sportsmanship, humility and competitive spirit. Rafa, your final chapter has not yet been written. You have so many people behind you. Like Peter Pan says, “You gotta believe.” Be fearless, go for broke, keel haul your opponents, have faith and make it 10 at Roland Garros. Lastly, no matter what the future may hold, thank you for the style and substance that you have brought to the game.

    #VRNMW

    Reply

  20. “They were complicated matches, I lost twice against him. He gives less rhythm and he makes you play differently. It will not be an easy match, he is careful, solid and plays very well. I will have to take advantage of the moments when he will not play very well.”

    Reply

    • “I have won and that is the most important thing, it gives me tranquility and confidence. Winning helps. I have won four matches in two weeks so far and I think I am playing better,” Nadal said.

      I played a very good first set, had fewer errors and did what I had to,” Nadal declared analyzing the match. “In the second set, I was a little bit nervous, I broke him and he broke me back. Mentally however I stayed calm, I was ready to face difficulties.”

      “The most important thing is that I feel better physically, I had a stomach ache in Buenos Aires, it was incredibly humid and I felt very bad on the court. Here, in Rio, my stomach is better and I am playing better.”

      Reply

      • Rafa also said that it was tough to finish the match due to nerves, but it’s important to win these kind of matches because last week he lost one after having a match point. (The video is available in Ricky’s article.)

        Reply

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