French Open final preview and prediction: Nadal vs. Thiem

June 8, 2018 Ricky Match previews 428

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“It was almost impossible to beat him.”

That’s what Juan Martin Del Potro said of Rafael Nadal following their French Open semifinal showdown on Friday, which Nadal dominated 6-4, 6-1, 6-2. And that’s how it’s been throughout Nadal’s career at Roland Garros, where he is 85-2 lifetime with losses only to Robin Soderling (2009) and Novak Djokovic (2015).

Dominic Thiem is next in line for a well-deserved shot at Nadal, as the tour’s two best clay-courters over the past two seasons will battle for the Coupe des Mousquetaires on Sunday afternoon. Since the end of 2016, Thiem is the only player who has defeated Nadal on clay–and he has done it twice. The Austrian pulled off a 6-4, 6-3 upset at the 2017 Rome Masters before prevailing 7-5, 6-3 a few weeks ago in Madrid. Having also won 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(4) two years ago in Buenos Aires, Thiem is one of only three men who have beaten Nadal at least three times on clay in their entire careers (also Djokovic and Gaston Gaudio).

It is the current world No. 1, however, who leads the overall head-to-head series–the entirety of which has been played on clay–by a 6-3 score. Nadal is 5-2 at Thiem’s expense dating back to the 2016 Monte-Carlo Masters, with a trio of victories in 2017 followed by a recent 6-0, 6-2 rout in Monte-Carlo.

Although the Spaniard has succumbed to Thiem three times on what is obviously the preferred surface for both players, Roland Garros has always been a whole different story. In addition to his 85-2 tournament record, Nadal is an unbelievable 110-2 for his career in best-of-five matches on clay. Bidding for his 11th French Open title, the top seed has advanced this fortnight by beating Simone Bolelli, Guido Pella, Richard Gasquet, Maximilian Marterer, Diego Schwartzman, and Juan Martin Del Potro. After donating a set at the French Open for the first time since 2015 (his opener against Schwartzman), Nadal reeled off set scores of 6-4, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2, and 6-2 against the two Argentines.

Thiem got over the hump that was two consecutive Roland Garros semifinal losses when he put an end to Marco Cecchinato’s incredible run 7-5, 7-6(10), 6-1 on Friday. The world No. 8 preceded that result with mostly routine defeats of Ilya Ivashka, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Matteo Berrettini, Alexander Zverev, and Kei Nishikori. Thiem is 24-4 on the red stuff in 2018, a mark that features titles in Bueonos Aires and much more recently in Nice to go along with a runner-up performance in Madrid.

“You know when you start the clay-court season that Dominic [is] one of these players that [has] the chance to win every tournament that he’s playing, and maybe even more here in Roland Garros,” Nadal noted.

“He’s a big favorite against everybody,” Thiem said of his opponent. “Still, I know how to play against him. I have a plan…. If I want to beat him, I have to play that way like I did in Rome and in Madrid. But I’m also aware that here it’s tougher. He likes the conditions more here than in Madrid, for sure. Best of five is also (a) different story.”

Thiem, a 6-3, 6-4, 6-0 loser in their semifinal contest a year ago, knows as well as anyone how difficult to take down the King of Clay at Roland Garros. The underdog must come out of his comfort zone and take groundstrokes early instead of trading blow for blow with Nadal from 10 meters behind the baseline. If Thiem does that, this could be competitive. If he cannot find the right balance of boldness and patience, he will be handled in swift fashion.

Impossible? Not quite. Improbable? That’s an understatement.

Pick: Nadal in 3 losing more than 13 games

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428 Comments on French Open final preview and prediction: Nadal vs. Thiem

  3. As much as I desperately want to see one of these younger guys to take the next step and realize their potential, I just don’t see any way it will realistically happen at Roland Garros against Nadal…

    Rafa in 3. Maybe I’ll be generous and give Thiem a lost tiebreak? Ehhhh, I don’t think.

    Side note- I wouldn’t be surprised if this match is played over two days with many rain breaks. Judging by recent events, that should favor Rafa. But it could also provide relief for Thiem should he be getting blown out.

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  5. Rafa should win this, I hope in three sets and done within one day. At Rome 2017 and Madrid 2018, Rafa was playing subpar tennis and Thiem great tennis, and Rafa wasn’t being defeated with 6-1 or 6-0 score lines, so it still took great efforts from Thiem to beat Rafa.

    At RG, Rafa rarely played poorly, only on two occasions so far, plus one set of the worst tennis I’ve seen him played at RG (first set of QF 2018) but he had never played poorly in a FO final. A Rafa playing well in a FO final is hard to beat – Djoko, Fed, Stan, Ferrer, Sod all failed. I doubt Thiem is playing better tennis than any of them, whilst Rafa is playing as good as ever tennis at the FO.

    Thiem is a threat on clay no doubt and he’s getting better, but Rafa is playing very well at the moment despite his serving woes and he has so much court craft that Thiem will find it hard to deal with over a BO5 match I feel.

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  6. I once again will said..If it’s hot & sunny….Rafa will easily close the match in 3…But,if it’s rain & wet…The match is going to be tough…Thiem already proved in Madrid that he’s not his old self,easily swayed by Rafa’s aura…He’s been able to stand firm & was very wise manipulated the nature’s element too…

    Rafa has to produced his form of yesterday/better in order to face Thiem tomorrow,which i’m sure Rafa will…

    In other thought,Thiem as the 1st timer finalist…maybe will get overwhelmed by everythings,and will get blasted on court easily by The King!Who knows!!C’mon!Bring it on!!Woohooo!!

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      • MA,

        I think Moya had some interesting things to say. Rafa has been battling nerves. I agree with him about Rafa not being able to have a tentative start in the final.

        He has a lot of respect for Thiem,

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        • Yeah Nny!…He’s also has a lot of respect for Diego too!…In my post in Rafa vs Diego thread,i already said..he’s not intimidated by DelPo/less of him afraid compared with Diego…He knew Diego has a game that can troubled him such as the out of nowhere DTL shot…The game style that peak Nole & Kei has…This kind of player can make him really nervous…

          But, he’s not afraid of Thiem despite Thiem already beat him twice…Thiem’s style of play will not intimidating Rafa one bit…Madrid’s case for me was a special one…Rome too[Rafa already fatigue that time]…I don’t think Thiem has a chance this time around…Not yet!hehehe..The King is still very much The King at RG!….Sorry Thiem!!

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          • Thiem’s style is Stan’s style; Diego’s is Djoko’s and Kei’s style. There’s another player Goffin, that I feel Rafa is also wary of. Goffin’s style is a bit like Davydenko’s; when on full flight Goffin could move into the court, takes the ball early and plays aggressive tennis, more aggressive than Djoko’s imo and takes time away from Rafa.

            Dimi used to trouble Rafa and could take a set from him whatever the surface, Rafa had some battle vs Dimi on clay at MC some years ago; Dimi reminded me of Fed with his SHBH vs Rafa on clay. Fed at his peak could take a set off Rafa on clay, not unlike Dimi.

            Rafa is well aware of these younger players’ threat to him even on clay, the likes of Thiem, Goffin, Dimi, Kei and Diego. Dimi has fallen away somewhat but the other four are getting better on clay.

            There’re also the next gen players like Sasha (who imo plays like a hybrid of Delpo and Djoko) who hits hard like Delpo but more agile like Djoko and can attack from both wings and comes with a great serve and good fitness. Tsitsipas is also another up and coming player on clay, with SHBH and moves like Fed, an attractive player to watch and has a good enough serve that can help him to win on other surfaces too.

          • MA,

            I don’t want to take anything for granted. Thiem will come out blasting. I do not think he will be overwhelmed with being in his first final. I think when you are young then you don’t know to have nerves.

            I just hope that Rafa comes out strong from the start.

    • Yes but its not sunny Mira. Lot of rain. Weather can play spoilsport. Please pray for Rafa. This one is important and cannot go away . He is 32 and chances will get less for slams with age.

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  10. Feeling confident after yesterday’s SF. First set will be the key. I hope Rafa serves better at the start. He will open up the shoulders. Both will be nervous.

    Somehow got an inkling feeling that Theim can cause an upset. Win or lose Court Philippe Chatrier belongs to him . One more young And strong challenger. Hopefully Rafa will put him to his place.

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  11. Assuming no injuries, I would be surprised to see this over in 3 sets. If the weather is damp, given recent history, it will help Thiem a bit. OTOH, Rafa seems energized lately by rain delays, and if the weather forecast holds there is a decent chance that we will have at least one of those.

    Very hard to call, but I’m saying Nadal in 5.

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  12. NNY, there is a good article from Ben Rothenberg in the NY Times abot the Cecchinato match fixing allegations. IMO Cecchinato doesn’t look good at all in this case. He apparently gave a long time friend the information that he wasn’t feeling well at all before his match against a much lower ranked player. Subsequently the friend and the friend’s father placed large bets against Cecchinato, who then predictably “lost” the match in two sets. The investigators retrieved messages from the friend’s phone which are incriminating. And Cecchinato deleted all of his messages which is certainly very suspicious! The case had to be dropped only because the Italian federation missed a 90-day deadline for wrapping things up! So, we can say that Cecchinato wasn’t cleared at all, and the case had to be dropped only because of a stupid technicality. It’s not clear if Cecchinato himself profitted from his friend’s bets, but there are indications that he planned to recoop money he had lost by betting on a soccer match.
    I would be inclined to say, it’s water under the bridge if Cecchinato had been convicted and done his time like Sharapova for example. I’m not in favor of her being totally condemned for taking a medication which was legal just a few weeks before she was caught. Who knows how many other tennis players had taken the medication as well when it was still legal but ceased to take it after it became a banned substance? I’m sure there are many because most athlets try to gain every legal edge. Such is life, and Sharapova has done her time. Therefore, we should drop the matter now. But Cecchinato’s case is different. He didn’t do his time because the procecutors f..cked up. He was also not that lowly ranked at the time (No.85). So, he didn’t belong to the group of players who just scrape by. And he had apparently enough money for betting large sums on soccer matches.

    That said, his sporting achievements at the FO are a different matter altogether. He did great, no matter what.

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    • Well hopefully with the large prize money from the FO SF, and his improved ranking, he can and will now earn a decent living by winning matches and getting decent money earned from winning matches.

      He has the skills and the game to win many matches if he continues to play this way (as in this FO).

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    • littlefoot,

      Thank you for that info. Now at least we know the whole truth. I ageee that it is very different from Sharapova who was suspended. There were some here who wanted her banned for life, which I though was wrong. You are right about the fact that the medication she took had been legal until it was changed at one point. I am glad that she was allowed to come back to the sport.

      But Cecchinato’s situation is very different. That was a stupid technicality. He should have gotten some kind of punishment. The facts do not put him in a good light at all.

      However, I also agree that the past should not reflect on his performance at RG. I just hope that he does not ever engage in that again. It is a truly appalling thing to think there is match fixing going on.

      Thank you again for doing some research on this. I appreciate it!

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  13. Theim in 4.

    Schwartzman and Del Potro didnt take their chances and it was all there for everyone to see. I get the feeling Theim will on Sunday.

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  14. Luckystar mentions a very pertinent point of Theim being more like a Stanimal kind of player. Plays from behind the baseline, serve, FH and BH all are pretty big shots. Ground strokes are very heavy. But I think Theim is a better mover, not sure how strong he is mentally.

    We are going to see a lot of drop shots played from either player in the finals. Rafa should serve well, also return deep and in my opinion to BH side of Theim, Theim’s FH is Inside out and DTL both are very strong and heavy.

    Its going to be interesting how Rafa breaks up Theim’s game on Sunday.

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  15. luckystar JUNE 9, 2018 AT 7:00 AM
    “Thiem’s style is Stan’s style; Diego’s is Djoko’s and Kei’s style. There’s another player Goffin, that I feel Rafa is also wary of. Goffin’s style is a bit like Davydenko’s; when on full flight Goffin could move into the court, takes the ball early and plays aggressive tennis, more aggressive than Djoko’s imo and takes time away from Rafa.”

    *************************************************************************************

    Now you say it, it’s so clear the similarities in style of different players.

    I was in Madrid and from the stands, Rafa seemed very out of sorts. I thought it was because he was too far behind the baseline because he got caught out many times because he was unable to get to the ball, but he wins hands down anyway even when he does that so that couldn’t be the reason.

    Thiem was pounding the ball with all his might and shortening the points by aggressive tennis. Rafa didn’t seem to be in the mood to play aggressively but still managed to take the first set to 7:5. Rafa was first to serve in the 2nd set, it was approaching the evening so they put the floodlights on which looked a lot brighter in the sunshine than when it’s dull. I could see that Rafa was irritated by the glare of the bright light when he tossed the ball and he served a couple of double faults and lost his serve in the 1st game; going back to his seat he gestured to the umpire pointing to the lights. After that he didn’t seem to have the zeal to fight anymore with the way Thiem was going for broke so he lost the 2nd set 63.

    Tomorrow is a new match.

    Vamos Rafa!

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  16. If it was Theim’s first time against Nadal on Philippe Chatrier I’d have my doubts but he’s been here before and knows what to expect.

    He’s coming off a win against Nadal also so there’s a few things in his favour.

    1. Nadal showing chinks in his armour against Schwartzman and Del Potro. Advantage Theim

    2. The weather conditions will be mild with chance of thunderstorms. Advantage Theim.

    3. This is Theim’s 2nd crack at Nadal on Philippe Chatrier. Advantage Theim.

    4. This will be Theim’s 4th match in a row on Philippe Chatrier. Advantage Theim.

    5. Theim’s the dropped a set his last 2 matches which suggests he’s peaking. Advantage Theim.

    5.The won their that encounter convingly and has beaten Nadal several times on clay. Advantage Theim.

    6. Nadal is 34 and based on history, Theim is at the ripe age to win this title. Advantage Theim.

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    • D. Theim will definately be confident, he just took out the form player of the tournamanent in straight sets that beat Djokovic in 4. He also beat Zverev 3:0 and Zverev had the match on his aquet aainst Nadal in Rome. All the indicators suggest he is well in this.

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  20. Theim just has to stay in the contest against Nadal and he will get his chances like we saw in Nadal’s last 2 matches. I highly dout we’re going to see another whitewash like what we saw in last years Roland Garros. I just cant see that happening based on Theims current form and everything else I just noted.

    At 4-5/1 odds, I think he’s a great bet.

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  21. Not to mention Thiem has proven himself to be quite formidable onver 5 sets. Opponents that can beat him over 3 or take sets off him just cant seem to deal with what he brings to the table over best of 5. Surely Nadal will geta taste of that on Sunday and it will be interesting to see how he deals with that level of pressure. If you can get Nadal under pressure there’s a pretty big chance he’ll capitulate and start feeling niggles to his body that weren’t there when he was winning.

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  23. Nadal in 3. Noone can keep up with the way Nadal is able to play on the clay. And noone stands a chance against an inform motivated Nadal in a best of 5 in the finale of Roland Garros.

    When I saw the odds was 1.20+ for Nadal victory I didn’t hesitate a second before I asked my dad for a small loan of a million dollars to go all in on this gift of a banker.

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  24. Rafa in 3

    Thiem is a good clay-courter, and he is arguably the most worthy opponent for a French Open final right now. There isn’t really anyone you could replace him with who would prove a better chance at beating Nadal. And yet I think it’s pretty likely he won’t get close in this match. Is he playing any better than last year? Not really. Is Nadal playing better? No, but he’s not that much worse. Therefore, probably a similar result.

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  25. The weather forecast not too bad Sun and cloud in the afternoon with possibly some light rain. Humidity around 50-60%. Risk of thunderstorms but not till the evening. Let’s hope Rafa can wrap up the match in straight sets.

    #Weather forecasting is just that: it is not an exact science.

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  27. Meanwhile the women’s final is on – Simona vs Sloane, Sloane having the upper hand now in the first set. Sloane Stevens is a hard hitter, her shots are hit with depth; Simona Halep looks light weight compared to her.

    Simona’s problem is: she is staying at the baseline rallying all the time and once she faces a power hitter (like Ostepenco or Stevens) she’ll run into problems, been overpowered. She should add in new dimensions to her game,like S&V a bit, does some net rushing, slices the ball, throws in some drop shots, etc

    It looks like she’ll have another disappointment here.

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  28. Interwetten is giving 1.33 for Nadal. They know Theim is well in this and will glady take your Nadal wagers.

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    • Halep finally won. One of your predictions has gone wrong today.

      Lets see if you are shameless enough to return back here again.

      I bet you would – Advantage Jim Courier

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  30. In the immortal words of Roger Federer “Shut up!” Or, if you prefer, in the immortal words of Andy Murray “No one likes you”. In the immortal words of Novak Djokovic “Peace and love”.

    In the immortal word of Rafa “Vamos!”

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  32. Rafa has to change the patterns tomorrow. He would be aware that drop-shotting DelPo is easy as compared to Theim because Theim is a very quick mover. But because Theim stands so much behind the baseline, Rafa would have his chances.

    Theim’s return of serve is not Djoker like , but he hits very heavy off both the wings. I just hope that Rafa starts aggressive and plays BH CC deep as Theim would like to keep Rafa pegged behind on his BH and he would try to open up on Rafa’s FH side and make him stretch on that side.

    I sense a very tough battle , I feel Rafa should come thru but even if he loses I won’t be that surprised.

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  34. I haven’t wanted someone to win a tennis match this much in quite a long time. I’m not usually a fan of saying someone deserves a major title, but…. if there was ever someone who did deserve it, it would be Simona. It’s amazing that she has continued to fight so hard at the majors after last years tragic loss at RG. But she hasn’t given up, and has put her herself in a winning position for two straight slams now. I my freaking god I want her to win so badly haha. I don’t care if she never wins one again, just PLEASE win one, so we don’t have to suffer through watching her go through the devastating heartbreak anymore…

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  35. Err…may i ask a question Ladies & Gentleman?Why u guy & gals commenting on Rafa & Thiem thread?And not on Simona & Stephen’s thread?Hehehe…Let’s go there gals & guys!

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    • Hahaha, Mira Andi, I was honestly wondering the same thing. I didn’t think there was a thread for it, but then I saw that others were commenting about it on this thread. It did seem silly, though. 🙂

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  42. Im a massive Rafa fan, but i can live with the result if DT wins the title, never before have i been so relaxed about a GS final, with no expectations for Rafa, always said before it started i wouldnt be surprised either way if he did or didnt win RG this year ….

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  43. Oh,finally I’ll be able to watch a Rafa’s match live on TV this RG!
    The first set will be extremely important for Thiem,IMO. If he loses it,I see it going straightforward for Rafa and he probably wins in 3 sets without much of a problem. However,Rafa is having some slow starts this year at RG(in the SF,despite saving most of the bp with clutch play,Delpo should have capitalised and took the first set;also in the QF Rafa started really bad against Diego) and Thiem will definitely take advantage and if Rafa doesn’t start strong from the beginning it can turn out to be a hell of a match. I think many people are underestimating Thiem saying he’s not mentally strong,but remember that he was able to defeat Rafa in Madrid right after being dismantled him MC by him. Plus,he’s pratically at the peak of his powers right now and he’s hungry to dethrone the King of Clay.
    Hopefully Rafa will be up to the task(which I really believe he will) and we can witness a cracker!
    Vamos Rafa 💪👑🎾

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    • I don’t get why people act as if Thiem is a bad mental player either. I think it is primarily due to that shocking loss to Del Po at last year’s US Open where he was absolutely slaughtering a less than 100% Del Po before losing. Thiem really has nothing to lose in this final so I wouldn’t surprised if he comes out firing, but Rafa is so damn good I think he will be able to handle it even if Thiem plays really well to start the match.

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      • All players have done that at some point, lost from a winning position.
        It all evens out in the end, just as it did for Halep today .(Is there a tennis fan who isn’t happy about that ?)

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      • Nah, Thiem won’t have nothing to lose! This is a slam final and his first, and you expect him to feel that he has nothing to lose?

        In fact Thiem will feel nervous because this is his first final, and he knows facing Rafa in the FO final is a difficult task! The ‘Thiem is mentally weak’ theory only apply to the HCs and when he’s stretched to go the distances, it won’t apply to him on clay because he’s so confident when playing on clay,

        I’ve no doubt that Rafa’s best level now is > Thiem’s best level on clay, it’s a matter of whether Rafa can bring his best level or not. Rafa maybe can try playing like Sasha vs Thiem at Madrid if he can’t summon his own best tennis on clay; by playing like Sasha did at Madrid, he’ll prevent Thiem from stepping inside the court to play his aggressive tennis.

        Thiem hits the ball very hard with topspin so he gets both spin and pace (I think it’s something similar to Sock’s FH), it’s not easy to handle that kind of shots; he’s quicker than Stan and Delpo and he’s young so he’s also fitter. Rafa (and Moya) should know all these and I think they’re wise enough to come out with a proper game plan.

        If Sasha could defeat Thiem in a Masters final, Rafa should be able to do so at the FO final being the king of clay himself.

        Vamos Rafa!

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        • I think that a huge part of the supposed mental weaknesses from Thiem come right because of his playstyle. He’s that kind of guy who either redlines and hits monstrously from the baseline or he comes out flat,spraying a lot of unforced errors. Of course that as he’s getting close to his peak,his consiatency is increasing and he’s getting more solid on his game,at least on clay.
          I agree that he must be feeling a bit nervous playing his first Slam final,but Rafa is also under a huge pressure,IMO.
          Lucky,how do you think Rafa will come,tactically wise speaking?
          I think he’ll try to mix things up a bit,changing the patterns of play in order to not engage with Thiem in long rallies and give him an appropriate rhythm to impose his game from the baseline.

          P.S. It makes me sad to see that Zverev has a superior clay trophy cabinet when compared to Thiem,too bad he hasn’t won a M1000 yet,at this stage of his career.

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        • Lucky, your reasoning for him being nervous is exactly why he won’t be! Yeah he may feel the usual nerves of a big match that everyone feels but Thiem is playing the greatest clay courter of all time in his first slam final at the French Open where he is expected to lose. Why would he be nervous or feel any pressure to win at all when Rafa is the clear favorite? He will just go out there and enjoy it, the guy is young and will surely make plenty more French Open finals in his career.

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          • Just like the way Cilic was nervous in Wimby finals even though he was in his second major finals, Theim is expected to be nervous.

          • Yeah but what about Cilic’s first major final? And what about Wawrinka’s? And Del Po’s? All those guys won their first major finals and were either heavy underdogs or not very favored to win. And they all just went out and hit the snot out of the ball. I expect the same from Thiem to be honest. I’m not saying he will win but I expect him to swing freely and strike the ball well.

          • Nice point, Benny. No question there’s more pressure on Rafa. He’s also the one more likely to be affected by nerves; it’s inevitable as one gets older, and I’m sure it’s worse for him now than it was 10 years ago.

            Whether all of that, plus the weather (current humidity is 88%) is enough to tilt the scales in Thiem’s favour is another question. I’m still thinking Nadal will pull through, but I think it will be very close.

          • Benny, wrong. Anyone will be nervous in his first slam final; if he thinks he has nothing to lose against the king of clay, that means he’s prepared to lose the battle!

            I can tell you Thiem will surely go out there to play aggressive hard hitting tennis, no doubt about that, but, he’ll overhit, or makes errors because he’s eager to play well and to put on a good show. He certainly doesn’t want to do badly in his first slam final, after seeing that Diego and Delpo managed at most 2 games in each of their last two sets of tennis despite not playing badly.

          • There’s been no evidence of that so far. Thiem has been quite measured and patient this year which comes with maturity.

          • Cilic faced Kei in the final, how you know he’s not nervous, and maybe Kei was more nervous than him?

            Stan’s first final was against Rafa but Rafa got injured mid way through the match. Stan lost his cool when Rafa went off with the trainer, you think Stan wasn’t nervous and worried about his first slam final?

            Delpo might also be nervous in his first and only slam final, it’s just that he always looked calm. Please, if you think Thiem won’t be nervous, then I think you’re overestimating him. I mean in an earlier round five setters at a major, he could be so nervous and lost from a winning position, you think he won’t tighten up when he’s in a slam final??

  45. The only person who got close to beating Nadal fair and square(no excuses) over five sets here on his favourite court was Djokovic,and while I think Thiem has the ability , he wont win more than a set this time.

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    • I can’t imagine a scenario under which the trophy is shared. But the weather does look pretty ominous, and there’s a definite possibility that it could be rained out both sunday and monday. Forecast right now (4am local time) reads 87% humidity, and significant chance of rain starting around noon.

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      • It’s not 87% humidity, humidity at 3pm is 65%, temperature at 26 degree but feels like 29 degrees; humidity at 4pm is at 70% with temperature at 25 degrees but feels like 28degrees. Thunderstorm is forecasted at 6pm, not 5pm.

        After the thunderstorm temperature will fall to 22 degrees so even if humidity is at 89-90 or even 95%, its certainly not as oppressive as a few days ago when temperature was 25 (but felt higher)degrees but humidity was 91%! It’s the combination of high temperature plus high humidity that’s difficult to bear with.

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    • No, I’m sure they’re able to complete the match today. Thunderstorm is forecasted from 5pm but not for long; so they’ll have 1+ to 2 hours of tennis, stops if not completed when the thunderstorm comes, and may continue after an hour or two, who knows. I think there’s still time to complete the match after that.

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    • I agree but its not 100% probability, more like 70%. nadal can still win if Thiem has a brain snap and a different Thiem turns up to the one we’ve seen all tournament.

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  56. I’d love to see Thiem get a set, just to make it more compelling TV viewing, but it’s NOT going to happen. Rafa in 3.

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    • ed251137 AT 12:43 PM,

      You probably didn’t look at the picture (screenshot) I posted AT 11:50 AM. I made the screenshot a couple of minutes before I posted it. 🙂

      Reply

  61. Alhamdulillah!….Rafa body language is sooooooo positive!…That means he’s very confident atm…YEESSSSS!!….Watch out Thiem!!

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      • Hahahaha….That’s alright Nny!…Don’t worry k?Insyaallah,Rafa will win…If not 3,then 4…When Rafa is this confident,everythings will come out positive….

        Besides….Thiem is the 1st timer finalist Nny…he certainly playing with nerves too…I only known 1 man can trouble Rafa & be able to fight with Rafa for 2,3,4 Hrs…It’s Novak..No one else can’t so far Nny….

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      • lol, you say you, i was hyperventilating!! I couldn’t take it, went to wash my hair!! hee, hee!! Came back, Rafa won first set!!! Yeah!!!

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  73. First set Rafa. I like Rafa’s intent today. Had his chances. serve is better. Went deep into Theim’s service games. Was the better player overall.

    Its still a long way to go . Rafa needs to keep going. Hopefully first set under the kitty will calm his nerves.

    Reply

      • I understand Nny!…But please relax & be calm okay?Rafa will be fine!Trust me!!…He never lose when he in this mood Nny…

        It’s Thiem who will melt…he shown it to us now…

        Reply

  79. First set stats

    Rafa

    First serve – 65%
    First serve points won – 76%
    Winners – 10
    UE’s – 12
    Break points won – 2/5

    Thiem
    Ftsrt serve – 45%
    First serve points won – 58%
    Winners – 11
    UE’s – 18
    Break points won – 1/2

    Reply

    • Thiem MUST be thinking after ALL that, and I still have nothing to show for it……yet!

      But he is rushing too much, certainly will not have anything left for five sets!!

      Theim should have listened when he was told……Rafa at RG? Nah!! Good luck mate!!

      Reply

    • Some would argue he was done even before came on court!!

      I hate to hear these commentators!! They sound so frustrated when players cant beat Rafa!! Smh!!

      Reply

      • That’s alright Monalisa…Not everyone loves Rafa…And wish other players will beat Rafa…Like our GrandPa Jim here…

        Reply

        • Yeah, that’s fine, but they are commentators first, not fans! They they need to be so transparent, i find it shameful!

          Reply

          • Monalisa…i believe that commentators usually r Fedfans…There are so many like that…Forget how organizers succumbed to Fed wish to play only at night session at AO last january?

  97. Rafa has his lapses but luckily he still holds after a long game. Rafa please break here, please don’t let him back into the set and the match!

    Reply

  105. Rafa has to becareful there, Theim looks like he has settled a little, if momentum shits, Rafa may see this go 4, or even 5! Keep the screws on Rafa!

    Reply

  106. Rafa’s backhand is becoming a massive weapon! He is improved his game even on clay! Unbelievable Rafa!

    Vamos Champ!

    Reply

  128. Vamooooossssdd! Genius at work! The King of Clay!

    ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

    Reply

  130. Congrats to Rafa fans. It will be interesting to see what is wrong with the wrists ; because there is some issue.

    But you dont beat wounded Rafa . Its his den , its his court. He is an heck of a athlete.

    Reply

  131. VAMOS!!! VAMOS!!! VAMOS!!

    I love this man!! “Just do it” and he just DOES it! The God-King of Clay! Now and forever.

    Every time I saw that Thiem “had a plan”, I thought “and you better have a back up plan and a few more behind that”….lol

    Reply

  132. Is it just me or the crowds & surrounding seems not like it used to?I mean…not like any other finals…lack of joy??

    Reply

    • They’re more worried about the impending thunderstorm than to feel the joy of this Rafa win! Also, this match has its highs and lows and honestly Thiem’s serve is letting him down.

      Rafa is really emotional out there, the crowd gives him a big round of applause and he’s crying with emotions, that shows how tough it is to win the trophy here again and it means so much to him to win it year after year. We/I criticized Rafa for this or that but he’s human and does make mistakes and feels anxious.

      It’s so good that both the men and women no.1s end up with the trophies and keep their no.1 rankings. Well done to both and especially to Rafa for winning it an incredible 11th time!

      PS. It’s so humid that Rafa’s hand was cramping, thankfully he managed to win the match; and, they managed the trophy ceremony well before any thunderstorm arrives.

      Reply

  133. So happy for Rafa for winning his 11th FO title, and in straight sets.

    I know Thiem couldn’t do the job, because he’s not as good as Fed or Djoko or Stan, or Ferrer on clay, Rafa no doubt has his serving problems and looks extra nervous this year but he’s still playing very good tennis on clay.

    Thiem looks a nice guy so I hope he wins the FO in future.

    Reply

  134. Now watch a poster coming and posting that Rafa was good but not that good and that Dom was the better player in the first and also the second.

    But what a player. 11 RG titles. Every year I think he cannot possibly repeat it next year.

    He has also managed to stay number one with truck load of points to defend. GOAT indeed!!!

    Reply

  137. Names apart from Rafa making a name this clay season
    1. Dominic Thiem- Only person to beat Rafa
    2. Martin Klizan – First person to break the streak of opponents winning less than 5 games in a set
    3. Fabio, Zverev- Set takers against Rafa prior to RG
    4. Diego Schwatzman – set winner against Rafa at RG

    Reply

  139. Ageism…

    @Dimonator: Ken Rosewell is #fired

    i don’t care how old he is. that was pathetic. if he’s too old to make sense, don’t have him at the trophy ceremony.

    Reply

    • Yes, very bad speech. Should have congratulated Theim, he has had a great run. Should not say bad about a loser who anyw

      Reply

    • Hawks

      You’re right – that is blatant ageism. Shame on you.

      I’m from a generation that was taught you must respect your elders even if they are gaga 🙂

      Anyway I doubt anyone actually pays attention to what the dignitaries say when they waffle on.

      PS: Rosewall was a special favourite of mine back in the fifties

      Reply

  142. As someone did above, Rafa should not longer be referred to as the King of Clay….He is the GOD of Clay!

    What is really is true that he physically cannot be beaten in a RG Final? Could it actually be the case??? We know he’s technically beatable pre-semis. But post-QF? Makes ya wonder! 🙂

    Reply

      • Am pretty sure rick y said fed will win wimby without dropping a set!!!
        Maybe you need to ask him???😀
        Not sure who else can win???!!

        Reply

        • Oh there’s tons of other people to win Wimbledon…if Fed goes out early, that is. It could happen.

          I sure he’s hungry to get another Wimble under his belt after Rafa’s latest win.

          Honestly I’d like a surprise winner. But right now…I don’t know.

          Reply

  145. Congrats to Rafa!! 🎉 🎉 It cannot be understated how impressive this accomplishment is. This kind of dominance of a single slam is really just incredible to see. To see him so happy and joyful even after winning this so many times is really nice to see as well. Congrats to the humble king of clay #RafaNada11

    Reply

  149. Congrats Rafa..Congrats Rafans..11 is incredible ..mira, amy, nny, natashao, VR,luckystar, vmk1, rafa rules, hawk , graviera and many more …sorry forgetting names

    and ..unparalleled..FRom an injury laden start to the year, he was once again dominated clay stretch, won 4 titles..undecimas at 3 converging at same time ..never thought it would happen twice in a row.

    Feel bad for Dominic..hope he wins atleast 3 in future as he is of the rafa work ethic and dynamic ..

    Cmon rafa no 18 next..at one of the non clay slams..pick of slam is yours :-)..my desire is AO for double career slam 🙂

    Reply

    • Yeah Sanju!!….Much much congrats to u too!!WOOOOOOHOOOOOO!!….UNBELIE11ABLR 11!!….My God!!…Fuh!..What a ride on a very shaky Rafa roller coaster this year!…My hair turned white in some places all of a sudden bcoz of Rafa!!URGHHH!!But…it’s worth it!!Hehehehe….

      Reply

  150. Just came here to say congrats to my fellow rafans. I had zero doubts he would win and he is untouchable on this court when on song.

    Congrats and have a great day everyone 🙂

    Reply

    • VR,

      You were very much missed throughout RG this time. People even posted pleas for you to come back! But I am glad that you did come back to join in the celebration for his 11th title! It boggles the mind!

      This one was very stressful for me. Especially the match with Diego!!

      It’s just a great moment!

      Thanks for coming back to share in the joy!
      😀

      Reply

      • Bravo NNY! thank you!

        Yes, it is nothing short of mind boggling. Winning 11 titles at a single slam is just out of this world.

        I do think he should play on grass and if he is able to get past the 4th round (which he nearly did last year), I would give him a decent chance.

        Reply

        • Hehehe…Thanks VR!!…Hey!wait!wait!…is that Nan curry chicken at your lips??Hah!I know!!…You’re not fasting!!!…Hehehehehe…
          IT’S GREAT TO HAVE U BACK HERE VR!!…Even for a while!!…

          May Allah Bless U VR!….Assalamualaikum!

          Reply

      • Hey Joey! Thanks for your message. Yes all is well at my end 🙂

        Good luck to your champion for the grass season! hope you have fun.

        Reply

  151. I have not given up hopes on rafa having one last hurrah at wimby..I thought it would be 14 then 27 but he got out 4th round both times to nick n Muller playing out of their skin…let’s see this time

    Reply

  152. Hi to all fellow Rafans.
    I was with you in spirit but didn’t join in the discussions as I was at a friend’s house watching on one of those giant TVs the size of a cinema screen. Beats peering at my laptop screen any day. lol

    I, like others, was moved by Rafa emotional reaction at the prize-giving ceremony. You might think by now he would
    be used to biting on the trophy. Not a bit of it. In fact I don’t recall him being reduced to tears last year when he hoisted the ‘la Decima’ trophy.

    Reply

    • Ed, i think this FO is more special because of what he had gone through early this year, and he knew how hard it was for him to win it again.

      We sometimes take him for granted but we have to realize that he’s also getting older and its getting tougher and tougher to win here esp when his opponents are much younger too.

      Reply

  153. Important question…will rafa win more RG or Novak win more slams 🙂 it’s 11 n 12 now…

    Rafa has more rg titles than all except 4 have slams( fed,Pete , Novak , Borg) …this is just unreal .

    It is even more unreal that converging of undecima at 3 tourneys happened at same time like la decima the immediate next year

    Reply

    • I understood that’s exactly their intention: renovating the clay composition. If true, I guess they want to make it faster. Well, that’s just another challenge for Rafa! If healthy, he will overcome any such obstacle because the clay is his natural habitat!

      I am impressed the way Rafa played in the final: he avoids running around to hit his powerful forehands and relies on his unbelievably strong backhand which causes so much trouble to his opponents these days! He realized the bkh was his weakness and worked hard to improve it creating a powerful weapon! I think Fed will feel it on his own skin next time they meet!

      Also those timely dropshots to shorten the points were some piece of art! I love it! Tactical game was extraordinary. It was the right game plan to handle Thiem! Execution was also perfect! Everything worked out perfectly! I am so proud of Rafa and his team! This was a joy to watch!

      Rafa needs rest now! I hope those wrists are ok! If there is any injury scare Rafa will skip Wimbledon. If he is healthy i expect him to go deep this time given improvements in his game that I mentioned above!

      I am honored to be member of the joyful and proud Rafa fan base!

      We love you,Rafa! ❤️

      Vamos Champ!

      Reply

        • Eactly my thought, Hawkeye! I’m fairly sure that the new court will be less compatible with Rafa’s specific strength.
          I don’t buy the story line that the French have warmed towards Rafa in a major way. It’s more like Rafa forced them to grudgingly acknowledge his astounding dominance. If they really loved im they would name the new court “Court Rafa Nadal”. Or they would give him the original trophy and make a new one. That would be an apt celebration of his excellence. The trophy has been bitten so many times by him now – it really should be his! If nly for sanitary reasons, lol!

          Reply

        • Augusta, the commentator said the opposite. He spoke abour changing clay composition but I guess he was just speculating! I wouldn’t be surprised though that they would go that far to change the clay, but hope not…

          Reply

          • Don’t they renew the clay surface every year anyway? Rafa didn’t especially like it this year and said, that there was a slippery white component in it which made sliding more dangerous.That could be one explanation why he seemed to be less comfortable on court than last year. Th
            I’m not so much worried about future clay composition which has already been different from year to year. I’m worried that they will reduce the space behind the baseline. The current dimensions were very advantageous for Rafa’s style. But I#m sure that Rafa will be able to adapt to whatever the French will throw at him, lol – if he manages to arrive healthy next year.

      • Natashao says AT 7:43 PM: “I hope those wrists are ok!”
        ===

        Rafa did NOT have wrist problems Paris!

        Rafa was asked at his post-QF press conference (at 2:10 in the video below): “Why did you have tape applied on your arms yesterday. The trainer came out.”
        RAFA answered: “It was very wet, very humid. The sweat was coming to my hands, so just to protect a little bit. Because if you have tape behind the wristband, then it holds a little bit more the sweat. That’s all. It is not usual here in Paris, but this year is very humid.”

        https://youtu.be/EHee5Ns5E1I

        It’s a pretty well-known fact that Rafa has his arms near the wrists taped when it’s very humid (for example, when he played in South America).
        The picture below was taken after the 2014 Rio Open SF. There are tapes under his wristbands:

        https://statics.sportskeeda.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/rafael-nadal-rio-2118025.jpg

        Reply

    • vmk1 AT 7:53 PM
      ‏
      Rafa said at his post-match press conference:”I had a long and tough season on clay, I will decide with my team how to do for grass season ”

      I can’t stand pro-Fed journalists’ imaginary stories about Rafa that the latter is copying Fed!

      Reply

      • I agree with augusta here. It is beyond annoying to hear that Rafa is copying Fed by potentially skipping Wimby. He played there last year when Fed skipped the clay court season.

        Rafa makes decisions based on what is best for his body. I don’t think his team could care less about what Fed does. Not everything is about Fed!

        Reply

      • Amazing how touchy some Nadal fans are . How dare anyone suggest the remotest possibility that Nadal is playing second fiddle to Fed!
        Actually, since its worked for Fed to skip clay, its only common sense for Nadal to skip grass to save his knees, even he’s four years younger.

        Reply

    • I wouldn’t be surprised at all! Rafa’s body needs rest and we know grass does no favors to his fragile knees..,so why not skip Wimby and go for another USO title…

      Rafa and his team know what’s best for him! I support whatever they find is best!

      Vamos!

      Reply

      • I dont think Rafa wants to skip any slam, he said hes not 36 so he’s going to play his own schedule and not skipping any event (unless hes injured).

        I think its not time yet that Rafa would consider skipping important events like a slam. In the past he did skip a Masters (at Paris) at end of season when he’s allowed to skip one but he normally sticks to playing 17 events (including WTF) since, skipping one 500 in Feb or on grass before Wimbledon, and one Masters(2017 was an exception where he played 18).

        This year I think at best hes playing 15 events plus DC (I hope he skips the Laver Cup) so I think he will be fine.

        Reply

        • luckystar AT 8:04 AM,

          Rafa has skipped the Paris Masters because of being injured.

          I don’t think he’ll play in the 2018 Laver Cup, because he has promised to play in the Davis Cup SF (Sept.14 -16).

          Reply

    • It would make a lot of sense for Nadal to skip Wimby. He is almost certainly carrying niggling injuries, possibly still from pre-clay season. He always brings 100% on clay and I’m sure plays through a lot of pain. But he’s 32, and it wouldn’t be surprising if his body isn’t up to playing an entire season any more, at least not without increased risk of serious injury.

      Reply

  156. Congrats to all you Rafans on here (99% of active users)!! I am truly happy for you all. What impressed me the most about this title run is that it really looked dismal for Rafa on the injury front at the start of the season. But he overcame it in some serious style!

    One thing I’ve been thinking about in regards to Fedal is that if Fed hadn’t managed to make his late-career resurgence, Rafa would potentially be leading Fed in total majors 18-17 (if we assume for the sake of argument that Rafa would have won AO 2017)! When Fed has his surgery and subsequent problems in 2016, I was pretty certain that he was just too old to be able to realistically challenge for majors again. But he stuck to his guns, and potentially saved his legacy in a sense.

    And on the flip side, if Rafa hadn’t pulled out of his own slump and subsequent injury woes, Fed could potentially lead Rafa in total majors 20-14 right now. But Rafa stuck to HIS guns, and potentially saved HIS own legacy in a sense.

    What I’m trying to say is, it’s just incredible how after all these years, these

    Reply

    • Its also because of Djoko’s injuries during 2016 or 2017 that had given chances for Fedal’s revival.

      I mean Fedal were no.2 and 3 behind Djoko before that and before they suffered their injuries/mini slump(s), so once Djoko wasnt there Fedal would fill the gap, though I must say the way Fedal are playing now, they would give a fit and top form Djoko a run for his money, esp at the FO (for Rafa) and the quicker surface of AO (for Fed). Djoko would still be tough to beat at Wimbledon and USO and the three would be fighting for the top three positions.

      Murray’s injury is more serious so he will fall behind the trio imo.

      Reply

  157. it’s just something awesome to watch, time and time again…Thiem was schooled big time today, nothing he could have done. Not even those cramps could stop Rafa today.
    Congratulations to all Rafans out there!!!!!
    Rafa please, be kind to your body now, get some rest and skip Wimby

    Reply

  158. Congrats to Rafa and his fans on an historic 11th RG title. I didn’t think he was at his best, but he managed to close it out in straights regardless.

    Thiem said he had a plan, but as far as I could tell his main plan was to stand close to the baseline to return Nadal’s 1st serve. It was clear by Rafa’s second service game that the plan wasn’t going to work, and imo it probably cost Thiem the first set. He just gave Rafa too many easy points on missed returns. I fully expected him to abandon the plan in the second set and to take a couple steps back. Why he didn’t escapes me. I give him credit for trying (in the first two sets, not the last), but he needed to be his absolute best to have a chance today, and he was far from that.

    I’m not sure what happened in the last set, but when Nadal seemed hurt, Thiem utterly failed to push up the aggression. He looked like a guy who didn’t think he deserved to win. Which he didn’t. Again, congrats to Nadal on another RG title and amazing clay court season.

    Reply

    • Why Thiem didnt take a step back? Thats because at Madrid when he beat Rafa, he didnt step back and he was aggressive and stepping inside the court.

      RG is no Madrid, and this time its Rafa pushing Thiem back and Thiem was always on the back foot and hardly could step inside the court, its only when Rafa dropped shot him that he had to rush forward but only to hit the ball into the net or shanked his shot.

      Rafa is simply too crafty for Thiem; Thiem is too one dimensional, he has to add in more varieties to his game, he’s too poor when at the net.

      Reply

      • lucky,

        I agree with you. I thought Thiem looked one-dimensional in the final. I think Rafa exposed that with his court craft and varied game plan. It was not about Thiem standing on the baseline. That is too simplistic. Also, Thiem did not serve well. That big serve is a huge weapon and helps to set up hid powerful groundstrokes. The know that that stats for the first set showed that Thiem was not getting in even 50% of first serves, winning only about 56 or 58%. He was under 50% winning second serves. That is not good enough to run a slam final.

        That match did not come down to one thing. It was the variety in Rafa’s game, his better serving on that day and also the accuracy and precision of his backhand. Also, his stellar play at net.

        Reply

          • Thiem has always been called out for being one-dimensional. If he doesn’t add more variety and starts to play with more intelligence, I doubt that he will be Rafa’s heir as the future best clay courter. I think that ultimately Zverev has a better chance – if he manages the five-set format, that is.
            I think that Rafa beat Thiem with his superior tennis intelligence. This was really apparent when his hand suddenly started cramping. This must’ve been an awful scare so close to the finish line! But Rafa still managed to win his next service game by adapting his tactics, although he could only just manage to spin the ball into the service box. Nobody is as able to make the right mid-match adjustments as Rafa.

  159. So happy for the Undecima 🙂 What Rafa’s doing on RG is totally out of this world,IMO,the greatest achievement in the history of the sports in general.
    What can I say about the match? Thiem played at such a good level in the first set but a slip in his serve and Rafa made him pay at took it,that’s how good he is! Poor Thiem,there was a moment where you could see that he didn’t know what he could try anymore to hurt Rafa,he ran out of ideas! I seriously hope he can bag RG one day,he’s too much of a nice guy to not win there.

    With the 11th win in RG,Rafa has now the same number of slams as Borg’s total GS tally,but at the same GS. Just think about it for a while,it’s INSANE!

    It’s amazing for me to share this joy with the Rafa family here,I love you guys,you’re sensational in so many ways 😊

    Vamos Rafa 💪👑🎾

    Reply

    • Actually, Rafa made all his opponents here feel this way. You could also see the same look in Delpo, Diego, Pella and Bolelli! They all tried hard but just not good enough.

      I think the key for Rafa is his varieties esp when playing on clay, it’s truly a pleasure watching Rafa playing this way. In the past Rafa gave the impression that he’s using his speed and power to overwhelm his opponents but now everyone is hitting hard and serving big against him, he’s not going to overpower them so here comes all his varieties – the angles, the spins, the changes of pace and direction, the slices, the lobs, the volleys and the net approaches. His special ROS positions and varieties even in his ROS!

      None of his opponents could play that way against him; no wonder they felt hopeless at some points during the match. Delpo’s give after his SF match said it all, it’s almost impossible to beat Rafa at RG (when Rafa is/was playing like this).

      I’m just glad that despite Rafa’s serving issues, he’s still able to win the FO this time. It’s not difficult to see that this FO is a hard fought one for him, unlike last year. He losing only one set along the way when some of his opponents had chances to win a set from him is already rather amazing.

      I guess Rafa will always feel nervous and fighting to stay calm each time he walks out to the court to play his matches. We’ll have to accept that.

      Reply

      • And I think the crowd there at RG finally appreciated Rafa after watching him as a 31 ( last year) and 32 year old using all his varieties to defeat all his hard hitting and younger opponents. They gave him a standing ovation here during the victory ceremony and Rafa cried; I think he truly earned their respect – he’s no longer considered the brute who used his arms and legs to beat all his opponents by brute force the way they thought he was during his early reign here.

        After watching the two finals (2017/2018) they could see Rafa was using all his varieties and skills and court craft to beat all his tough opponents here. It’s not brute force or speed, but the understanding of how to make full use of the court to defeat his opponents.

        I think players like Thiem or Sasha, the younger players, should study how Rafa plays on clay, ie how he’s using all the angles, the positions on court to take advantage over his opponents. Rafa makes tennis looks like a chess game especially on clay, so his younger opponents should study that and work on getting their tactics, strategies or game plans right.

        Rafa has a female Russian tennis player as his fan, I think her name is Daria Kasatkina if I’m not wrong, and she studies his game and is using spins and angles too when playing her matches. I think the male tennis players should do that too on clay and learn something from it.

        Reply

        • So, Fed Djokovic and Theim , all of whom are great clay couters themselves have all tried at RG. They cant just get a hang of Rafa.

          Rafa’s biggest skill is to turn defense into attack. He is a master tactician and pulled dropshopts from his kitty in SF and F and kept his opponents guessing.

          I mean to say that he has a gruelling RG in which he lost a single set is a testimony to Rafa’s dominance on clay.

          Reply

        • luckystar AT 3:22 AM: “And I think the crowd there at RG finally appreciated Rafa …They gave him a standing ovation here during the victory ceremony …”
          ===

          The RG crowd has always given Rafa standing ovations. The difference is that it has become more difficult for paid journalists to fabricate whatever stories because there are too many witnesses who can quickly post information via social media and even tweet to the journalists when the latters talk&write crap.

          Reply

        • Probably Rafa would be done winnining Slams if Moya didnt’t come along. Without the improvements on his BH and especially on his serve,it would have been really hard.
          Rafa’s actually playing smarter than ever,mixing the play instead grinding down everyone like in the old days. Moya also deserves credit for that tactical change,but Rafa always had an amazing touch(drops,volleys,etc.),so he just needed to exploit that part of his game a little bit.
          Many are saying that he should skip Wimby.I mean,if he’s knees are ok,he sould give it a try,even if he’s not reaching the second week,it’s worth a shot,IMO. If somehow he gets there,who knows what can happen,especially with the current field.

          Reply

  160. Im happy for Nadal and his fans ,though disappointed in Thiem.The occasion was too much for him, obviously .He does have the game to play Nadal on clay,but unless he got off to a good start he was never going to beat Nadal over five.
    However, taking nothing away from the humble clay GOAT and knowledgeable fans (some not so humble) on here.

    Reply

    • Al, three things stood out to me in terms of differences between the two players. First, Thiem didn’t adjust his plan of standing close to the baseline to return, even after it was clear that it wasn’t working. Nadal is just a smarter player, and often makes adjustments mid-match that need to be made.

      Second, Thiem lacks the variety, and especially the net game, that Nadal possesses. Thiem missed a number of key volleys and/or opportunities to come in when he had built an advantage in the point. The contrast with Rafa was striking, who was pretty ruthlessly efficient when he had such opportunities.

      Third, in this match Thiem simply didn’t play the big points as well as Nadal. He was either too tentative, or when he had the chance he missed a few fairly easy putaways.

      All of that said, I think a lot hung on the first set, where Thiem played Rafa pretty even and arguably better for most of the set. Had he been able to win that set, the match might have had a different outcome, especially with the way Rafa was looking at the end of the 3rd.

      Reply

  161. Hey, give Thiem a break! First slam final against the 10 time champion? How many guys have won a match like that? (OK, JMDP USO 2010) How many times did Murray look like dogmeat in slam finals?

    Reply

    • 2009 USO. And Fed had (still has) won that tournament 5 times.

      Absolutely Thiem deserves credit for making the final. However, I’m sure he’s disappointed in how he played.

      Reply

    • You’re welcome, Mira. I’m very happy for you and other Rafa fans. You definitely want him to win much more than I want him to lose!

      Reply

      • Hahaha..Thank u once again Joe!..Yeah..very happy for him to win…And now!..ONTO GRASS!..Be ready with a big bucket Joe!…Coz i think u will receive a lot of CONGRATS from me in the next month!Hehehe…

        Reply

      • MA,

        Thanks for those articles! What a day! I am exhausted from it! Too much stress over two weeks!

        I am so glad that Rafa has stayed the same over the years. He’s still the same humble, decent, gracious human being who happens to be a master on the clay and a truly great champion for the ages!
        😍

        Reply

        • Oh My God Nny!….So so so happy!!…But,not exhausted much!..I wish Rafa will skip Wimby,so he can rest & heal..and start NA HC with fresh body,mind & spirit…

          It’s fun LIVE blogging with u Nny!…And yeah!….RAFA IS TRULY AWESOME!!!!WOOOHOOOO!!!

          Reply

      • Hehehe….Yes ma’am!!…I am very surprised how a tennis analyst/ex player himself who i’m sure can get very close with Rafa whether on court or elsewhere..and have an insight knowledge of Rafa’s tennis can give a very poor judgement about this…I mean,we fans only follow Rafa from TV or read about him through articles..but,still we all know that Thiem don’t have a chance whatsoever against Rafa…Unless something unexpected happen & thank God!it’s not serious….

        Reply

    • I watched the replay of the final on german Eurosport. Becker is a co-commenter. Normally he does a good job. But he was totally biased against Rafa and obviously wanted Thiem to win – maybe because he is a good friend of Thiem’s coach who has been his coach, too, for a short time. Becher’s comment became shorter and shorter while the match progressed. The other commenter (Matthias Stach) was full of admiration for Rafa and especially acknowledged his intelligent play and how he outfoxed Thiem.

      Reply

  164. The more times you think about it, the more ridiculous it sounds. ELEVEN TITLES each at a 500,1000 and a GS. Mind boggling consistency over a decade during perhaps one of the fiercely competitive era with two all time greats snapping at the heels.

    86 wins with just the two losses and just two five setters. Absolutely ridiculous numbers. No wonder the press/non-Rafans focus on the players who can beat him and who have beaten him since it is the only thing that can help them get clicks. Extolling his brilliance does not mean you are saying much since pretty much everything there is to say has been said.

    What an absolute privilege to be able to see the genius at work!!

    Reply

  166. Rafa should not skip grass. He may go far this year if he gets his serve working ..

    How can they change clay composition…it’s what defines them..change for whom and why…

    I don’t think the French federation or RG organizers like Guy Forget dislike Rafa…yesterday when he had the cramp the whole medical team came out..not just 1 doctor…and change for whom ? Fed? Why ? He has pulled the plug on them 3 years in a row now and he does not play Paris masters either…

    Reply

  167. Joe…you finally admitted you desperately want him to lose…it was evident in all your posts where you played up his opponents non stop. Even post match you kept saying his opponent arguably played a set better n should have won. I did not want to comment on your obvious negative bias towards Rafa till he wins . Credit to you though for always using decent language n not making any inflammatory remarks..

    Btw Jim courier did not show his face too after the win..he has been predicting Rafa losing from 4th round ..marterer beating Rafa in upset of the decade he said 🙂

    Reply

    • Sanju, it’s no secret that I usually (not always) root for Nadal’s opponents, and always on clay. I’m not sure exactly why, but fan is short for fanatic, and who we cheer for is not exactly a rational decision. Obviously that affects my analysis, as it does for anyone. I try to control for bias, but I’m sure I don’t always succeed.

      Would you criticize those who always want Fed to lose? Augusta, Lucky, and probably most Rafa fans (that is, most regular contributors) on this site fall into that category, I would think.

      About Nadal’s clay season, obviously the bottom line is that he won four tournaments including RG, and lost only one match. Nevertheless, it’s fairly clear to me that he’s not at the level he was last year. The RG final is as good a comparison as any. Last year he played the very best clay tennis I have ever seen. This year’s match was very good, but I didn’t think it was unbeatable. Yes, I thought Thiem had real chances in that first set, though I didn’t say he should have won, even won the set, certainly not the match.

      Thanks for the recognition that I try always to use decent language and not to gratuitously insult others.

      Reply

      • Yes it was clear his level was not as impeccable as last year but we need to realise he is coming off an injury and after 30..ups and downs in form are the norm. He dominated the RG tourney only in 08, 10, 17 where he did not drop a set and possibly even 2012 where only set lost was against Novak in final. Rest all his 7 victories, he has lost sets and that is natural.

        To be honest he far exceeded my expectations and given his injury layoff I certainly never expected him to stay No 1 at end of clay and win 4 titles.

        Reply

        • Sanju, I’m the opposite of you. I expected Rafa to be fresh because of the injury break and I expected a lot from Rafa on clay. Rafa didn’t disappoint even when his serve was subpar, and he’s good enough to beat anyone and everyone, losing only five sets of tennis on clay this year, not bad for a guy who’s having serving woes, and barely hitting 60% first serve in.

          Rafa need not be as good as his 2017 in order to win his clay titles and especially at the FO, because he’s simply very far ahead of the competition and even damp cloudy or hot humid conditions would not stop him. Some of his matches looked close because he let his nerve overwhelmed him at times, not that he couldn’t play great tennis,

          Reply

      • Joe Smith, it’s fine with me that you root against Rafa most of the time. It’s your privilege and we cannot be all fans of the same players, and I’m sure we have many common views and interests as far as many other subjects are concerned. Tastes simply vary. While I appreciate his phenomenal tennis, I personally cannot stand Federer for some reason. I’m bored by his style of play and I don’t care a lot for him personally. But that’s just me. Why should I dislike people who don’t share my idiosyncrasies? If anything it’s my loss, since Fed is so uber successful. I would enjoy tennis a lot more if I liked Fed 😉
        That said, I have been an ardent tennis fan a long time before Rafa arrived on the scene, and I will be a tennis fan after his retirement, although I don’t have a young player ATM whom I really like. While he is good for German tennis I cannot warm towards Zverev for some reason.
        My all time favorite was Guga Kuerten super career was tragically short but with a few brilliant highlights. And like him, I’m very glad that his career didn’t coincidence with Rafa’s, lol! Although I would really have liked to See a clay-court encounter of prime Guga with prime Rafa. I suspect that Rafa would’ve been physically too strong for Guga. But Guga had also a high level of tennis intelligence. One of my fondest memories is the 2004 FO encounter between Guga and Fed who was already a slam winner and the undisputed No 1 at the time. But Fed had no chance against an already subpar Guga. And this loss would haunt Fed until 2009, because it would have been a terrific chance for a FO title early in his career since the competition wasn’t overly daunting. This would change the very next year, when Rafa started his reign.

        Reply

        • Littlefoot, it sounds like your (and others’ here) dislike for Federer is much greater than mine for Nadal. In fact, I don’t dislike him at all, and I quite like him as a person, at least as much as I do Federer.

          There are a few things about Nadal on the court -and only on the court- that irritate me, as they do many others. First and foremost is the amount of time he takes to serve. Yes, I know he suffers from some form of OCD, but I don’t at all think his routine is completely beyond his control. It’s notable that he takes even more time on big points, and I think part of it involves a bit of gamesmanship.

          Another thing is that I simply don’t like his style of play. I have to admit this is less true now than it used to be. He is less of a grinder, more willing to go on the attack, and more willing to use his awesome net game, than he used to be. On the whole, however, I find his style a bit boring.

          Finally, and this is truly irrational, I don’t like his sneer on the court, which (to me) adds to a general feeling that he is a bit of a bully. I recently watched (for the first time) Nadal and Fed’s Laver cup doubles match. The difference in his facial expression was remarkable; he smiled, laughed, and the sneer was nowhere to be seen. To me he looked like a different person and it has made me like him more as a player. Go figure!

          Reply

          • Joe, I do not know if I really dislike Fed more than you dislike Rafa, You listed quite a few specific reasons after all why you cannot warm to him. But I already said that it is a matter of personal preferences and one cannot argue about taste.

          • I guess I find nothing to dislike, and much to like, about him as a person. He seems genuinely humble, for one, which contrasts sharply (to me) with his persona on court.

          • That’s a pretty accurate descripion of the way I view Nadal , as well,Joe. I find his physical style unappealing and on court demeanour/loud grunting is like he’s trying to rub salt .
            And Ive described him as a bully before. When his main weapons arent working, he can go to pieces mentally.

          • I also posted some positive things about Rafa, such as he’s a great guy off court, but for some reason they disappeared

          • Yes, Al, I think Nadal’s mental toughness is somewhat over-rated for the reason you mention, and I’ve occasionally wondered if some of his injuries on court have a psychological aspect to them. There’s a dual aspect to his on-court personality: either uber-confident, almost to the point of bullying, when things are going well; or sometimes very lacking in confidence when they’re not.

    • Sanju, “Jim Courier” isn’t all that knowledgeable, lol! He really thought that Cecchinato had a good chance against Thiem, and could then possibly even trouble Rafa in the final. I believe that Cecchinato had his few hours in the limelight and that we won’t see many more heroics. And he might still receive a ban for match fixing…
      That said, I agree with others that Rafa’s level was nowhere near his Last year’s level. He never seemed to be as self assured and casually relaxed as last year. These last few lengthy injury breaks have taken their toll. But we could argue that defending every single clay court point is therefore even more remarkable! He did with his experience and superior intelligence. I’m a bit worried nevertheless. He served so effortlessly well last year. What happened from Madrid onwards? Maybe, we will learn one day what troubled him.
      However, without an effortless and effektive serve I don’t see a lot of chances for the grass court season. But maybe he can regain some strength for the outdoor hardcourt season. And since he defended all his clay court points and for now leads the race to London by a fairly big margin, he should be much more relaxed for the rest of the season. And from now in Der and Zverev have to defend a few points, too.
      I was a bit alarmed by a casual throughaway sentence during an Eurosport Interview. Rafa said that he will decide with his team IF HE WILL COME BACK NEXT YEAR TO PARIS! I thought at first that I had misunderstood – but that’s what he said. Now, If Rafa is healthy I don’t doubt that he will be ready to defend his title and get a Shot at the Duodecima. Rafa will be playing as long as his body allows him to play on a high level. I interpreted this sentence as a tacit admission that not everything was totally fine and dandy during this year’s FO.
      I’m not trying to spread doom and gloom after Rafa’s remarkable achievement. If anything, we should celebrate and appreciate him even more – exactly because things might’ve been more difficult than we were aware of.

      Reply

      • littlefoot says AT 11:59 AM: “I was a bit alarmed by a casual throughaway sentence during an Eurosport Interview. Rafa said that he will decide with his team IF HE WILL COME BACK NEXT YEAR TO PARIS! I thought at first that I had misunderstood – but that’s what he said.”
        ===

        Hmm. It’s difficult to believe that Rafa said this before seeing evidence (video/transcript ).
        .
        At his post-final press conference, Rafa was asked a question about his plans for the GRASS season and he answered that he would speak with his team & make a decision in the next couple of days.

        Question: “…can you tell us how you think you will be going into the grass court season and when you think you will first hit on grass?”
        RAFAEL NADAL: “Difficult for me to think about it now. I had long and mentally tough clay court season, of course, because I played almost all the matches possible after coming from an injury. So was a demanding two months for me.
        …I have to come back to speak with my team. Of course decide what’s better for my body. No, that’s the main thing always.
        I would love to be playing in as many places as possible, but you understand I need to check how I feel in the next couple of days. Of course is a drastic change from clay to grass. And I did it in the past when I was much younger, quicker, because I played back to back.
        But it’s time to check how I feel in the next couple of days.”

        https://youtu.be/VNEASMHdpwc

        And question about playing at RG next year:
        Question: “…You [Rafa] think you’re coming back next year and doing it again and again and again?”
        RAFAEL NADAL: “…I am just trying to keep enjoying, and I gonna keep playing until my body resist, and my happiness still high playing tennis…”

        Reply

        • This article written by Rafael Plaza (a trusted journalist who regularly writes articles about Rafa & his team) is based on Rafa’s interview he gave to three Spanish publications on Monday morning:

          https://www.elespanol.com/deportes/tenis/20180611/rafael-nadal-nunca-pretendido-gustarle-mundo/314219253_0.html

          There is no word in the article that Rafa “will decide with his team if he will come back next year to Paris.”

          An excerpt about playing at RG (Via Google Translate):

          Question: “Aren’t you feeling the pressure to win whenever you come to Paris?”
          Rafa: “I am 32 years old and the next time I come to play in Paris I will be 33. You can not take for granted absolutely anything at any time of your life, but less when you are of an advanced age. Honestly, I’m not afraid of that.…”

          Reply

          • Augusta, you can choose to believe or not to believe me. But I heard himself say this loud and clear. There was no way to misinterpret this.
            We simply have to was and see. For me it is an indication that not everything might’ve been well during this year’s FO.

          • Augusta, I’m not just having this conversation with you. You can believe or not believe me. It’s up to you. I heard what I heard.
            Like Mira Andi I want to share information with everybody here. It was a short live interview in English on German Eurosport with one of their reporters. I highly doubt that someone put it up on YouTube. But the Metro article seems to corroborate the statement.
            That said, I wouldn’t overinterpret Rafa’s statement. It was made shortly after the match. The idea to defend the title for the umpteen’s time might’ve seemed daunting, considering all his past injuries and sacrifices. He was also very evasive as far as the grass season is concerned.

          • littlefoot says AT 4:32 PM: “I want to share information with everybody here.”

            ===
            That’s exactly what I want to read: facts (& sources).

          • Augusta my darling!..u can’t keep doing this to us u know!…u can’t keep harrassing us with unnecessary little things just bcoz u’ve got head ache when u read the so called imaginary stories!

            It was like someone gave u a…a..a burger…and u keep harassing them by asking..”Hey!this burger is handmade or footmade?If it’s footmade,i don’t want to eat!”….How the hell we know that burger is handmade @ footmade!..We have to try it first before we know the truth augusta!..If it’s feel like sandy @ dusty,then it is made by foot…if it’s taste delicious..then voila!…it is made by hand!…There!…And please..stop harassing littlefoot will u?He rarely come here as it is…and i love reading his post too!

          • Mira Andi, thanks, you are sooo funny, and you understand to make things sound less harsh.
            In the end it’s not so important. We discussed what we heard and read, and we will have to wait and see what happens. That’s it☺

          • littlefoot says AT 4:32 PM: “It was a short live interview in English on German Eurosport with one of their reporters.”
            ===

            Hmm. One British publication writes that Rafa said this when he met the Mayor of Paris on Monday.
            I doubt that German Eurosport showed it.

          • Augusta, could you please stop this?? This is getting ridiculous. Are you aware that you basically accuse me of making this up? Rafa may have said the same thing on more than one occasion, you know! Which would make it even more interesting…
            But as I said: you are free to reject and ignore this tidbit. I’m not having this conversation just with you. And I’m finished with this discussion now. You would probably want a signed statement if I had this info from a private conversation with Rafa 😉

          • Mira Andi says AT 7:17 PM: “u can’t keep harrassing us with unnecessary little things”
            ===
            Hmm. I have no idea who are these “we” and what your personal problem is.

            I prefer facts over fiction, that’s all.

          • Augusta, as I said, let’s stop this. It’s not even worth getting into this too deeply. But if you want to verify this, you could ask the Mayor of Paris, lol!

          • I don’t know augusta…It’s there..and i just wanna share that piece of news with Rafans here…Whether it’s true or not…like littlefoot says…we have to wait & see k?

    • Trolls like Jim Courier are not here to talk tennis or enjoy discussions with other forum members. If someone has to trash a player and his fans relentlessly, then they obviously don’t have much of a life. Happy people who are fulfilled don’t waste their time with that kind of toxic negativity.

      Trolls are also cowards. When they are shown up to be wrong, then they disappear. Rafa winning his 11th title in RG and making more history, made this vicious troll go away. That is a good thing!

      Reply

      • Sanju, it is! The news are out that they would change the surface. Apparently players have been complaining about the clay and the roof is just exuse to change the clay composition and to reduce the size of the PC.

        Even though it just the rumors somehow I am convinced it will be proven true…

        Reply

        • They have always changed the clay composition from time to time. But I also fear that they will change the dimensions and reduce the space behind the baseline which made Chatrier so comfortable for Rafa…
          I highly doubt that the French will replicate everything as it was – and even if they celebrated him this year and Last year, too, I’m sure they are really longing for a new champion after all these years of Rafa-dominance.

          Reply

          • Augusta, not everything you dislike has to be necessarily imaginary!
            But, yes, we have been speculating. What will or will not happen eventually – we don’t know.

  169. What caught my attention was when Rafa spoke to the crowd at the trophy ceremony. It’s on my recording. At the end he said – I hope to be back next year. That made me a little concerned because he would usually say – see you next year.

    We don’t know what is going on in Rafa’s mind right now. I think they s year was very hard for him, coming back from another injury. He was amazing in coming back from a few months off and managing to duplicate what he did last year. But we don’t know the cost of doing this again.

    Rsfa has nothing left to prove. I want him to keep playing and winning slams, but it is about how much more his body can take. We will have to wait and see what happens

    Reply

    • NNY, I agree with your observations.
      To me something in Rafa’s behavior felt differently this year.
      But I guess, that eventual decisions will be made based on the development within the next year. Rafa has arrived at a point where nothing can be taken for granted.

      Reply

      • littlefoot,

        I have no problem with you sharing what you heard on an interview. We are free to share information here about Rafa. I posted above about what Rafa said after the match during the trophy ceremony. I am not trying to read too much into it. We don’t know what will happen. But Rafa can’t play forever. This latest injury caused him to miss two Masters tournaments back-to-back. That has not happened since much earlier in his career. Injuries are more difficult to deal with as you get older in this sport. Rafa is the one who has to go through the pain, the rehab and hard work to come back. So he gets to decide when enough is enough.

        It’s a year away. We don’t have to worry about it now. I do think something felt different this year. That’s why I was so stressed. I wanted him to win because I did not know how many more times he could do it.

        I agree with you that nothing can be taken for granted with Rafa now. We have been so blessed to see him get back to #1 again sbd win three more slams. We should enjoy it an later be grateful for as long as we have him in the sport.

        I also hope Rafa fans don’t get on each other over this. It’s been wonderful sharing this latest win with other Rafa fans. Let’s just stay in the moment and be happy about it!

        Reply

        • NNY and other Rafafans, you know what I also enjoyed about Rafa’s latest triumph? That he went into the FO as the No 1 ranked player and that he was therefore able to lift the trophy as the No 1 in the world. It may be a small detail in the grand scheme of tennis history. But it was somehow symbolic. I really hope his body will allow him a few more years of successful tennis. But if this would’ve been bis last match ever, it would also be fine with me. I wish that Rafa can leave tennis eventually on such a high note.

          Reply

    • We also don’t know Rafa’s private situation. His girlfriend might’ve something to say about future developments as well. Novak, Roger and Andy all have kids already. We simply don’t know about Rafa’s private plans – which is ok. I like how he keeps private things private. But his private live exists nevertheless and most certainly will influence his career decisions to a certain extent.

      Reply

  170. littlefoot,

    I remember when Rafa was in his slump and struggling with injuries. I thought to myself – I don’t want it to end like this. Not on a low note. I was so afraid that he would just call it a career.

    You talked about it ending on a high note. I hope it goes that way. I also agree that it’s fitting for Rafa to win his 11th RG and also be the number one player in the world. It makes it even more special. Rafa is at the top of this sport and it is richly deserved.

    I very much hope that Rafa will have a few more years if tennis in him. But I am mindful of the passage of time. I believe that Rafa will know when it’s time. For now I am just along for this unbelievable ride. It’s been something special.

    Reply

  171. Rafa’s said it many times. He’ll retire when playing and competing no longer makes him happy. He doesn’t know when that will be. Rafa does not play for money or slams or ranking points, great as these things are. He plays for “happiness” and if winning an Olympics medal in doubles makes him happy he’ll do it and rejoice. But Rafa also knows that real happiness is with friends and family. Toni once said, during the time that Rafa’s parents were separated “Rafa would give back all the titles to have his family back.”

    Reply

  172. I will say this for Nadal: he is a young (to me) man who has his priorities straight. By that I mean that he seems to understand the proper place of tennis in his life. It is obviously important but not more important that his health or his family. The signs suggest that one or both of the latter may mean that he won’t keep playing for too much longer.

    Even though I’m not a fan, I don’t want Nadal to retire when he’s still this good. I’d like to see him play for a few more years, even though I don’t think he will. And I certainly like to see some more Fedal matches, and one at RG above all. Maybe with the reduced court size Fed would have a better chance.

    Reply

  173. You’ve made a lot of predictions, Joe. Now I’ll make one. Federer will never play Roland Garros (or any of the Euro clay court tournaments) again. It may have something to do with him feeling he just can’t win there but I think it has more to do with him needing rest going into Wimbledon. He’s marvelous for his age but he’s not getting any younger and tennis is not getting any easier.

    Reply

    • Yes, I think you’re probably right, Ramara. I really thought he would play this year, based on some of the things he said and a calendar year slam being in play. But he seems to have made the judgment that it’s too hard on his body, so each year makes it less and less likely. The possible exception is if he decides, at the beginning of a given year, that this is his last; maybe then he’ll play a farewell tournament.

      Reply

      • Calendar slam in play for Fed?? Ha ha!

        If he couldn’t do it during his peak or prime, he’s not going to do it now, Joe! The closest person to do it was Djoko and he was much younger than Fed is now, and yet he failed.

        Reply

        • Well, after the AO he was the only male player for whom it was even a theoretical possibility in 2018; that’s all I meant.

          Reply

  174. Hey did Rafa just win RG . Going by mood of this thread past 3 days, seems like he did not ..everyone is discussing if he will play next year etc. We Rafa fans are habituated to keep worrying looks like. And Fed fans still nurse hope of Fed beating Rafa at RG with reduced court size and all external help 🙂

    Novak also said 7 days back if he will play grass or not is a question, he is back to taking wild card for Queens and playing..Fed also said in his AO 17 speech that hope to see you next year and kept urging Rafa to keep playing.. it was construed that he is hanging his racquet last year..never happened.. Time will tell when Rafa will stop.if he said I am not sure about grass and I will check with my team or hope to see you next year etc..he also said I hope to keep fighting to reach 20 though its not on my mind..Toni himself said Rafa can win more RG…so there are statements reflecting the other side too..lets see how it plays out..JUst chill for now 🙂

    Reply

    • The tension and stress last 2 weeks wasnt less (I personally was )..so no stress now till the next slam which is good 2 weeks away 🙂

      Reply

    • Sanju, the somewhat gloomy or rather contemplative mood was created by a few sentences which were said by Rafa after winning the trophy. To me he also seemed to be more thoroughly physically and mentally exhausted than exuberant after he had completed the truly herculean feat of defending every single one of his many clay court points. But I agree with you that we shouldn’t overinterpret what he said. The prospect of being expected to go on a “Mission Impossible” or rather “Mission Duodecima” all over again next year may have seemed too daunting right after winning the 11th RG title, and he might not have been in the mood to promise anything. But the outlook may well be completely different after a short rest and when he found time to thoroughly enjoy the successful outcome of “Mission Undecima”. I expect him to come back to Paris next year – if his body is up to the task.
      I don’t understand, though, why some still believe Rafa is able to be a serious contender at Wimby. He may well advance further than in the last years if he gets a decent draw. But while reaching the second week is certainly not out of the question, there will simply be too many opponents in the latter rounds who are far better equipped for grass court tennis than Rafa is right now. Sadly he isn’t the splendid grass court player anymore who reached five finals and won two titles, one of them by winning the “best tennis match ever played”. Nobody can take that slice of grass court glory away from him! But his current serving woes – which are still a bit of a mystery to me, since he served so well before it dropped off sharply after his Madrid exit – don’t bode well for Wimby. It’s a testament to his prowess and intelligence that he nevertheless won Rome and Wimby while dropping only four sets! I don’t have high expectations for Wimby, although I don’t exclude that I will be pleasantly surprised. From a fan perspective this mindset will turn Wimby into a far more relaxing experience than the whole claycourt season 😉
      As to the idea that Roger will ever be a serious contender on clay and for the RG title – you got to be kidding! That train has left the station a while ago. Clay is a very demanding surface where you need a lot of body balance and added energy for managing the sliding and the longer rallyes. Even Fed cannot just waltz in after a complete clay hiatus of two or more years and expect that his GOATness will carry him into the latter rounds. To be fair – Roger himself never said anything like this. The speculations concerning a possible calendar slam this year came from some seriously deluded journos like Jon Wertheim who believed that a subpar or injured Rafa could mean Roger had a decent chance to win another RG trophy. That idea is silly insofar as it was based on the idea that only Rafa might stand between Roger and another FO title. But this is disrespectful towards all the other players who are now able to hurt Roger on clay. The times when Fed was the second best clay courter are long gone. I only expect him to be back in Paris when he embarks on a farewell tour before retiring.

      Reply

      • Correction: I wanted to say:”….It’s testament to his prowess and intelligence that he nevertheless won Rome and RG while dropping only four sets”.

        Reply

      • Littlefoot, I have to disagree with you that a healthy Federer couldn’t contend for the RG title, even now. The main reason he doesn’t play it, imo, is combination of the fear of injury and tiring himself out for grass, where his chances are obviously better. He hasn’t played for a long time, of course, but his last two outings weren’t bad. Lost in 2015 QF to Wawrinka, who imo played even better in that match than he did against Novak in the final. And Fed lost in 2014 to a talented Gulbis who played the match of his life. Since Fed is playing better now than he was in 2014-15, I don’t see why he wouldn’t be one of a handful of contenders behind Rafa at RG.

        Reply

        • We have to agree to disagree on this, Joe. I think the idea that Fed could be a serious contender for the RG title at his age and after the long clay abstinence, is as delusional as the idea that Rafa can win another Wimby trophy, lol! Both are still able to cause some damage at those tournaments – but winning the title? Nope! The last quarterfinal of Fed at RG will be four years ago in 2019! And Fed knows it. Otherwise he would’ve played. Since this year Rafa and Fed were No 1 and No 2, they could’ve met only in the final. If Fed had felt like a serious contender for the latter rounds he would’ve played, since there was always the small chance that someone would take out Rafa before the final, and he wouldn’t have to play him. But Roger had made his decision to skip the clay courts even before it became clear that Rafa’s clay court prowess wasnt compromised after all. Fed must’ve felt that the gain would be too small compared to the risk of exhaustion and injury. I think he is right and is doing exactly the right thing. he manages his schedule really well.

          Reply

          • Well, I agree about the assessment of risk of injury. And he would almost certainly be compromised for grass even if he didn’t get injured. But I don’t see what the long absence from clay would have to do with it. Obviously he’d have to play a warm-up, and he would have practiced on clay beforehand. The main concern would be injury, not forgetting how to play on clay.

            I don’t think you can compare Fed’s late career record at RG to Nadal’s at wimby. Even in his worst year, quality-wise (2013) Fed managed to make the QF, losing to Tsonga. And that was when Fed was almost the same age as Nadal is now.

            Compare that to the players Nadal has lost to at wimby since 2012 (when he was 26): Rosol, Brown, Darcis (all R1 or R2), then Kygrios and Muller in R4.

            Had Fed committed to play RG this year *and* been able to avoid injury, I think his objective chances of winning would have been much higher than Nadal’s will be if he plays wimby in a few weeks.

          • Yes, but Rafa is (probably) not yet at the age where he needs to skip tournaments because he feels he can’t win them. He’ll play at Wimbledon, if fit, because he LOVES playing there. He may well skip Queens again, as he has the past few years. Not because he can’t or won’t win there but because he needs the extra rest. Winning 4 out of 5 tournaments is a tremendous strain.

        • Joe..Fed who has not played on clay for 3 years..has last won RG in 2009 benefiting from a Rafa upset..reached a RG final last in 2011 is a contender for RG but Rafa cannot win any non clay slam as per you? How biased are you? Cmon please be more objective and fair and dont wear Fed rose tinted glasses always..

          It is even surprising that Fed is always considered more favourable to win USO when he last won there in 2008 ..He reached just finals twice in 2009 and 2015 post that…Rafa won thrice after 2008 and reached a final too 2011..yet he cannot win a non clay slam..

          The bias is just so shocking…

          Reply

          • I wouldn’t say that Nadal is not a contender at any non-clay slam. He might win one; I just don’t think he will. Nor do I think Federer will win RG again, but he would have been a contender if he had played in 2017-18. Going forward, I would rate Fed’s hypothetical chances at RG higher than Nadal’s chances at Wimby, but lower than his chances at AO or USO. I don’t think there’s any bias there.

            Regarding USO, consider that Fed lost three matches he easily could have won, in 2009-2011, and lost to the eventual champ in 2014-15. 2013 and probably last year he was injured; every other year he’s been in the mix.

            At present, Fed is still a slightly higher favourite than Nadal at USO, imo (and according to oddsmakers).

      • littlefoot says AT 8:33 AM: “I don’t understand, though, why some still believe Rafa is able to be a serious contender at Wimby.”

        ===

        Because ‘some’ are his loyal fans.

        Reply

  175. Why are so many people confident that Fed is a lock for Wimby? I am not able to understand..Fed is far less a lock for Wimby that Rafa is at RG…

    Personally I hope Rafa goes far this year in Wimby..he is rested as he barely played first 3 months..clay though he won 4 ..no long gruelling matches though mentally he maybe fried with all the pressure…

    Frankly I am not bothered if Rafa wins another RG..he has won enough there..I want a non clay slam and though I would love Rafa to cross 20..I personally see probability of him doing that as less given his injury concerns and style of play..I would personally be very happy with 18..I think he has gone far ahead of Novak now and NOvak winning 5 more to touch Rafa looks daunting..

    Though one can never say anything..When Rafa won 14th in 2014 ..everyone said touching Feds 17 was certain..we all know what happened later with Rafa..when Novak won 12th in 2016 and was dominating..everyone said crossing Rafa was a certainty and there were talks of touching Fed..we all know what happened with Novak then..so things can change very fast in tennis..nothing can be taken forgranted and no one is a lock for any title (even Rafa wasnt for RG , there can only be favs..no locks)

    Reply

    • Wise words, Sanju. Hard to predict the future, and many have been wrong in the recent past regarding these guys.

      Reply

  176. Rafas new potent BH can cause serious damage on grass…has anyone thought about that? Hope he just fixes his serve though as it will be a liability on grass

    Reply

    • I like your optimism about wimby, and I totally agree that best for Nadal’s legacy would be to win some more non-clay slams. I think Wimbledon is the least likely place, though. Apart from the serve, which you mention, his movement just isn’t that good on grass any more. I agree with you, however, that Fed is no lock for Wimby, certainly not now when he’s yet to have played a grass court match. Let’s see what his form is over the next few weeks.

      Reply

      • Joe, I agree with that assessment. i don’t think at all that Fed is a lock for Wimby. And if I had a choice as a fan, I would prefer that Rafa wins some more non-clay slams rather than additional RG titles. His clay legacy hasn’t feet of clay at all but is set in durable stone, no matter what. I also believe that an additional non-clay slam – if it will materialize – won’t happen at Wimby. The US Open are the most likely option.

        Reply

  177. Rafa’s 11 titles out of 13 and only 2 lost matches in RG speak for themselves, no-one is as dominant in any given tournament but Fed is nearly as dominant in Wimby.
    If he can’t be considered a lock is because an upset is more likely to happen on grass, where the game quicker and much more reliant on a potent and accurate serve.
    But, he’s almost a lock – much more likely to win Wimby than anybody else, Rafa included

    Reply

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