Rafael Nadal

A page and forum to discuss all things Rafael Nadal.

Nadal 5

Current ranking: 14

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

Next tournament: Roland Garros

44 Comments on Rafael Nadal

  2. Well I just hope that nobody is comparing believing in Rafa’s determination with believing that Rafa will win another slam. Don’t you? Or do you.

    I don’t think that anybody, even holiday-laden fedfan, would doubt Rafa’s determination.

    Said Guga, who believes in Rafa’s other-worldly determination:

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

    “His obstacle is Djokovic and he has to beat him in the Slam tournaments, where Nole is the favorite”.

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

    Reply

  3. Guga Kuerten: “In 2013 I didn’t think he [Rafa] could comeback the way he did (!)…”
    Yep, Rafa has got to have hope because, according to Guga, ‘the guy is from another planet’ ! ?

    Google translation of the original:
    ¤¤ Guga: “…he is an extraordinary guy. I did not expect him to get to the world’s best in 2013, and he was. So you have to leave this asterisk as a vantage point, the guy is from another planet…” ¤¤
    http://tenisnews.band.uol.com.br/71121/guga-sobre-nadal-pouquissimo-provavel-que-volte-a-ganhar-outro-slam

    Reply

  9. The Twilight of Nadal

    “Tennis players are always alone. When age and wear catch up to them, when they lose a step or a few miles per hour on their serves and forehands, and then the confidence that their speed and strength had engendered, they are isolated for scrutiny. They, of course, understand what’s going on, and try to feign or adjust, though body language and facial expressions have a way of revealing the true state of things: not the decline itself but the disappointment and, sometimes, an angry disbelief that what once was is somehow no more. Their opponents sense it, and pounce. We fans see all this, and find ourselves fidgeting before our TVs—it’s so subtly excruciating—and taking longer strolls during the commercials that come with those crossovers after every other game.”

    http://www.newyorker.com/news/sporting-scene/the-twilight-of-nadal

    Reply

  11. Rafa inspires Tommy Hilfiger.
    The Fashionisto, March 7, 2016: ¤¤ RAFAEL NADAL INSPIRES TOMMY HILFIGER’S PERFORMANCE SUITING.
    After starring in underwear and fragrance campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger, tennis player Rafael Nadal reunites with the label for an exclusive collection. Inspired by Nadal’s pursuit of a sharp suit that offers movement and comfort, Tommy Hilfiger unveils its THFLEX Rafael Nadal Edition capsule collection.
    Tommy Hilfiger shares, “Last year we launched our partnership with Rafael Nadal with an amazing underwear and fragrance advertising campaign and incredible pop-up tennis event in New York City.”
    Discussing the next level of their collaboration, the designer explains, “This season, we’re continuing to innovate our Tommy Hilfiger Tailored collection with the THFLEX Rafael Nadal Edition capsule collection. Inspired by Rafa himself, the designs combine our signature sartorial aesthetic with performance fabrics – it’s all about modern movement with precision fit and functionality.”… ¤¤
    Read more:
    http://www.thefashionisto.com/rafael-nadal-2016-tommy-hilfiger-suiting/

    Reply

  12. In the article linked below, Xavi Segura, a Spanish stringer, explains why Rafa has switched back to the Babolat RPM Blast strings: Rafa gained more power but he had less control over the racket with Luxilon’s strings.

    http://www.tennistopic.com/philippe-chatrier/zona-segura/nadal-vuelve-su-zona-de-seguridad/
    Rafa had used the Babolat RPM Blast 135 strings for five years before he switched to Luxilon’s strings at the beginning of December 2015. He switched back to the Babolat strings after the Rio tournament.

    Xavi Segura has been the official racket stringer for Spain’s Davis Cup team since 2000. He is also stringing rackets at major tennis events. Currently, he is in Indian Wells.

    Reply

    • vamosrafa,

      Interesting to read your thoughts on the change in racket strings. I hope that Rafa and his team can get this right so that he will have one less thing to worry about.

      Reply

  15. Rafa is such a gas!Here is his Tweet referencing an article by Uncle T:

    @RafaelNadal: “My uncle, the philosopher 😉 bit.ly/1U3FMTt”

    https://www.thetennisbase.com/?enlace=blog&bg=4&post=Toni-Nadal-the-future-of-tennis

    Toni Nadal:The future of tennis
    I’ll start with a quote from Mario Vargas Llosa’s essay “The civilization of the spectacle”:

    “Today, sport has acquired an importance that in the past it possessed only in Ancient Greece. For Plato, Socrates, Aristotle and other frequenters of the Academy, the cultivation of the body was simultaneous and complementary to the cultivation of the spirit. It was believed that both are mutually enriched. The difference with our time is that now, generally, the practice of sports is made at the expense of, and instead of, intellectual work “.

    In the past, when we watched players like IlieNastase, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe and Björn Borg we didn’t just appreciate their different styles, but we marveled at the way they could improvise and produce strategies to defeat each one of their opponents. They prepared each and every point and resolved them in their own way. We admired their talent as tennis players, but we loved their intelligent approach to the game as well.

    Today, though, certain developments in the world of tennis are a cause for concern. A few days ago I read that at the recent Australian Open, more than seventy per cent of the points did not last longer than four shots. The statistics are similar at last year’s US Open. These figures may not surprise us, but the people who love this sport have reason to be worried.

    There have been no changes in the rules of tennis since it first became a professional sport, even though today’s players are far bigger and more powerful than their predecessors. Not to mention their rackets which have become high technology weapons made out of extralight, lethal materials.

    We all know that other sports like Formula 1, football and basketball have introduced changes in order to make the races or the games more entertaining.

    I think I can predict where the future of tennis is heading, and I’m afraid I don’t like what I see. If nothing is done, we will soon be witness to the almost total domination of speed and power to the detriment of skills and tactics. Tennis will just become a matter of brute force, rather than a sport in which players need to work on improving their skills, reflect on the game, and apply intelligent strategies.

    If the trend continues, those of us who are involved in the game will have to adapt: we’ll have to leave our principles to one side and pursue a new kind of training that ignores reflection and leads to what the wise men of Greece rejected centuries ago: the separation of sport from the cultivation of the spirit.

    Toni Nadal

    Honestly, how does Toni worm Mario Vargas Llosa, Plato, Socrates, Aristotle into a tennis blog? Do they check coaches for meldonium?

    Reply

    • What is Toni even saying? Of the previous players Toni named, most ended points within 4 shots given that they were S&Vers. Even Borg didn’t take forever on surfaces other than clay. Does Toni have a mental disorder no one knows about?

      Reply

    • ed is wise!
      The 20 sec rule was introduced because of McEnroe and it should have been scrapped because of Rafa. Rafa needs the time before he serves to think and strategize. Those who play almost entirely on instinct do not need time. But the guy who thinks on court does. By forcing Rafa to abandon strategy, a great disservice has been done to tennis. As Toni rightly suspects tennis is being reduced to a brute sport. Maybe we should just have robots playing it.

      Reply

  19. I’ve just read on marca.com that an ex French health & sport minister, Roselyne Bachelot, has accused Rafa of doping in 2012, she claims that “they” know he was out for 7 months claiming a fake injury…

    Reply

  20. @Shireling
    I was just about to jump in and say I detect the hand of Yannick Noah at work and found Nadline was ahead of me on that one. Now YN is back in the tennis world I guessed it was only a matter of time before he used his status as their DC captain to renew his vendetta to besmirch all Spanish sportsmen but in particular he singles out Rafa whose crime is to have hoisted the RG cup on nine occasions. I just hope he doesn’t provoke hostility towards Rafa at the upcoming Slam.

    Reply

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