Not sure how you don't have any frustrations after seeing Nadal choke away match after match. Or any frustrations on Rafa's reluctance to make even a minimal amount of change to his game. Coaching? No. Strategy? No. Technique? No.
These are the qualities of cowards, not champions.
Every time its the same ****ing ****. Hitting balls that don't even reach the service line. Has no pace or percentage on his serve. Hard work isin't the answer. Meaningful hard work and openmindedness is the answer.
If it was as simple as just changing, he would have done it two years ago. He's not stupid. You don't do what he's done being stupid.
This is how he has always known to play tennis. If he were to actually change, he would probably do even worse. Potentially a lot worse.
He doesn't choke, and he has plenty of strategy, coaching, and technique. His strategy, coaching, and technique have won him 14 slams and made him one of the greatest players ever. But he can't be expected to sustain the physicality forever - his body is failing him more now than before. His speed and reaction times have slowed, and that makes all the difference, especially to a player like Nadal who has always relied on these things more than most.
He's Nadal. You can trust that he's trying his best every moment he is playing. You can tell that just by watching and listening to him. Nothing's changed there.
But, physically, he's just old now, like Federer. Both of them still have everything in their head that they once did (except confidence) and they're probably even wiser than they once were, but the reality is that they're not 24 any more.
It must be really hard for Rafa to come to terms with this "new normal" for him - and I think accusing him of being cowardly or blaming him for his own decline is rather unfair TBH.
It isn't his fault, and he could really use the support of his fans right now I think.
Federer is losing early all the time these days too, but he's still Federer. I'm not about to walk away from him just because his winning days are past.
I don't care if they lose in the first round. They'll always be like this to me.
/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46956704/408_Anderson_Silva.0.0.jpg)
