Predict Rafael Nadal 2023 Clay Season.

Nadal_King

Hall of Fame
So clay is almost upon us and assuming king returns at Monte Carlo and plays full schedule (I know this is asking too much for a 37 yr old Nadal), what are your predictions.
I predict the following
Mc- Qf
Barcelona- Final
Madrid- Sf
Rome- Win
Rg- Win
 
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DSH

Talk Tennis Guru
He will fulfill Manolo Santana's prophecy and win his fifteenth Cup of the Musketeers.
:alien:
 

_phantom

Hall of Fame
So clay is almost upon us and assuming king returns at Monte Carlo and plays full schedule (I know this is asking too much for a 37 yr old Nadal), what are your predictions.
I predict the following
Mc- Qf
Barcelona- Final
Madrid- Sf
Rome- Win
Rg- Win

That's 19 matches before RG. Very unlikely. I believe 12-15 is the target.

SF-F-skip-SF-Win
 

CoolCoolCool

Hall of Fame
midnight-staley-pain.gif
 

TripleATeam

G.O.A.T.
MC - QF (rust)
Barcelona - SF (rust + a good player)
Madrid - W
Rome - F
RG - QF (I feel he'll either go out in QF/SF or win. I think he ends up in Novak/Alcaraz's quarter through luck of the draw and loses the battle there.)
 

DSH

Talk Tennis Guru
MC - QF (rust)
Barcelona - SF (rust + a good player)
Madrid - W
Rome - F
RG - QF (I feel he'll either go out in QF/SF or win. I think he ends up in Novak/Alcaraz's quarter through luck of the draw and loses the battle there.)
Keep dreaming that neither Joker nor wonder boy will be able to stop Bull from winning his fifteenth Musketeers Cup.
:D
 

Phenomenal

Professional
MC - QF (rust)
Barcelona - SF (rust + a good player)
Madrid - W
Rome - F
RG - QF (I feel he'll either go out in QF/SF or win. I think he ends up in Novak/Alcaraz's quarter through luck of the draw and loses the battle there.)
Very uncharacteristic for Nadal to win Madrid then to lose early at RG.
 

Phenomenal

Professional
I really hope he only plays MC, Rome and RG. The rest are not worth his time and energy at this age.
Unless extraordinary happens Nadal won't miss Barcelona. Agree about Madrid but we all know that he will probably play. Also Madrid has a luck that it is not a week after Barcelona. There is gap.
He needs match play aswell this year.
 

TripleATeam

G.O.A.T.
Very uncharacteristic for Nadal to win Madrid then to lose early at RG.
You're not wrong. It's uncharacteristic for Nadal to lose during clay season in any particular event.

I wouldn't exactly call QF/SF early necessarily, but I guess it is for Nadal at RG. Frankly, I didn't want to go the route of a typical prediction for Nadal (predict him winning 1 clay event before winning RG) and I guess right now Nadal's form isn't super visible. We'll see more when clay season rolls around, but 2023's start of the year has been Nadal's weakest since... well, ever.

Of course, Nadal is Nadal and I wouldn't be surprised by a victory for him at RG at all, but I don't think it's as sure as many seem to think. Though I do think he'll win a Masters just to show people he's still got it. Last year he did still win it all despite not winning any Masters, but he entered his first 5 setter in a long time and had a couple tougher matches, plus he still had the shine of winning on him from his AO victory. This year he won't have that. And while he's still Nadal at RG, he'll still be viewed as vulnerable unless he can show the tour why they truly have no chance.

Plus I just kinda like the idea of Nadal winning Madrid again for once instead of MC or Rome.
 
MC - loses in last 16
Barcelona - loses in semi finals
Madrid - Loses in semi finals
Rome - W
RG - loses in semi or final to either Alcaraz/Djokovic
 
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Phenomenal

Professional
You're not wrong. It's uncharacteristic for Nadal to lose during clay season in any particular event.

I wouldn't exactly call QF/SF early necessarily, but I guess it is for Nadal at RG. Frankly, I didn't want to go the route of a typical prediction for Nadal (predict him winning 1 clay event before winning RG) and I guess right now Nadal's form isn't super visible. We'll see more when clay season rolls around, but 2023's start of the year has been Nadal's weakest since... well, ever.

Of course, Nadal is Nadal and I wouldn't be surprised by a victory for him at RG at all, but I don't think it's as sure as many seem to think. Though I do think he'll win a Masters just to show people he's still got it. Last year he did still win it all despite not winning any Masters, but he entered his first 5 setter in a long time and had a couple tougher matches, plus he still had the shine of winning on him from his AO victory. This year he won't have that. And while he's still Nadal at RG, he'll still be viewed as vulnerable unless he can show the tour why they truly have no chance.

Plus I just kinda like the idea of Nadal winning Madrid again for once instead of MC or Rome.
Ok, i don't think RG is guarantee at all. I just said Madrid is not easy for him. He maybe needs to be in top shape to win Madrid. Only difficult clay event for him. Ex years he won: 2010 2013 2014 2017. Madrid has no indicator to his clay form but when he wins it is mostly in his best years. Unlike many i think he will have a great clay season could be similiar to 2021 but i hope it doesn't end up like that:)
 

Biotic

Hall of Fame
This year will mark the jubilee of the weakest clay era ever.

20 years and still going strong.
 

jl809

Hall of Fame
This year will mark the jubilee of the weakest clay era ever.

20 years and still going strong.
This is an odd diss of your own fave, you’re saying Coria, Federer and… Novak Djokovic… are weaker competition than Bruguera, Courier and Guga??? Leaving out the 14 time champion 112-3 W/L guy from the current era ofc
 

Martin J

Hall of Fame
This is very hard to predict as he's been horrible since Wimbledon, never happened to him before to have a losing streak that long. He may win another RG this year or retire in a near future if his body betrays him completely, won't be surprised by any of these scenarios.
 

MichaelNadal

Bionic Poster
This is very hard to predict as he's been horrible since Wimbledon, never happened to him before to have a losing streak that long. He may win another RG this year or retire in a near future if his body betrays him completely, won't be surprised by any of these scenarios.

But what do you WANT to happen? :unsure:
 
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