Rafa and pros in their teens

[citybert]

Does anyone know how Rafa was so successful during his early years. He seemed to easily win and go deep in many challengers and qualified for atp tourneys early at 16. Rafa didn't have many weapons at that age(and some will say he still has none - was it really just all the mental toughness as they say? Yes, realize most were clay, but still most of the guys don't break through as early these days, like Sampras, agassi and Chang all did in their teens. Closest I can remember is i think Nishikori made R16(USO) and won a 250(delray) at 19 yrs old. But he hasn't gone anywhere lately aside from the Nole win last year.

Seems like the game has really changed now.

Roger also did very well going to R32 and R16 in the slams at around 19/20 but you don't see the young ones come up like they did back then, maybe Luke Saville can prove me wrong when he has a full schedule next year.

[Sabratha]

Originally Posted by citybert

Does anyone know how Rafa was so successful during his early years. He seemed to easily win and go deep in many challengers and qualified for atp tourneys early at 16. Rafa didn't have many weapons at that age(and some will say he still has none - was it really just all the mental toughness as they say? Yes, realize most were clay, but still most of the guys don't break through as early these days, like Sampras, agassi and Chang all did in their teens. Closest I can remember is i think Nishikori made R16(USO) and won a 250(delray) at 19 yrs old. But he hasn't gone anywhere lately aside from the Nole win last year.

Seems like the game has really changed now.

Roger also did very well going to R32 and R16 in the slams at around 19/20 but you don't see the young ones come up like they did back then, maybe Luke Saville can prove me wrong when he has a full schedule next year.

You forgot about Hewitt?

[citybert]

True thanks yeah he won a GS at 20/21 and was winning matches before that. But he was before rafa/nole/roger and there doesnt seem to be anyone since

[Alchemy-Z]

when he was young he seemed to run on pure passion to win. You see flickers of it now-a-days. He has way more weapons now but when he was younger he had the Giant Killer mentality and was gunning for Fed out the gate....I think once he became a giant himself he didn't know how to handle it as well and was always a better underdog.

to me it's always been

Fed mentality "I am the record breaker/the bar raiser/and every match is on my racquet to win"

Rafa mentality " I am the fighter/the Under dog/ and every match I win will be the sum of the points I fought more than my opponent for"

[citybert]

Originally Posted by Alchemy-Z

when he was young he seemed to run on pure passion to win. You see flickers of it now-a-days. He has way more weapons now but when he was younger he had the Giant Killer mentality and was gunning for Fed out the gate....I think once he became a giant himself he didn't know how to handle it as well and was always a better underdog.

to me it's always been

Fed mentality "I am the record breaker/the bar raiser/and every match is on my racquet to win"

Rafa mentality " I am the fighter/the Under dog/ and every match I win will be the sum of the points I fought more than my opponent for"

I guess what you are saying is that the edge is really all mental even now as they are older. Which I tend to agree. You would think that other players would have a passion to win as well but the Top 4 are really just step above at that level.

[batz]

Originally Posted by citybert

Does anyone know how Rafa was so successful during his early years. He seemed to easily win and go deep in many challengers and qualified for atp tourneys early at 16. Rafa didn't have many weapons at that age(and some will say he still has none - was it really just all the mental toughness as they say? Yes, realize most were clay, but still most of the guys don't break through as early these days, like Sampras, agassi and Chang all did in their teens. Closest I can remember is i think Nishikori made R16(USO) and won a 250(delray) at 19 yrs old. But he hasn't gone anywhere lately aside from the Nole win last year.

Seems like the game has really changed now.

Roger also did very well going to R32 and R16 in the slams at around 19/20 but you don't see the young ones come up like they did back then, maybe Luke Saville can prove me wrong when he has a full schedule next year.

Murray also made R3 @ Wimbledon, an ATP final and won an ATP tour event at 18. In the 12 months after turning 19, Murray made R4 at 2 slams and won another ATP title.

[citybert]

Originally Posted by batz

Murray also made R3 @ Wimbledon, an ATP final and won an ATP tour event at 18. In the 12 months after turning 19, Murray made R4 at 2 slams and won another ATP title.

Anyone in the last 5 yrs put together a string of wins as a teenager? Asking not saying there are none.

[West Coast Ace]

Did anyone say 'because he's left handed' yet?

[TeflonTom]

because he was abnormally physically developed for a teenager

most pros dont fill out til their early to mid 20s

[KineticChain]

Nadal in a Futures/Satellite at 16 y.o.

[citybert]

No way i would imagine him winning challengers from that vid and then federer a year later in miami albeit a younger feds but he was still great.

[batz]

Originally Posted by citybert

Anyone in the last 5 yrs put together a string of wins as a teenager? Asking not saying there are none.

Pretty sure Delpo was winning tournaments as a teenager (IIRC he won 4 in a row in 08 and also made QFs @ USO). Tomic made QFs @ Wimbledon last year as an 18 year old - but nothing like Rafa and to a lesser degree Nole and Murray.

[Zarfot Z]

The Donald was the number 1 ranked Junior player. Look where he is now...

[citybert]

Donald never made it once he hit the pro tour or had WC entry into atp tournaments. Even Michael chang won a USO match at 15. juniors definitely different they said Feds was bageled a few times as a junior as well and now he is goat.

[Migelowsky]

Boris Becker at 18 had already 2 Wimbledons.
I think Sampras was 19 when he won the US Open
Agassi was a top 3 as a teen , Chang French Open at 17..

[Alchemy-Z]

Originally Posted by KineticChain

Nadal in a Futures/Satellite at 16 y.o.

Man he grew his hair out fast by 17

[droliver]

My favorite Nadal video is the 2003 Monte-Carlo event where Albert Costa (the defending FO champ) ran into a 16 yo buzzsaw in round 2. The look of shock and awe on Costa's face is priceless!

http://youtu.be/8DP0b5-8DWU