clayqueen
Talk Tennis Guru
2018
AO retiring against Cilic in the QF
Davis Cup winning 2 matches against Kolschreiber & Zverev
MC
Barcelona
Madrid
Rome
Roland Garros
He did not play IW and Miami nor did he play any warm-up grass tournaments
Nadal News 2.0
- Thread starter LazyNinja19
- Start date
2018
AO retiring against Cilic in the QF
Davis Cup winning 2 matches against Kolschreiber & Zverev
MC
Barcelona
Madrid
Rome
Roland Garros
He did not play IW and Miami nor did he play any warm-up grass tournaments
octobrina10
Talk Tennis Guru
The French Open
June 09, 2019
The winnig team (pictured from left to right): Carlos Costa (agent), Rafael Maymo (physio), Jordi Robert (Rafa's assistent at Nike), Rafa, Benito Pérez-Barbadillo (PR Manager), Dr. Angel Ruiz-Cotorro, Carlos Moya (coach) and Francisco Roig (coach):
Translated from Spanish by Microsoft:
"The whole is more than the sum of its parts. Proud of this TEAM and our player. Keep growing!"
Vamos the Rafa Team!
June 09, 2019
The winnig team (pictured from left to right): Carlos Costa (agent), Rafael Maymo (physio), Jordi Robert (Rafa's assistent at Nike), Rafa, Benito Pérez-Barbadillo (PR Manager), Dr. Angel Ruiz-Cotorro, Carlos Moya (coach) and Francisco Roig (coach):
Translated from Spanish by Microsoft:
"The whole is more than the sum of its parts. Proud of this TEAM and our player. Keep growing!"
Vamos the Rafa Team!
octobrina10
Talk Tennis Guru
The French Open
2019
Rafa's 12th Roland Garros trophy (a small replica) has arrived at his museum located in his academy:
Vamos Rafa!
2019
Rafa's 12th Roland Garros trophy (a small replica) has arrived at his museum located in his academy:
Vamos Rafa!
D
Deleted member 763999
Guest
Anyone knows if Nadal has abandoned that AO19 serve? I think that serve motion would be better for wimbledon, giving his serve the extra pace.
octobrina10
Talk Tennis Guru
D
Deleted member 763999
Guest
Thanks for the link! Nice to see him going back to that AO19 serve!
weakera
Talk Tennis Guru
Thanks for posting. The new serve could be a huge help on grass.
DSH
Talk Tennis Guru
Nadal has to serve as Gilles Muller did against him, in that epic match, a couple of years ago.
It would be good if he added to the Luxembourgish or, better yet, Goran Ivanisevic to his technical staff during the period of the grass season.
It would be wonderful to have the tips and tactics that could instill in the Spaniard (they are left-handed like him) to improve his game on this surface and try to help him get the Wimbledon title.
I think external help to his traditional staff only for Wimbledon, which is a rarity in the circuit, would be of great benefit to Nadal and avoid early eliminations there with type of player like Kyrgios, for example.
With some additional adjustments, I firmly believe that Bull can beat any opponent he faces on grass.
vernonbc
Legend
You're not bending over. You're following the rules. If you don't like the rules, sign yourself out from this forum.
I hope you don't and I hope you don't get banned as you're a good Rafa fan.
vernonbc
Legend
Poor Rafa. All the interviews he's had to do. 
I hope tomorrow he can get on his boat and sail away to a calm and peaceful place for a few days.
Rafa Nadal: Winning 12 Roland Garros titles is one of the most special things that has happened in sports
Roland Garros 2019 MARCA interview with the Spaniard
Joan Solsona París Adapted by Geoff Gillingham & Panos Kostopoulos
11/06/2019 16:56 CEST
Rafa Nadal added to his legacy on Sunday as he won his 12th Roland Garros trophy after beating Dominic Thiem 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1.The 33-year-old is arguably Spain's greatest ever athlete while he has lived through tennis' golden age with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, racking up 18 Grand Slam titles in the process. Dressed in shorts, a t-shirt and baseball cap, Nadal spoke to MARCA on Monday at the hotel he has been staying at in Paris throughout the tournament.
Have you slept much?
I slept a little and not because I went out to celebrate. The dinner ended at 2am in the morning.
You won your 12th trophy in Paris on Sunday. In these last few hours, have you realised what you have accomplished?
Since I finished the final, between one thing and another... I finished, I had to do the doping control, attend the media... I got to the hotel and changed in two minutes. I went to dinner, which had a lot of people there. Not just close people either. From the dinner, I went straight to bed. I am happy with what I have achieved but with a desire to disconnect a little bit from everything.
Many coaches talk about your tennis evolution, where you get more points from the backhand. How do you perceive the changes to your style of tennis?
I don't think these are changes that result from a day or a year. It's a logical evolution I've had to do. Obviously my legs are not the same as 2005, so you have to make up for things you lose along the way by adding others. The only way to remain competitive at the level that I am, with [Roger] Federer and [Novak] Djokovic, is to have the hope and determination to remain where we are. And for that to happen, you have to evolve. Yes it is true that my backhand is improved, I have to run less... in short, yes I've changed.
The last two seasons, you looked to play at Queen's and then decided not to after Roland Garros. This season you have not planned to play anything. How are you physically?
Well, a little tired. It is no longer just Roland Garros itself, I have played five tournaments around the world. The first three, I reached the semi-finals. I've played three games less than the maximum possible. I have played a lot, which leads to this emotional level and withstanding daily stress. If I decided not to go to Queen's, it's because the last two years, after winning here [at Roland Garros], you come to an agreement with the tournament and you have to decline at the last minute. If I had done badly in Paris, I could have played at Queen's. The last few years have been good on grass and I felt like I could fight to win without needing a warm-up tournament. I'm simply doing the suitable preparation and I am going to try to repeat it.
You have won 12 times in 15 attempts at Roland Garros, winning 93 out of 95 matches. What do these figures tell you?
It is what it is. What has been achieved is a fact. It's one of the special things that have happened in the world of sport. I'm happy and thankful to be a part of it, to get all of these things. As always, I live from day to day and in a normal manner.
What has been the triumph that has cost you the most during this historical run?
The semi-final against Djokovic in 2013. Of the 93 games I've won, it's the one I've been closest to losing.
Do you remember all of your wins
at Roland Garros?
Before I remembered everything and now I remember the things that I think are important. For example, on Sunday, before the final, I was mentally reviewing the tournament and I spent five minutes remembering who I had played in the second round. I remember things, but it is impossible to remember everything.
Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem disputed the continuation of their semi-final on Saturday. Did you have a preferred opponent?
I looked at the semi-final and was not clear because they have two very different games [in terms of style of play]. They are the two most difficult opponents right now. The only thing I focussed on was making sure that I was good. I knew that if I was good [against Roger Federer in the other semi-final], I was going to have the chance of playing against either one of them.
In Barcelona, during the tournament, you spoke of going up steps gradually. Have you ever had enough of tennis?
I've never had enough of tennis. What I am tired of is having pains constantly. It's not just the pain you have from playing tennis but the pain you feel in everyday life, on a physical level I mean. Always being in pain is tiring and there comes a time where you need to stop due to the pain I've had for the last 18 months. A lot of things have happened. Most of which you know, others you don't. There has not been one tournament where I haven't felt something. This is a reality and it's tiring. I got tired of playing with more anti-inflammatory drugs that in the long run make you think that you can't continue like this. In Barcelona I said this. The first round with [Leonardo] Mayer was a low point. From there, I had a very important change. I lost to Thiem [in the semi-final], but I won a couple of good games. With Dominic [Thiem], I played a good match. I started from a low point but from there, every day and every week has been better and has been a step forward, which has been achieved with a positive attitude, without complaints and without regrets when things went wrong and I lost games. I had the help of my whole team.
Have you ever disliked your sport?
I would be very ungrateful and very unfair if I said this. I don't dislike tennis at all. And it has never been taken for granted, it's just a personal topic of being tired, of having problems that have stopped me from enjoying training or playing due to the pain. I like to train, I like to do sport. And I got tired of not being able to develop my skills without suffering. When this happens, you get down in your head. In Barcelona, I planned to stop but not for a long time, to try to recuperate.
Are the physical problems you are carrying going to condition your planning for the rest of the season?
The season was determined a long time ago. Last year, I played in only nine tournaments. The other I don't remember which I played. People remember me playing and playing, and that has ceased to exist in recent years. My calendar is much more selected and focussed to try to preserve the maximum time at the top in my career. Sometimes, even so, more problems have been occurring than I would have expected. But here we are.
Is the slumped mood now, after Indian Wells, comparable to late 2005 when you feared for your career?
It's a whole different story. The prospects for my foot injury in 2005 were bad. The doctors viewed it as difficult for me to continue to develop at the highest level of sport activity that I was doing. And I was only 19 years old, I was just beginning. It was a new perspective for me because I was already No.2 in the world. I had just started my career and they tell you that you cannot go and do what you have done and what you have prepared so long for, and in the end you do it; it was a hard blow. Right now, I have had a better career than I ever could have dreamt of. I see things from a completely different perspective. Momentarily, there are low moments but I am grateful for all of the things that I have and what I've given [to tennis] in all the years that I've been a professional. But it is true that when you have a toothache most of the time, in the end you are emotionally in a bad place. For me, when my hands hurt, my knee... Many things have happened to me consecutively. The operation on my foot at the end of the year when I tried to return... These are the things that are disabling you in a continuous way, and not just in your sporting life but also in your personal life as you cannot do some things which make you happy.
Would we be surprised to know how many times an MRI is done, different medical treatments...? Are those the things that you said the media don't know?
Yes, and it is better not to know. The fact is that I do not like repeating all the things that are happening to me because, in the end, you are like a martyr. And I consider myself fortunate in life for everything that has happened to me. But yes, I have had to undergo many things in my career that I have not liked.
Do you feel more dominant than ever on clay? Do you feel like at your best level, nobody can beat you?
Well, on this last tour, I've been beaten [on clay] three times [to Fabio Fognini in Monte Carlo, Dominic Thiem in Barcelona, and Stefanos Tsitsipas in Madrid]. With regard to Roland Garros, yes it's true that I have felt comfortable these past two weeks. I already said that before the tournament I felt good. Perhaps there have been some years where I have felt, I would not say invincible because I didn't ever feel like that, but more secure with myself because I was more positive than this year. In this edition, I arrived and felt well from the first day. I knew I could compete, therefore I competed until the end. After winning or not, things happen and they can be difficult at any time, just like how it was difficult in the final with Thiem. Then they are resolved or not, but I was ready.
.....2/
I hope tomorrow he can get on his boat and sail away to a calm and peaceful place for a few days.Rafa Nadal: Winning 12 Roland Garros titles is one of the most special things that has happened in sports
Roland Garros 2019 MARCA interview with the Spaniard
Joan Solsona París Adapted by Geoff Gillingham & Panos Kostopoulos
11/06/2019 16:56 CEST
Rafa Nadal added to his legacy on Sunday as he won his 12th Roland Garros trophy after beating Dominic Thiem 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1.The 33-year-old is arguably Spain's greatest ever athlete while he has lived through tennis' golden age with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, racking up 18 Grand Slam titles in the process. Dressed in shorts, a t-shirt and baseball cap, Nadal spoke to MARCA on Monday at the hotel he has been staying at in Paris throughout the tournament.
Have you slept much?
I slept a little and not because I went out to celebrate. The dinner ended at 2am in the morning.
You won your 12th trophy in Paris on Sunday. In these last few hours, have you realised what you have accomplished?
Since I finished the final, between one thing and another... I finished, I had to do the doping control, attend the media... I got to the hotel and changed in two minutes. I went to dinner, which had a lot of people there. Not just close people either. From the dinner, I went straight to bed. I am happy with what I have achieved but with a desire to disconnect a little bit from everything.
Many coaches talk about your tennis evolution, where you get more points from the backhand. How do you perceive the changes to your style of tennis?
I don't think these are changes that result from a day or a year. It's a logical evolution I've had to do. Obviously my legs are not the same as 2005, so you have to make up for things you lose along the way by adding others. The only way to remain competitive at the level that I am, with [Roger] Federer and [Novak] Djokovic, is to have the hope and determination to remain where we are. And for that to happen, you have to evolve. Yes it is true that my backhand is improved, I have to run less... in short, yes I've changed.
The last two seasons, you looked to play at Queen's and then decided not to after Roland Garros. This season you have not planned to play anything. How are you physically?
Well, a little tired. It is no longer just Roland Garros itself, I have played five tournaments around the world. The first three, I reached the semi-finals. I've played three games less than the maximum possible. I have played a lot, which leads to this emotional level and withstanding daily stress. If I decided not to go to Queen's, it's because the last two years, after winning here [at Roland Garros], you come to an agreement with the tournament and you have to decline at the last minute. If I had done badly in Paris, I could have played at Queen's. The last few years have been good on grass and I felt like I could fight to win without needing a warm-up tournament. I'm simply doing the suitable preparation and I am going to try to repeat it.
You have won 12 times in 15 attempts at Roland Garros, winning 93 out of 95 matches. What do these figures tell you?
It is what it is. What has been achieved is a fact. It's one of the special things that have happened in the world of sport. I'm happy and thankful to be a part of it, to get all of these things. As always, I live from day to day and in a normal manner.
What has been the triumph that has cost you the most during this historical run?
The semi-final against Djokovic in 2013. Of the 93 games I've won, it's the one I've been closest to losing.
Do you remember all of your wins
at Roland Garros?
Before I remembered everything and now I remember the things that I think are important. For example, on Sunday, before the final, I was mentally reviewing the tournament and I spent five minutes remembering who I had played in the second round. I remember things, but it is impossible to remember everything.
Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem disputed the continuation of their semi-final on Saturday. Did you have a preferred opponent?
I looked at the semi-final and was not clear because they have two very different games [in terms of style of play]. They are the two most difficult opponents right now. The only thing I focussed on was making sure that I was good. I knew that if I was good [against Roger Federer in the other semi-final], I was going to have the chance of playing against either one of them.
In Barcelona, during the tournament, you spoke of going up steps gradually. Have you ever had enough of tennis?
I've never had enough of tennis. What I am tired of is having pains constantly. It's not just the pain you have from playing tennis but the pain you feel in everyday life, on a physical level I mean. Always being in pain is tiring and there comes a time where you need to stop due to the pain I've had for the last 18 months. A lot of things have happened. Most of which you know, others you don't. There has not been one tournament where I haven't felt something. This is a reality and it's tiring. I got tired of playing with more anti-inflammatory drugs that in the long run make you think that you can't continue like this. In Barcelona I said this. The first round with [Leonardo] Mayer was a low point. From there, I had a very important change. I lost to Thiem [in the semi-final], but I won a couple of good games. With Dominic [Thiem], I played a good match. I started from a low point but from there, every day and every week has been better and has been a step forward, which has been achieved with a positive attitude, without complaints and without regrets when things went wrong and I lost games. I had the help of my whole team.
Have you ever disliked your sport?
I would be very ungrateful and very unfair if I said this. I don't dislike tennis at all. And it has never been taken for granted, it's just a personal topic of being tired, of having problems that have stopped me from enjoying training or playing due to the pain. I like to train, I like to do sport. And I got tired of not being able to develop my skills without suffering. When this happens, you get down in your head. In Barcelona, I planned to stop but not for a long time, to try to recuperate.
Are the physical problems you are carrying going to condition your planning for the rest of the season?
The season was determined a long time ago. Last year, I played in only nine tournaments. The other I don't remember which I played. People remember me playing and playing, and that has ceased to exist in recent years. My calendar is much more selected and focussed to try to preserve the maximum time at the top in my career. Sometimes, even so, more problems have been occurring than I would have expected. But here we are.
Is the slumped mood now, after Indian Wells, comparable to late 2005 when you feared for your career?
It's a whole different story. The prospects for my foot injury in 2005 were bad. The doctors viewed it as difficult for me to continue to develop at the highest level of sport activity that I was doing. And I was only 19 years old, I was just beginning. It was a new perspective for me because I was already No.2 in the world. I had just started my career and they tell you that you cannot go and do what you have done and what you have prepared so long for, and in the end you do it; it was a hard blow. Right now, I have had a better career than I ever could have dreamt of. I see things from a completely different perspective. Momentarily, there are low moments but I am grateful for all of the things that I have and what I've given [to tennis] in all the years that I've been a professional. But it is true that when you have a toothache most of the time, in the end you are emotionally in a bad place. For me, when my hands hurt, my knee... Many things have happened to me consecutively. The operation on my foot at the end of the year when I tried to return... These are the things that are disabling you in a continuous way, and not just in your sporting life but also in your personal life as you cannot do some things which make you happy.
Would we be surprised to know how many times an MRI is done, different medical treatments...? Are those the things that you said the media don't know?
Yes, and it is better not to know. The fact is that I do not like repeating all the things that are happening to me because, in the end, you are like a martyr. And I consider myself fortunate in life for everything that has happened to me. But yes, I have had to undergo many things in my career that I have not liked.
Do you feel more dominant than ever on clay? Do you feel like at your best level, nobody can beat you?
Well, on this last tour, I've been beaten [on clay] three times [to Fabio Fognini in Monte Carlo, Dominic Thiem in Barcelona, and Stefanos Tsitsipas in Madrid]. With regard to Roland Garros, yes it's true that I have felt comfortable these past two weeks. I already said that before the tournament I felt good. Perhaps there have been some years where I have felt, I would not say invincible because I didn't ever feel like that, but more secure with myself because I was more positive than this year. In this edition, I arrived and felt well from the first day. I knew I could compete, therefore I competed until the end. After winning or not, things happen and they can be difficult at any time, just like how it was difficult in the final with Thiem. Then they are resolved or not, but I was ready.
.....2/
vernonbc
Legend
2/.....
This Monday, you have been on the front pages of the newspapers in Spain and also across the world. You're an example due to your ability to overcome adversity. Does it overwhelm you that you are an example for people to follow?
Not really. I appreciate all of the praise. I've said it many times: I am a person who controls their emotions, both when things go very badly and when things are going well. I can have peaks of joy or sadness but emotionally I am a fairly stable person, and that helps me deal with the victories and praise or the bad moments and criticism.
You are considered to be an exemplary person. Can you say any of your flaws?
I have many flaws. In fact, if you had gone up to my room a week ago, you would have seen them. I am an applied person but not tidy. I have flaws like everyone. Within it, I have one of the most important things to be happy which is people around me to help me. I've had friends throughout my life, a good family and an environment that suits me well. This is the most important thing and I would say that the best I have is having people around me who help me on a daily basis.
To what extent is Carlos Moya your friend and to what extent is he your coach?
Apart from being my coach he has been my friend for many years. I didn't stop seeing my uncle as my uncle because he stopped being my coach and I won't stop seeing Carlos as a friend because he is my coach. It's been many years that I've been working with this team. It is no longer a professional relationship. It is a more personal than professional relationship. My relationship with Moya is personal, just like with Rafa [Maymo]. With all the members of the team. And I think they all are friends when they have to be friends and they become professionals when they have to push me. If I am lower than I should be, yes they have to press me.
What is the influence of a coach in your game? I mean, can he add something at this level?
When Carlos came in, it was a good help. It is true that when he joined, we were in a much better moment than before. In 2016, I had regained my level and what happened is that the hand injury occurred and I had to stop. I broke my wrist but that year, realistically, I was ready to win in Paris. In the same way I can say that in 2015, when I lost with [Novak] Djokovic, I didn't feel prepared to win. Carlos was a breath of fresh air for me. We introduced a different way of training. He is an orderly person, who makes things easier for me on a daily basis. Apart from the fact that he is passionate about tennis, he knows both rivals and me.
Next year Roland Garros will introduce the roof and there will be a night session and artificial light. Do you have the feeling that you will never be the same again?
I do not know the things that may happen in the future until I experience them. To play on clay at night is something that I don't like personally. It's a weird feeling that we're not used to. But everything else I think is good for the viewer. It is a necessary evolution for the sport. I am happy and we must congratulate Roland Garros and the French Federation who have made this investment for the benefit of tennis. That is all. Roland Garros will always be Roland Garros. Nothing changes.
When you disconnect, do you quickly miss tennis?
No. I always say that my life goes far beyond tennis. Tennis is, and has been, an important part of my life but it has not been the only thing nor the main thing. There are many things that make me happy in this life beyond tennis and, among them, is spending time with the people I love. There is not much time to disconnect between Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The victory in Paris makes the prospect for what is coming different and I have to give myself the opportunity to reach the grass court well-prepared. I will stop a couple of days, to recover both physically and mentally, but then begins a thorough preparation for Wimbledon.
The two tours that are next are more complicated for you because of your joints, especially in the knee. Are you afraid of what you have ahead of you because in the last tournaments on grass court and especially on hard, you always ended up injured?
I can't face things with fear because I would not face them anymore. I can't be playing tennis thinking about whether something can happen to me or not. I play tennis thinking about my opponent and the ball more than the physical aspect. Then if things happen, they happen and you have to resolve them. Wimbledon is the next tournament and then we will see what happens. My calendar is adapting to my needs at every moment, more than having one thing totally planned. My calendar is variable.
https://www.marca.com/en/more-sports/20 ... b45df.html
This Monday, you have been on the front pages of the newspapers in Spain and also across the world. You're an example due to your ability to overcome adversity. Does it overwhelm you that you are an example for people to follow?
Not really. I appreciate all of the praise. I've said it many times: I am a person who controls their emotions, both when things go very badly and when things are going well. I can have peaks of joy or sadness but emotionally I am a fairly stable person, and that helps me deal with the victories and praise or the bad moments and criticism.
You are considered to be an exemplary person. Can you say any of your flaws?
I have many flaws. In fact, if you had gone up to my room a week ago, you would have seen them. I am an applied person but not tidy. I have flaws like everyone. Within it, I have one of the most important things to be happy which is people around me to help me. I've had friends throughout my life, a good family and an environment that suits me well. This is the most important thing and I would say that the best I have is having people around me who help me on a daily basis.
To what extent is Carlos Moya your friend and to what extent is he your coach?
Apart from being my coach he has been my friend for many years. I didn't stop seeing my uncle as my uncle because he stopped being my coach and I won't stop seeing Carlos as a friend because he is my coach. It's been many years that I've been working with this team. It is no longer a professional relationship. It is a more personal than professional relationship. My relationship with Moya is personal, just like with Rafa [Maymo]. With all the members of the team. And I think they all are friends when they have to be friends and they become professionals when they have to push me. If I am lower than I should be, yes they have to press me.
What is the influence of a coach in your game? I mean, can he add something at this level?
When Carlos came in, it was a good help. It is true that when he joined, we were in a much better moment than before. In 2016, I had regained my level and what happened is that the hand injury occurred and I had to stop. I broke my wrist but that year, realistically, I was ready to win in Paris. In the same way I can say that in 2015, when I lost with [Novak] Djokovic, I didn't feel prepared to win. Carlos was a breath of fresh air for me. We introduced a different way of training. He is an orderly person, who makes things easier for me on a daily basis. Apart from the fact that he is passionate about tennis, he knows both rivals and me.
Next year Roland Garros will introduce the roof and there will be a night session and artificial light. Do you have the feeling that you will never be the same again?
I do not know the things that may happen in the future until I experience them. To play on clay at night is something that I don't like personally. It's a weird feeling that we're not used to. But everything else I think is good for the viewer. It is a necessary evolution for the sport. I am happy and we must congratulate Roland Garros and the French Federation who have made this investment for the benefit of tennis. That is all. Roland Garros will always be Roland Garros. Nothing changes.
When you disconnect, do you quickly miss tennis?
No. I always say that my life goes far beyond tennis. Tennis is, and has been, an important part of my life but it has not been the only thing nor the main thing. There are many things that make me happy in this life beyond tennis and, among them, is spending time with the people I love. There is not much time to disconnect between Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The victory in Paris makes the prospect for what is coming different and I have to give myself the opportunity to reach the grass court well-prepared. I will stop a couple of days, to recover both physically and mentally, but then begins a thorough preparation for Wimbledon.
The two tours that are next are more complicated for you because of your joints, especially in the knee. Are you afraid of what you have ahead of you because in the last tournaments on grass court and especially on hard, you always ended up injured?
I can't face things with fear because I would not face them anymore. I can't be playing tennis thinking about whether something can happen to me or not. I play tennis thinking about my opponent and the ball more than the physical aspect. Then if things happen, they happen and you have to resolve them. Wimbledon is the next tournament and then we will see what happens. My calendar is adapting to my needs at every moment, more than having one thing totally planned. My calendar is variable.
https://www.marca.com/en/more-sports/20 ... b45df.html
DRII
G.O.A.T.
i think he should stick to the traditional rafa-slider for Wimbledon.
the new serve only works on HCs...
actually, i think he will stick to it. that article's last line about going to the aussie serve seemed out of place and an after-thought.
vernonbc
Legend
So, after the USO? or after WTF? I'm glad he's given up trying to keep totally mum about his wedding.
Así celebró Rafa Nadal su triunfo: cena con su familia y don Juan Carlos
La cita fue en el salón Lulli del Cafe de la Paix, donde habitualmente celebra sus títulos en París
https://www.hola.com/actualidad/2019061 ... witter.com
How Rafa Nadal celebrated his win: dinner out with his family and King Juan Carlos
In the Salón Lulli at the Café de la Paix, where he usually celebrates his triumphs in Paris
11 June 2019
Rafa Nadal achieved the impossible by becoming Roland Garros champion for the twelfth time. The Spanish tennis player is still the king of clay and he celebrated it the way he likes to: with a family dinner, surrounded by the most important people in his life who accompany him in all his triumphs, and also in his defeats. They are his father Sebastian Nadal, his uncle Toni Nadal, and his feminine squad, Mary Perello, who he is to marry this autumn, his mother, Ana Maria Parera, and his sister, Maria Isabel, who have also become a true talisman for him.
All the Nadal family were photographed leaving the Melia Torre Eiffel Hotel on their way to this family dinner. Rafa Nadal emerged first, in a grey shirt and navy blue trousers, followed by Mary Perello, smiling broadly and accompanied by her good friend and future sister-in-law, Maria Isabel - they went to Colegio Pureza de Maria in Manacor together and it was Maria Isabel who introduced her to her brother 16 years ago. The tennis player's parents were also there and his uncle Toni accompanied by his wife, Joanna Maria Vives. They all got into cars on their way to a very special dinner to celebrate Rafa's triumph along with all the members of his team
According to the Spanish daily ABC, another familiar face, Nadal's friend King Juan Carlos, was there. Hours before Nadal had thanked the king for his support and also his daughter, the Infanta Elena, who is a great fan of tennis and, of course, of Rafa Nadal. The dinner took place in the Salón Lulli at the Café de Paix, where he usually celebrates his titles. There he was presented with a huge cake with candle flares surrounded by tennis balls for the number of victories he has achieved at Roland Garros. The dinner was prepared by chef Laurent Andre. The Café de Paix and the Hotel Paris - Le Grand, in which this singular restaurant with a history is located, congratulated Nadal on social media: "Champion" they wrote beside a photograph of him cutting the cake.
The dinner went on until after two in the morning, not any longer for the tennis player because next day he had his flight home at 11 am and, as he confessed first thing in the morning when he spoke to the Spanish press, "I was very tired."
The Balearic tennis player now wants "to disconnect, I need it", before his next tournament: Wimbledon. The now 33-year-old Nadal has gone back home to Mallorca to recharge his batteries before embarking on the London tournament that begins on July 1st. "As everybody knows, I love playing on grass and, as everybody knows, I can no longer play as many weeks in a row on grass as I could 8 or 10 years ago. So I won't play (any tournaments) before Wimbledon."
Once the season is over, Rafa and Mary will be getting married at what promises to be one of the weddings of the year. As they continue with their respective commitments, he on the tennis court and she at the head of his foundation, they take advantage of their free time to organise their wedding. As ¡HOLA! magazine reported, the couple are going ahead with their plans to marry in the autumn in Mallorca, despite information published indicating it would be brought forward to June.
Así celebró Rafa Nadal su triunfo: cena con su familia y don Juan Carlos
La cita fue en el salón Lulli del Cafe de la Paix, donde habitualmente celebra sus títulos en París
https://www.hola.com/actualidad/2019061 ... witter.com
How Rafa Nadal celebrated his win: dinner out with his family and King Juan Carlos
In the Salón Lulli at the Café de la Paix, where he usually celebrates his triumphs in Paris
11 June 2019
Rafa Nadal achieved the impossible by becoming Roland Garros champion for the twelfth time. The Spanish tennis player is still the king of clay and he celebrated it the way he likes to: with a family dinner, surrounded by the most important people in his life who accompany him in all his triumphs, and also in his defeats. They are his father Sebastian Nadal, his uncle Toni Nadal, and his feminine squad, Mary Perello, who he is to marry this autumn, his mother, Ana Maria Parera, and his sister, Maria Isabel, who have also become a true talisman for him.
All the Nadal family were photographed leaving the Melia Torre Eiffel Hotel on their way to this family dinner. Rafa Nadal emerged first, in a grey shirt and navy blue trousers, followed by Mary Perello, smiling broadly and accompanied by her good friend and future sister-in-law, Maria Isabel - they went to Colegio Pureza de Maria in Manacor together and it was Maria Isabel who introduced her to her brother 16 years ago. The tennis player's parents were also there and his uncle Toni accompanied by his wife, Joanna Maria Vives. They all got into cars on their way to a very special dinner to celebrate Rafa's triumph along with all the members of his team
According to the Spanish daily ABC, another familiar face, Nadal's friend King Juan Carlos, was there. Hours before Nadal had thanked the king for his support and also his daughter, the Infanta Elena, who is a great fan of tennis and, of course, of Rafa Nadal. The dinner took place in the Salón Lulli at the Café de Paix, where he usually celebrates his titles. There he was presented with a huge cake with candle flares surrounded by tennis balls for the number of victories he has achieved at Roland Garros. The dinner was prepared by chef Laurent Andre. The Café de Paix and the Hotel Paris - Le Grand, in which this singular restaurant with a history is located, congratulated Nadal on social media: "Champion" they wrote beside a photograph of him cutting the cake.
The dinner went on until after two in the morning, not any longer for the tennis player because next day he had his flight home at 11 am and, as he confessed first thing in the morning when he spoke to the Spanish press, "I was very tired."
The Balearic tennis player now wants "to disconnect, I need it", before his next tournament: Wimbledon. The now 33-year-old Nadal has gone back home to Mallorca to recharge his batteries before embarking on the London tournament that begins on July 1st. "As everybody knows, I love playing on grass and, as everybody knows, I can no longer play as many weeks in a row on grass as I could 8 or 10 years ago. So I won't play (any tournaments) before Wimbledon."
Once the season is over, Rafa and Mary will be getting married at what promises to be one of the weddings of the year. As they continue with their respective commitments, he on the tennis court and she at the head of his foundation, they take advantage of their free time to organise their wedding. As ¡HOLA! magazine reported, the couple are going ahead with their plans to marry in the autumn in Mallorca, despite information published indicating it would be brought forward to June.
Lleytonstation
Talk Tennis Guru
There was a thread today about Rafa closing soccer over tennis. Whether or not he could (I think he could do whatever sport he set his mind to), this Nike ad shows he has some skills.
clayqueen
Talk Tennis Guru
octobrina10
Talk Tennis Guru
The French Open
June 9, 2019
Final
A few clips & pictures from the end of the match & the trophy ceremony:
Match point:
Trophy ceremony:
Rafa receives a standing ovation:
The crowd chants "Rafa, Rafa!" during the trophy ceremony:
Photo by Christopher Ena
Via RNKOTFB
Via RNKOTFB
Via RNKOTFB
Thumbs up!
Screenshot via Del
In the locker room:
Via RNKOTFB
Always supportive:
Via mariafranciscafc
Vamos Rafa!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 9, 2019
Final
A few clips & pictures from the end of the match & the trophy ceremony:
Match point:
Trophy ceremony:
Rafa receives a standing ovation:
The crowd chants "Rafa, Rafa!" during the trophy ceremony:
Photo by Christopher Ena
Via RNKOTFB
Via RNKOTFB
Via RNKOTFB
Thumbs up!
Screenshot via Del
In the locker room:
Via RNKOTFB
Always supportive:
Via mariafranciscafc
Vamos Rafa!!!!!!!!!!!!
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weakera
Talk Tennis Guru
D
Deleted member 762343
Guest
octobrina10
Talk Tennis Guru
Relaxing Time
June 13, 2019
Rafa was spotted in Gdansk, Poland:
I hope to get more info about his trip.
.
June 13, 2019
Rafa was spotted in Gdansk, Poland:
I hope to get more info about his trip.
.
clayqueen
Talk Tennis Guru
Un día nublado en una pequeña ciudad de Europa del Este, vas caminando a orillas del Mar Báltico, reconoces tu idioma en una conversación ajena, levantas la cabeza y ES RAFA NADAL.
Translation
A cloudy day in a small city in Eastern Europe, you walk on the shores of the Baltic Sea, you recognize your language in a foreign conversation, you raise your head and it is RAFA NADAL.
Translation
A cloudy day in a small city in Eastern Europe, you walk on the shores of the Baltic Sea, you recognize your language in a foreign conversation, you raise your head and it is RAFA NADAL.
estigma2001
Hall of Fame
Poland? Vacation time?
TennisFan3
Talk Tennis Guru
To be fair, Nadal used to be far more aggressive when he was younger. Watch the 2004 Miami match vs Fed or his matches against Hewitt.
octobrina10
Talk Tennis Guru
The French Open
Roland-Garros will unveil Rafa's statute in 2020:
https://www.welovetennis.fr/roland-garros/148602-nadal-aura-sa-statue-en-2020
Roland-Garros will unveil Rafa's statute in 2020:
https://www.welovetennis.fr/roland-garros/148602-nadal-aura-sa-statue-en-2020
clayqueen
Talk Tennis Guru
Can't wait!The French Open
Roland-Garros will unveil Rafa's statute in 2020:
https://www.welovetennis.fr/roland-garros/148602-nadal-aura-sa-statue-en-2020
vernonbc
Legend
Poor Rafa. The seas are too rough around Mallorca so he can't take his boat out to 'disconnect' for a few days, so he and Meri chose an obscure town in Poland where he hoped he could get away from it all but he's recognized wherever he goes. There are dozens upon dozens of instagrams of selfies with fans - of course he's too accommodating to say no to them, but he must wonder where he has to go in Europe to just have some time to himself.
Nadal_Django
Legend
Gdansk!? An obscure town!?
octobrina10
Talk Tennis Guru
Rafa's visit to Poland may be related to winning his first ATP Tour title. He won it in 2004 in Sopot located approx. 12 km / 7.5 miles from Gdansk.
Rafa with hotel staff members:
clayqueen
Talk Tennis Guru
He can come and spend some time with my family.Poor Rafa. The seas are too rough around Mallorca so he can't take his boat out to 'disconnect' for a few days, so he and Meri chose an obscure town in Poland where he hoped he could get away from it all but he's recognized wherever he goes. There are dozens upon dozens of instagrams of selfies with fans - of course he's too accommodating to say no to them, but he must wonder where he has to go in Europe to just have some time to himself.
octobrina10
Talk Tennis Guru
Rafa & Sponsor - Nike
Rafa's shirt and jacket for Wimbledon:
Rafa's shirt and jacket for Wimbledon:
Rafa & Sponsor - Nike
Rafa's shirt and jacket for Wimbledon:
This is not Rafa's jacket for the upcoming grass season. He wore it back in 2014.
octobrina10
Talk Tennis Guru
The French Open
Eurosport: "Best moments of Rafael Nadal at the 2019 French Open":
Published on June 14, 2019
Vamos Rafa!
Eurosport: "Best moments of Rafael Nadal at the 2019 French Open":
Vamos Rafa!
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MichaelNadal
Bionic Poster
The 2014 one is different (barely!!)
Still I hope that's not his Wimby kit bc it's boring.
I am talking about the jacket, not the t-shirt.
Hard to be creative with Wimbledon's all-white policy.
octobrina10
Talk Tennis Guru
Relaxing Time
June 15, 2019
Rafa is back in Mallorca. He's playing golf in Mallorca this weekend. He participates in a Balearic Golf Federation (FBG) tournament being held at the Golf Maioris club located near the town of Llucmajor (approx. 15 km/ 9.3 miles from Palma, the capital of Mallorca).
https://www.fbgolf.com/torneo/trofeo-fbg-por-equipos-1544439474
https://mallorcagolfisland.com/golf_courses/golf-maioris/
June 15, 2019
Rafa is back in Mallorca. He's playing golf in Mallorca this weekend. He participates in a Balearic Golf Federation (FBG) tournament being held at the Golf Maioris club located near the town of Llucmajor (approx. 15 km/ 9.3 miles from Palma, the capital of Mallorca).
https://www.fbgolf.com/torneo/trofeo-fbg-por-equipos-1544439474
https://mallorcagolfisland.com/golf_courses/golf-maioris/
Subway Tennis
Legend
Agree
clayqueen
Talk Tennis Guru
Next-level-Nadal has gone beyond greatness in Paris
It may seem routine to all who saw it coming and who knew better than to expect any other outcome. But when Rafael Nadal stops winning Roland Garros titles one day in the not too distant future we will look back in awe, the realisation that his simple and sublime quest has yielded the greatest achievement of the greatest era of men's tennis.
http://www.tennisnow.com/News/2019/June/Next-Level-Nadal-has-Gone-Beyond-Greatness-in-Pari.aspx
GOAT
It may seem routine to all who saw it coming and who knew better than to expect any other outcome. But when Rafael Nadal stops winning Roland Garros titles one day in the not too distant future we will look back in awe, the realisation that his simple and sublime quest has yielded the greatest achievement of the greatest era of men's tennis.
http://www.tennisnow.com/News/2019/June/Next-Level-Nadal-has-Gone-Beyond-Greatness-in-Pari.aspx
GOAT
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vernonbc
Legend
octobrina10
Talk Tennis Guru
Practice in Mallorca
June 17, 2019
The 1st day of practice on grass at the Santa Ponsa Tennis Club
Rafa is practicing with Carlos Moya.
Rafa practiced for 2 hours.
June 17, 2019
The 1st day of practice on grass at the Santa Ponsa Tennis Club
Rafa is practicing with Carlos Moya.
Rafa practiced for 2 hours.
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Rafa4GOAT
Professional
Is Rafa wearing his top from IW?Practice in Mallorca
June 17, 2019
The 1st day of practice on grass at the Santa Ponsa Tennis Club
Rafa is practicing with Carlos Moya.
octobrina10
Talk Tennis Guru
Yes.
octobrina10
Talk Tennis Guru
Rafa & Sponsor - Babolat
Babolat celebrates Rafa's 12th RG title:
Babolat celebrates Rafa's 12th RG title:
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TennisFan3
Talk Tennis Guru
" Those beads of sweat that colored the fabled clay of Court Philippe Chatrier, they’ll forever be a part of the fabric of Nadal’s magic in Paris. An improbable feat managed with the most humble of origins.
When he’s gone, replaced no doubt by a statue, we’ll know where to find the true essence of Nadal: in the terre battue, trampled beneath the feet of future generations, who will endeavor but never match what he’s accomplished. "
Wow. Excellent article. Thanks for sharing.
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octobrina10
Talk Tennis Guru
To be edited