Thriller
Hall of Fame
Sorry, if this has already been posted here.
It keeps happening on the clay ...
It keeps happening on the clay ...
Nadal News 2.0
- Thread starter LazyNinja19
- Start date
DSH
Talk Tennis Guru
in playstation 5?Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor
Rafa Nadal Sports Centre in Manacor
The RN Academy is part of the RN Sports Centre
Diego Schwartzman is practicing at Rafa's academy at least for the 3rd time (he was there in 2017 & 2018):
Diego wants to beat Rafa again?
MichaelNadal
Bionic Poster
Sabrina
Hall of Fame
Yes, only a couple of points played differently (that point and Fed Wimbledon 2019 CP) and it would end up with 21-19 instead of 20-20. Unreal
octobrina10
Talk Tennis Guru
Rafa & Tennishead_ Magazine
Rafa is on the cover of the latest issue of Tennishead_ magazine.
Rafa is on the cover of the latest issue of Tennishead_ magazine.
Subway Tennis
Legend
It's really interesting looking back at some of the Roland Garros training sessions after seeing how everything turned out. The guy was dialled-in to an insane level, but was not showing anything close to 100% in the matches leading up to the final.
The only hint we got at the level of matchplay he was going to unleash in the final was when he briefly went nuclear in the final set in the match against Sinner and won it in 35 minutes.
The only hint we got at the level of matchplay he was going to unleash in the final was when he briefly went nuclear in the final set in the match against Sinner and won it in 35 minutes.
octobrina10
Talk Tennis Guru
Rafa & Maria Francisca
Rafa's wife Maria Francisca returned playing tennis! Will they team up to play mixed doubles?
Rafa's wife Maria Francisca returned playing tennis! Will they team up to play mixed doubles?
octobrina10
Talk Tennis Guru
Relaxing Time
October 17, 2020
Rafa played in the V Hexagonal Autovidal 2020 golf tournament organized by the Balearic Golf Federation today. He finished the tournament tied for 3rd place among 88 golfers. His uncle Rafael Nadal also took part in the tournament.
www.ultimahora.es
October 17, 2020
Rafa played in the V Hexagonal Autovidal 2020 golf tournament organized by the Balearic Golf Federation today. He finished the tournament tied for 3rd place among 88 golfers. His uncle Rafael Nadal also took part in the tournament.
Nadal vuelve al golf tras su decimotercer Roland Garros
Rafael Nadal disfruta de un merecido descanso tras lograr el pasado domingo su decimotercer Roland Garros. El tenista manacorí se mantiene activo y aprovecha estos días para practicar otra de sus grandes pasiones: el golf.
www.ultimahora.es
it's interesting you bring up this set. I watched the last set of the sinner match this morning since i had to stop watching after the 2nd set when it was live.
Imo the sinner last set is an example of when rafa goes "all out" in terms of groundies, but actually the results are mixed...not talking about the final score. There are other examples of where rafa historically goes all out on some dimension of his game and the results are.....mixed. One that comes to mind is on his ROS vs. berdych in the 4th set of the 2012 AO vs. berdych.
Imo i agree with you that nadal was playing at an insane level in the final but imo this level was not achieved in the 3rd set of the sinner match. Another example imo of someone going all out, is dojokovic in the 4th set of his FO SF vs. nadal. When players go all out one sensation as a viewer is that they are teetering on an edge that can't last. In the final I never felt like nadal was on an edge.
Nadal_King
Hall of Fame
I think toughest challenge nadal faced was sinner in 1st set that level from sinner really scared me considering he was just pounding down rafa from the baseline but the big points rafa won in latter half of the 1st set and job was done but had sinner won that set it could have been a tight match as he looked fully dialed in
Sabrina
Hall of Fame
Nadal looked the most vulnerable in that match. Probably his toughest challenge, Sinner hit so big from both wings and didn't look scare at all, his level dropped at the end of both set though.
octobrina10
Talk Tennis Guru
Relaxing Time
October 17, 2020
Post #26,810
More photos from the golf tournament:
Photos via Federación Balear de Golf
October 17, 2020
Post #26,810
More photos from the golf tournament:
Photos via Federación Balear de Golf
Amritia
Hall of Fame
There's something mesmerising about this magazine cover. 'His Finest Hour.' 'Rafael Nadal's greatest triumph'.Rafa & Tennishead_ Magazine
Rafa is on the cover of the latest issue of Tennishead_ magazine.
Have made it my DP.
Amritia
Hall of Fame
There's something about him playing one of the best performances of his career aged 34, and tying Roger, that is extra emotional.
Possibly because there's so many times I thought his career was all over.
2012: He missed the final 6 months due to knee issues.
2015-2016: He was playing terribly at times. He didn't even reach a slam semi in these 2 years. I remember TTW Nadal haters jubilant.
End of 2018 - Pre-Rome 2019:
Knee injured in USO 2018 SF. Had injuries in 3 different places at end of 2018, so couldn't compete for anything. AO 2019 he played well but rekt in the final. Then IW his knee got injured again. Miami skipped. Felt like his body had just totally broken down.
Clay season 2019. Destroyed by Fognini in Monte Carlo. Lost to Thiem and Tsitsipas in Barcelona and Madrid. At this point it looked like as well as his body, his confidence on clay was also shot.
And now, here we are. #20
Possibly because there's so many times I thought his career was all over.
2012: He missed the final 6 months due to knee issues.
2015-2016: He was playing terribly at times. He didn't even reach a slam semi in these 2 years. I remember TTW Nadal haters jubilant.
End of 2018 - Pre-Rome 2019:
Knee injured in USO 2018 SF. Had injuries in 3 different places at end of 2018, so couldn't compete for anything. AO 2019 he played well but rekt in the final. Then IW his knee got injured again. Miami skipped. Felt like his body had just totally broken down.
Clay season 2019. Destroyed by Fognini in Monte Carlo. Lost to Thiem and Tsitsipas in Barcelona and Madrid. At this point it looked like as well as his body, his confidence on clay was also shot.
And now, here we are. #20
DSH
Talk Tennis Guru
Rafael Nadal’s French Open Victory Over Novak Djokovic Extends Tennis’s Best Rivalry
Great competitors don’t always yield great matches, and Sunday’s contest was lopsided.
Amritia
Hall of Fame
Rafael Nadal: The King of Grand Slams after equalling Roger Federer's major record
Rafael Nadal is not only the King of Clay but the King of Slams after equalling Roger Federers major haul at Roland Garros.
MichaelNadal
Bionic Poster
Relaxing Time
October 17, 2020
Rafa played in the V Hexagonal Autovidal 2020 golf tournament organized by the Balearic Golf Federation today. He finished the tournament tied for 3rd place among 88 golfers. His uncle Rafael Nadal also took part in the tournament.
Nadal vuelve al golf tras su decimotercer Roland Garros
Rafael Nadal disfruta de un merecido descanso tras lograr el pasado domingo su decimotercer Roland Garros. El tenista manacorí se mantiene activo y aprovecha estos días para practicar otra de sus grandes pasiones: el golf.
3 out of 88? What a king
DSH
Talk Tennis Guru
Well, as we all know, Nadal won RG in the fall.
So, as Paris is the most important city in Nadal's career, this beautiful place deserves at least a small tribute so that anyone, fan or not of the Spanish player, can one day witness on their own, the beauty of the French capital.
And if they visit it at this time of year, even better!
So, as Paris is the most important city in Nadal's career, this beautiful place deserves at least a small tribute so that anyone, fan or not of the Spanish player, can one day witness on their own, the beauty of the French capital.
And if they visit it at this time of year, even better!
vernonbc
Legend
Some interesting stuff in here.
Nadal and Babolat – an incredible journey over 20 years
As Rafael Nadal lay on the red clay of the Philippe Chatrier arena on Sunday after beating Novak Djokovic, he could reflect on the latest piece of history he has made – a piece of history full of round numbers that forms a perfect way of marking the 20th anniversary of the start of his journey with Babolat.
Sunday’s win was Nadal’s 13th Roland Garros and 20th Grand Slam title, secured with his 100th victory at Roland Garros, rounding off a 15-year period between the first and (so far) last of his major titles. After the first of those, a four-sets win over Mariano Puerta to win the 2005 French title, Nadal phoned the staff at Babolat to thank them for giving him the primary tool in his remarkable triumph.
Little wonder the likeable Mallorcan says, ‘However great your dedication, you never win anything on your own.’ A tennis player’s most important weapon is the racquet, and Nadal has been accompanied on his journey by his yellow Aero. But his association with Babolat began much before that memorable day in June 2005.
The young Rafa was eight when Babolat launched its first racquet, the Pure Drive in 1994. A year later the boy was showing such promise that his coach, his uncle Toni Nadal, looked for a better weapon for his left-handed nephew. Because Babolat had chosen Spain as its first market abroad after launching the Pure Drive in France, the racquet was one of the models on show. The fact that it was used by Carlos Moya added status for a sports-mad boy; at the time, Moya was not just an upcoming Spanish player but, like Nadal, came from the island of Mallorca. Nadal tried the lighter version of the Pure Drive, the Soft Drive, and liked it. Thus began his journey with Babolat.
As he grew, Nadal graduated to the Pure Drive, but then made another switch in 2004.
In 2003, convinced that Nadal would be an outstanding player who would rely on his heavy spin to dominate opponents, Babolat launched the first of its racquets to carry the name ‘Aero’. It was engineered specifically for spin. Featuring an aerodynamic section to increase head speed which gave the ball more rotations per minute, it proved perfect for the topspin-heavy game with which Nadal was about to conquer the tennis world. Babolat’s CEO Eric Babolat says, ‘It was key for us to support Rafa and the evolution of the game, that’s why we decided to build a new racquet with a very specific focus on power and spin.’ Nadal adopted it in 2004, the year he played a crucial part in Spain’s Davis Cup winning team.
The early Aero saw him to his first six major titles: four French, one Wimbledon and one Australian Open, plus the Olympic gold medal of 2008. By then it was the distinctive yellow we know today. In late 2009 he started using the RPM Blast, an octagonal structured string with silicone to favour the snap-back of strings and therefore create even more spin. By September 2010 he had won the US Open to complete a career ‘Golden Slam’ and was back at the top of the world rankings.
Since then, in addition of the Aero’s technical evolution, two major changes were made at strategic times to customise Rafa’s racquet for his own needs - well, major by the standards of a perfectionist who pays attention to even the tiniest detail.
In 2011, after six years of uninterrupted progress, Nadal faced a new challenge. With Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray all in good form, Nadal needed to find something new, in particular ways of countering Djokovic, the man who had taken his place as world No 1. He worked out that he needed to play closer to the baseline, and for that he needed his racquet to put ‘more’ on the ball. Babolat’s customisation team worked on the addition of a sliver of weight tape at the top of his frame to increase the powerful ‘hammer effect’. That added three grams to the weight – in relative terms a big increase.
The result was dramatic. Nadal bounced back to beat Djokovic at Roland Garros in 2012 and 2013, and notably in the US Open final of 2013, a gruelling match that included a 54-shot rally in the second set. By October 2013 he was back at the top of the rankings.
Then after another difficult season in 2016, he asked for an additional two grams, also at the top of the frame. ‘Apart from these strips of weight tape at the top of the frame, there is almost no specific customisation of his racquet,’ says Guillaume Cambon, one of the Babolat technicians who works on Nadal’s frame. The result was a tenth Roland Garros title – the ‘Decima’ –, followed by the US Open title that same year.
By now, the racquet in Nadal’s hand looked slightly different to the Pure Aero on sale in sports stores, but essentially it was the same. Babolat, working with Nadal, integrated into the racket’s design warm and bold colours that were significant for him: red for the Spanish flag to go with the Aero’s basic yellow, orange to denote the clay, and purple as he feels the colour stands for honesty and integrity. It means the racquet he plays with is distinctively his, but plenty of other players benefit from the same technology and innovations.
Now Nadal has equalled Roger Federer’s record of 20 major titles, and could well exceed it in 2021. Despite the success, he has remained a very humble man, never underestimating opponents, never taking anything for granted, never believing it’s all down to his efforts alone, and never breaking a racquet in anger. Babolat is proud to keep accompanying this remarkable human being on his incredible journey.
https://www.babolat.com/gb/news-article ... al-20.html
Nadal and Babolat – an incredible journey over 20 years
As Rafael Nadal lay on the red clay of the Philippe Chatrier arena on Sunday after beating Novak Djokovic, he could reflect on the latest piece of history he has made – a piece of history full of round numbers that forms a perfect way of marking the 20th anniversary of the start of his journey with Babolat.
Sunday’s win was Nadal’s 13th Roland Garros and 20th Grand Slam title, secured with his 100th victory at Roland Garros, rounding off a 15-year period between the first and (so far) last of his major titles. After the first of those, a four-sets win over Mariano Puerta to win the 2005 French title, Nadal phoned the staff at Babolat to thank them for giving him the primary tool in his remarkable triumph.
Little wonder the likeable Mallorcan says, ‘However great your dedication, you never win anything on your own.’ A tennis player’s most important weapon is the racquet, and Nadal has been accompanied on his journey by his yellow Aero. But his association with Babolat began much before that memorable day in June 2005.
The young Rafa was eight when Babolat launched its first racquet, the Pure Drive in 1994. A year later the boy was showing such promise that his coach, his uncle Toni Nadal, looked for a better weapon for his left-handed nephew. Because Babolat had chosen Spain as its first market abroad after launching the Pure Drive in France, the racquet was one of the models on show. The fact that it was used by Carlos Moya added status for a sports-mad boy; at the time, Moya was not just an upcoming Spanish player but, like Nadal, came from the island of Mallorca. Nadal tried the lighter version of the Pure Drive, the Soft Drive, and liked it. Thus began his journey with Babolat.
As he grew, Nadal graduated to the Pure Drive, but then made another switch in 2004.
In 2003, convinced that Nadal would be an outstanding player who would rely on his heavy spin to dominate opponents, Babolat launched the first of its racquets to carry the name ‘Aero’. It was engineered specifically for spin. Featuring an aerodynamic section to increase head speed which gave the ball more rotations per minute, it proved perfect for the topspin-heavy game with which Nadal was about to conquer the tennis world. Babolat’s CEO Eric Babolat says, ‘It was key for us to support Rafa and the evolution of the game, that’s why we decided to build a new racquet with a very specific focus on power and spin.’ Nadal adopted it in 2004, the year he played a crucial part in Spain’s Davis Cup winning team.
The early Aero saw him to his first six major titles: four French, one Wimbledon and one Australian Open, plus the Olympic gold medal of 2008. By then it was the distinctive yellow we know today. In late 2009 he started using the RPM Blast, an octagonal structured string with silicone to favour the snap-back of strings and therefore create even more spin. By September 2010 he had won the US Open to complete a career ‘Golden Slam’ and was back at the top of the world rankings.
Since then, in addition of the Aero’s technical evolution, two major changes were made at strategic times to customise Rafa’s racquet for his own needs - well, major by the standards of a perfectionist who pays attention to even the tiniest detail.
In 2011, after six years of uninterrupted progress, Nadal faced a new challenge. With Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray all in good form, Nadal needed to find something new, in particular ways of countering Djokovic, the man who had taken his place as world No 1. He worked out that he needed to play closer to the baseline, and for that he needed his racquet to put ‘more’ on the ball. Babolat’s customisation team worked on the addition of a sliver of weight tape at the top of his frame to increase the powerful ‘hammer effect’. That added three grams to the weight – in relative terms a big increase.
The result was dramatic. Nadal bounced back to beat Djokovic at Roland Garros in 2012 and 2013, and notably in the US Open final of 2013, a gruelling match that included a 54-shot rally in the second set. By October 2013 he was back at the top of the rankings.
Then after another difficult season in 2016, he asked for an additional two grams, also at the top of the frame. ‘Apart from these strips of weight tape at the top of the frame, there is almost no specific customisation of his racquet,’ says Guillaume Cambon, one of the Babolat technicians who works on Nadal’s frame. The result was a tenth Roland Garros title – the ‘Decima’ –, followed by the US Open title that same year.
By now, the racquet in Nadal’s hand looked slightly different to the Pure Aero on sale in sports stores, but essentially it was the same. Babolat, working with Nadal, integrated into the racket’s design warm and bold colours that were significant for him: red for the Spanish flag to go with the Aero’s basic yellow, orange to denote the clay, and purple as he feels the colour stands for honesty and integrity. It means the racquet he plays with is distinctively his, but plenty of other players benefit from the same technology and innovations.
Now Nadal has equalled Roger Federer’s record of 20 major titles, and could well exceed it in 2021. Despite the success, he has remained a very humble man, never underestimating opponents, never taking anything for granted, never believing it’s all down to his efforts alone, and never breaking a racquet in anger. Babolat is proud to keep accompanying this remarkable human being on his incredible journey.
https://www.babolat.com/gb/news-article ... al-20.html
octobrina10
Talk Tennis Guru
Rafa's Career Titles
Rafa won his 86th title last Sunday. Here is the full list of his trophies from 2004 to today (Source: tennisworldactiveshop IG):
Vamos Rafa!
Rafa won his 86th title last Sunday. Here is the full list of his trophies from 2004 to today (Source: tennisworldactiveshop IG):
Vamos Rafa!
DSH
Talk Tennis Guru
Towards 100, Champion!Rafa's Career Titles
Rafa won his 86th title last Sunday. Here is the full list of his trophies from 2004 to today (Source: tennisworldactiveshop IG):
Vamos Rafa!
Will he do it?
clayqueen
Talk Tennis Guru
Rafa had prepared for Djokovic if they met in the final. He said he did just enough to go through the rounds which didn't give the Djokovic team any inkling of his game plan for the final. Genius.
ElChivoEspañol
Hall of Fame
I still can not believe Rafa is tied for the most slams and in what fashion he made it happen. I am beyond elated.
VashTheStampede
Professional
Wow, really? Where did he say that?
clayqueen
Talk Tennis Guru
Have you stamped your authority by winning the title in Paris again, but this time in very unfavourable conditions?
Stamping my authority is not really my thing. I played a very good tournament given the conditions, taking steps forward every day. I played the perfect match when I had to in the final. Simply, every day I played well enough to win the matches.
MichaelNadal
Bionic Poster
My boy had 3 when I signed up. (Fed had 10) Im still in shock lol.
clayqueen
Talk Tennis Guru
Beckerserve
Legend
The Sinner match was where i started to believe he could do it. That last set definitely showed he had a lot left in the locker. He unleashed it against djokovic.
VashTheStampede
Professional
Thanks Clayqueen.
Beckerserve
Legend
I keep watching the match. And the USO 2019 final on alternate days. Both propelled him to GOAT.
He also ive a feeling has destroyed Djokovic mentally. I say this because of the comments Vadja has made and Ivanisevic have made this week. Too much big talk which while designed to show he will be back stronger than ever actually says Djokovic is crushed and they are doing damage limitation. This is important as Nadal could look for a Calendar Slam next year. I mean he has nothing left to achieve mow bar a Calendar Slam.
ElChivoEspañol
Hall of Fame
I go back and forth debating what would be more important for Rafa's career and legacy, winning a second AO or a fifth USO, to tie him with Sampras and Federer.
I personally would like a second AO simply because he has been so unlucky in Melbourne. We know that would give him something no other man has achieved in the open era, but a fifth USO may be more important, then again a 14th RG would make him even more ridiculous of a player at RG as if 13 wasn't enough we could say "Nadal has as many RG as Sampras has total slams" lol just for that utter brag of a phrase a 14th RG would be insane, not that 13 is utter ridiculous.
What slam would you guys like for our boy to win next year the most?
MichaelNadal
Bionic Poster
Second AO. He deserves another one. The worst luck there outside of Murray.
Subway Tennis
Legend
Relaxing Time
October 17, 2020
Post #26,810
More photos from the golf tournament:
Photos via Federación Balear de Golf
He looks remarkably relaxed. Almost like a "mission accomplished" sense of satisfaction.
Of the top guys, Nadal was the player who coped the best with the very shocking and unexpected situation this year and did it while not exposing his team to any problems or risks.
irishnadalfan1983
Hall of Fame
Agreed and quite easy for me....Kills me he doesn’t have a second AO......
Rabin
Professional
Every time I think about this, I end up in the same place. I want him to win AO again, he deserves another title there after all the bad luck he's had. But I also want him to keep up the RG domination. I love his game on grass, so another Wimbledon would be amazing. And I want him to become to tie Fed's record at the USO, it's also my favorite slam to watch (when there's a crowd). So basically, I want the CYGS
K-H
Hall of Fame
It's not too much to ask is itEvery time I think about this, I end up in the same place. I want him to win AO again, he deserves another title there after all the bad luck he's had. But I also want him to keep up the RG domination. I love his game on grass, so another Wimbledon would be amazing. And I want him to become to tie Fed's record at the USO, it's also my favorite slam to watch (when there's a crowd). So basically, I want the CYGS
You never know, if he's well rested for AO...
irishnadalfan1983
Hall of Fame
It's not too much to ask is it
You never know, if he's well rested for AO...
Seems like he will be well rested....However he said lockdown wasn’t great for him - lots of aches and pains....I thought lockdown would be brilliant in terms of resting the body/getting rid of niggles but it doesn’t appear so....He didnt get into many details but looks like it didn’t go fantastically well for him....
Rabin
Professional
I found that worrying, too. I know that underestimating Rafa's future chances bc of his body is basically a meme at this point and he's proven us wrong many times, but he'll be 35 at RG next year. There's a lot of talk about him taking the next 2-3 RG and I agree that he could as long as his body holds up but it's not a given that it does. Just want him to be able to play and retire on his own terms, not something he's forced into like what we're seeing with Murray.
octobrina10
Talk Tennis Guru
Flashback
One year ago today (click the forward icon to see all the pictures):
One year ago today (click the forward icon to see all the pictures):
Subway Tennis
Legend
Every time I think about this, I end up in the same place. I want him to win AO again, he deserves another title there after all the bad luck he's had. But I also want him to keep up the RG domination. I love his game on grass, so another Wimbledon would be amazing. And I want him to become to tie Fed's record at the USO, it's also my favorite slam to watch (when there's a crowd). So basically, I want the CYGS
I like where you are going with this...
D
Deleted member 770948
Guest
He may retire on his own terms, but he won't retire in great form, because he said he'd continue playing for as long as he can be a contender at big events.
So how long will it take for him to be convinced that he's no longer a contender?
I'd expect that would be when he can't even reach slam semi-finals....
Because if you can reach slam semis it usually means you are a contender (except for the guys that hardly ever make a semi and then make one unexpectedly).