Nadal not coming back until free of pain

ivan_the_terrible

Hall of Fame
How can he be pain-free if he hasn't done anything to fix the underlying issue with the knee(s)?

Does this mean he will return, play a few tournaments, then complain of the pain again? What kind of long-term plan is this? It defies logic tbh.
 

RAFA2005RG

Banned
How can he be pain-free if he hasn't done anything to fix the underlying issue with the knee(s)?

Does this mean he will return, play a few tournaments, then complain of the pain again? What kind of long-term plan is this? It defies logic tbh.

I'm just glad it worries you so much. Its fun to watch all the haters squirm with fear over the future :lol:
 

RAFA2005RG

Banned
Wasn't there a poster in the Nadal thread showing that he's gonna be in the 2013 Acapulco tournament?

Yeah but that's a long way away, not relevant to his return.

The more important news is that Nadal has entered the Abu Dhabi event, his typical lead-up to the Australian Open.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/02/us-tennis-nadal-idUSBRE8910UD20121002
(Reuters) - Rafa Nadal is scheduled to play in an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi in December, organisers said in a statement on Tuesday.

The world number four has not played since losing to Czech Lukas Rosol in the second round at Wimbledon in June and has been suffering from a partial tear of the patella tendon and inflammation of the left knee.

The 11-times grand slam winner was unable to defend his Olympic title in London and had to withdraw from the U.S. Open.

The Spaniard is set to join a high-profile field including Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray for the three-day Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi which gets underway on December 27.
 

tacou

G.O.A.T.
all tournaments are "unnecessary." He needs a warm up for AO, that's part of his warm up.
 

RAFA2005RG

Banned
Complains about hardcourts, plays an unnecessary hardcourt event.

What a hypocrite.

You really don't have a clue about tennis do you....

If you were a tennis player lol would you enter the Australian Open without any hardcourt lead-up event? And don't forget, lead-up events are not about ranking points. Lead-up events are about the ideal preparation. And Abu Dhabi allows Nadal the earliest and quickest possible event, so he can approach the AO with caution rather than cramming something in just before the AO.
 

RAFA2005RG

Banned
Tennis Channel just posted that he has committed to a clay tournament in Mexico, in February.

Yeah, I posted that a while ago-

http://sports.ndtv.com/tennis/news/item/198097-nadal-confirmed-for-mexican-open-in-february

Madrid: Rafael Nadal is set to play at the Mexican Open in February, although the fourth-ranked Spaniard remains intent on returning before the Australian Open.

The clay-court Mexican Open is scheduled for Feb. 25-March 2.

Toni Nadal, the player's trainer and uncle, said Nadal was focused on returning in time for an exhibition at the end of the year in Abu Dhabi as part of his preparations for the Australian Open in January.

"Just because his first confirmed event is in Acapulco does not mean he is not focusing on returning beforehand," Nadal told The Associated Press by telephone on Friday. "He plans to return this year with Australia his priority at this point."

Nadal has been sidelined with a left knee injury since a second-round loss at Wimbledon in June. He has said it was unlikely he could play for Spain in the Davis Cup final in the Czech Republic next month.

The 26-year-old has said he will likely play more clay events as his weak knees are troubled by hard-courts.

The 11-time Grand Slam champion's aggressive playing style has come at a cost as he has been beset by serious injuries since 2005, when a left foot problem put his career in doubt. He recovered from that but has had to deal with troublesome knees and an abdominal problem.

Nadal said he played with anti-inflammatories on course to winning his record seventh title at Roland Garros in May, and that he took pain-killing injections at Wimbledon.

"His training has gone well, physically and mentally he is in good shape," Toni Nadal said. "We can't put a fixed date down yet for his return but all signs are positive that he will return sooner than later."

Nadal could still return for the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London from Nov. 5-11 before the Nov. 16-18 Davis Cup final in Prague. But the Mubadala World Tennis Championship — where Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and David Ferrer are confirmed — from Dec. 27-29 looks more likely.

The Australian Open, which Nadal won in 2009, starts on Jan. 14.
 

Cup8489

G.O.A.T.
You really don't have a clue about tennis do you....

If you were a tennis player lol would you enter the Australian Open without any hardcourt lead-up event? And don't forget, lead-up events are not about ranking points. Lead-up events are about the ideal preparation. And Abu Dhabi allows Nadal the earliest and quickest possible event, so he can approach the AO with caution rather than cramming something in just before the AO.

Why would he want so much time between abu dhabi and the AO? Shouldn't he allow himself more time to prepare physically before playing an event? Doha seems like a much better idea. real competition, closer to the AO, more time to prepare.

You really don't have a clue about tennis do you....
 

smoledman

G.O.A.T.
Does anyone think Nadal is capable of getting through another grindfest(2012 AO) without him missing the entire year?
 

smoledman

G.O.A.T.
Maybe 2013 Mexican Open is his debut! Think about it, it's on clay it's 4+ months away. He's got more time to heal up and going straight away to clay is the best thing for him. In fact I bet he doesn't play and hardcourts in 2013. He dominates the clay as usual, then shuts it down after RG. Then 2014 = total domination across all surfaces!
 

cluckcluck

Hall of Fame
Does anyone think Nadal is capable of getting through another grindfest(2012 AO) without him missing the entire year?

I'm sure if he were in match that was starting to look like a grindfest, he would pull out of the match to "conserve" his body.
 
Why would he want so much time between abu dhabi and the AO? Shouldn't he allow himself more time to prepare physically before playing an event? Doha seems like a much better idea. real competition, closer to the AO, more time to prepare.

You really don't have a clue about tennis do you....

Abhu Dabi has always been his warm up event for AO, am I right ?
 

*Sparkle*

Professional
Why would he want so much time between abu dhabi and the AO? Shouldn't he allow himself more time to prepare physically before playing an event? Doha seems like a much better idea. real competition, closer to the AO, more time to prepare.
Maybe he wants to get some match practice in ahead of AO, but with enough time between to work on any problems that reveal themselves. An exho is also less stress than an official tournament.

Or maybe he's being greedy. I don't know, but why assume the worst?
 

gsharma

Professional
You misunderstood me. I'm not worried at all.

The question remains that he hasn't had surgery to fix the knee, so what exactly has he done to become 'pain-free'?

I agree but unless it's a ligament tear that is worth operating on, most people will opt out of surgery. Even many athletes prolong it as much as they can.
 

Clarky21

Banned
Nadal is very good about complaining about too many hardcourts on tour,and then going and playing needless exo after needless exo on the very same surface he blames for all his physical problems. He talks out of both sides of his mouth all the time and this is just one more instance of it.

And if he wants match practice for the AO he should play Doha. He's probably the greediest top player I have ever seen,and will do anything for money,including destroying his body. $$$$ is the only reason he is showing up in Abu Dhabi,and not a thing more. It's also the same reason he is bothering to turn up in Acapulco considering he is being paid a very large appearance fee,and will be given tons of perks on top of it.
 
Nadal is very good about complaining about too many hardcourts on tour,and then going and playing needless exo after needless exo on the very same surface he blames for all his physical problems. He talks out of both sides of his mouth all the time and this is just one more instance of it.

And if he wants match practice for the AO he should play Doha. He's probably the greediest top player I have ever seen,and will do anything for money,including destroying his body. $$$$ is the only reason he is showing up in Abu Dhabi,and not a thing more. It's also the same reason he is bothering to turn up in Acapulco considering he is being paid a very large appearance fee,and will be given tons of perks on top of it.

Such a self righteous beeaching bs you're spewing there dude. Shut up already.
 

kragster

Hall of Fame
Maybe he wants to get some match practice in ahead of AO, but with enough time between to work on any problems that reveal themselves. An exho is also less stress than an official tournament.

Or maybe he's being greedy. I don't know, but why assume the worst?

Exactly, I think that if Rafa were to play an exho at the end of the long year, THAT would make him a hypocrite. But right now when he is just starting the year with so many open questions, I think the only question he needs to answer is "what do I need to do to be in shape for the AO".
 
How can he be pain-free if he hasn't done anything to fix the underlying issue with the knee(s)?

Does this mean he will return, play a few tournaments, then complain of the pain again? What kind of long-term plan is this? It defies logic tbh.

what should he do other than resting?

surgery helps with some injuries but not with inflammation or attrition.
 

Clarky21

Banned
Exactly, I think that if Rafa were to play an exho at the end of the long year, THAT would make him a hypocrite. But right now when he is just starting the year with so many open questions, I think the only question he needs to answer is "what do I need to do to be in shape for the AO".



Didn't he also play Abu Dhabi last year as well? And the year before that? I guess he's a hypocrite then.
 

sabala

Semi-Pro
I've been having patella tendon problems myself, still need to get MRI to see if it's partial tear. All my research on partial patella tendon tear says surgery is NOT recommended for partial tear. 6 months is how long I read the usual recovery time is and that's the same Rafa is taking off.

Only a full and complete tear of the tendon is when surgery is recommended. Oh, and if it's a complete tear it means the patella will shoot up about a third of the way into the thigh :shock:

I don't think playing the AO is a good idea and actually I think he won't end up playing it after all.
 

Rickson

G.O.A.T.
Rafa is superstitious and won't come back til the 2013 season is over. Rafa wants nothing to do with the number 13.
 

RAFA2005RG

Banned
Does anyone think Nadal is capable of getting through another grindfest(2012 AO) without him missing the entire year?

Yeah, if he skips Indian Wells and Miami. And he did say he won't be playing as many hardcourt events from now on. Seems likely he'll skip at least one of them. His problems this year began in Indian Wells. He then decided to play Miami hurt and withdrew from the semis. Then he played with painkillers for the entire clay season until dead.
 

RAFA2005RG

Banned
Maybe 2013 Mexican Open is his debut! Think about it, it's on clay it's 4+ months away. He's got more time to heal up and going straight away to clay is the best thing for him. In fact I bet he doesn't play and hardcourts in 2013. He dominates the clay as usual, then shuts it down after RG. Then 2014 = total domination across all surfaces!

http://sports.ndtv.com/tennis/news/item/198097-nadal-confirmed-for-mexican-open-in-february

Madrid: Rafael Nadal is set to play at the Mexican Open in February, although the fourth-ranked Spaniard remains intent on returning before the Australian Open.

The clay-court Mexican Open is scheduled for Feb. 25-March 2.

Toni Nadal, the player's trainer and uncle, said Nadal was focused on returning in time for an exhibition at the end of the year in Abu Dhabi as part of his preparations for the Australian Open in January.

"Just because his first confirmed event is in Acapulco does not mean he is not focusing on returning beforehand," Nadal told The Associated Press by telephone on Friday. "He plans to return this year with Australia his priority at this point."

Nadal has been sidelined with a left knee injury since a second-round loss at Wimbledon in June. He has said it was unlikely he could play for Spain in the Davis Cup final in the Czech Republic next month.

The 26-year-old has said he will likely play more clay events as his weak knees are troubled by hard-courts.

The 11-time Grand Slam champion's aggressive playing style has come at a cost as he has been beset by serious injuries since 2005, when a left foot problem put his career in doubt. He recovered from that but has had to deal with troublesome knees and an abdominal problem.

Nadal said he played with anti-inflammatories on course to winning his record seventh title at Roland Garros in May, and that he took pain-killing injections at Wimbledon.

"His training has gone well, physically and mentally he is in good shape," Toni Nadal said. "We can't put a fixed date down yet for his return but all signs are positive that he will return sooner than later."

Nadal could still return for the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London from Nov. 5-11 before the Nov. 16-18 Davis Cup final in Prague. But the Mubadala World Tennis Championship — where Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and David Ferrer are confirmed — from Dec. 27-29 looks more likely.

The Australian Open, which Nadal won in 2009, starts on Jan. 14.

Oops, I forgot you can't read....
 

RAFA2005RG

Banned
You misunderstood me. I'm not worried at all.

The question remains that he hasn't had surgery to fix the knee, so what exactly has he done to become 'pain-free'?

What's he going to have surgery for? He is pain-free already. The issue is no longer pain. The issue is getting into shape before you return to competitive tennis.

"His training has gone well, physically and mentally he is in good shape," Toni Nadal said. "We can't put a fixed date down yet for his return but all signs are positive that he will return sooner than later."
 

PeteD

Legend
News about Rafa is simply not reliable. He was supposed to be playing poker yet here he is with a black jack hand

r
 

Mike Sams

G.O.A.T.
I'm just glad it worries you so much. Its fun to watch all the haters squirm with fear over the future :lol:

Nadal should win all clay events although I think he's going to have trouble in beating Murray and Djokovic back to back in Masters events on clay. He's been struggling in beating Murray and Djokovic back to back for some years now. On hardcourts he has no chance of beating them back to back anymore.
 

Mike Sams

G.O.A.T.
Hasn't Nadal been taking anti inflamatories and pain killing injections every year since 2006? I think he's more mentally exhausted than anything. The Rosol loss hit him hard and he probably, like Sampras, just threw away the racquet and decided to get his mind off the sport.
 

CCNM

Hall of Fame
Did Rafa actually say this?? (I'm not coming back until I'm free of pain) I'm no athlete but I have read about athletes in various sports who have trouble with various types of pain suffered during/resulting from their playing days (American Football player Joe Theisman, basketball star Bill Walton, and Andre Agassi-who claimed he would tell his kids that he couldn't play with them because he had to rest for a tournament-come to mind). I know some of you folks on this site are players/coaches-is it true that you are never free of pain? I think Rafa is kidding himself if he believes this. (Hope this makes sense)
 
Did Rafa actually say this?? (I'm not coming back until I'm free of pain) I'm no athlete but I have read about athletes in various sports who have trouble with various types of pain suffered during/resulting from their playing days (American Football player Joe Theisman, basketball star Bill Walton, and Andre Agassi-who claimed he would tell his kids that he couldn't play with them because he had to rest for a tournament-come to mind). I know some of you folks on this site are players/coaches-is it true that you are never free of pain? I think Rafa is kidding himself if he believes this. (Hope this makes sense)

Most players have sores and stuff but nothing they can't play with. I guess Nadal's talking about his bigger injuries.
 

vernonbc

Legend
Abhu Dabi has always been his warm up event for AO, am I right ?

Partially. He plays a couple of exho matches at Abu Dhabi and then the tournament in Doha as warmup for the AO.

The question remains that he hasn't had surgery to fix the knee, so what exactly has he done to become 'pain-free'?

He's rested. That is the normal protocol for any injury...for anybody.

He's also had physiotherapy, iontophoresis, laser and thermotherapy, and he's doing hydratherapy everyday.

What's he going to have surgery for? He is pain-free already. The issue is no longer pain.

Sorry, you're wrong. He is not pain free yet and that's why he hasn't begun on court training.

CCNM said:
Did Rafa actually say this?? (I'm not coming back until I'm free of pain)

Yes, he said this. He said he's missed so many important things already like the Olympics and the US Open that he's determined now to not come back until he's free of pain. Tio Toni has said that the fatty tissue (Hoffa's Syndrome) has hardened so that's why the treatment is taking longer than they had anticipated.
 

RF20Lennon

Legend
You really don't have a clue about tennis do you....

If you were a tennis player lol would you enter the Australian Open without any hardcourt lead-up event? And don't forget, lead-up events are not about ranking points. Lead-up events are about the ideal preparation. And Abu Dhabi allows Nadal the earliest and quickest possible event, so he can approach the AO with caution rather than cramming something in just before the AO.

For once we agree!
 
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