Has Rafa Become a One Dimensional Tennis Pro?

3fees · Dec 7, 2012

Heres an interview from Poker stars on poker and tennis- 6 Dec 2012.

It appears he's all clay court now.

Is it true that you and your team are considering playing more matches on clay in 2013 and, if so, why?

[RN] We’ll see how it all unfolds. At the end of the day, the season you have will determine the results. But yes, we have to try prioritise playing a bit more on clay, insofar as we can within our schedule, which provides little room for manoeuvre. Firstly, it is a less aggressive surface for my body, and secondly because it is a surface in which I have always felt comfortable, as well as getting great results. I love playing on clay.

http://www.nadalnews.com/2012/12/06/interview-poker-and-tennis/

:mrgreen:

Alchemy-Z · Dec 7, 2012

He has 11 Slams...Several records...gold medal..career slam and was the greatest rival to the man (most) consider the greatest player of all time.

If he can dial it back to the surface he loves and stay on tour longer and add more to the trophy cabinet and not the hospital bill.

Why not?

I think his time off he realized there is a lot more in life than tennis but he still loves it and I expect to see a Rafa come back as a man who loves the sport.

besides this will be great for all those clay tournaments to have the "Clay King" participating and give some rafa fans a chance to see him where they never would have before.

Goosehead · Dec 7, 2012

good old fun clay..how much more clay can rafa/**** fit it ?

acapulco atp500 in feb and i suppose a 250 event before that..theres the post wimbledon clay event in germany..ex masters in hambourg atp500, he could play there but im not sure how long after wimby it is..and drop one of the 2 pre u.s open masters series hc..

if serena williams can play where she wants so can rafa.

so rafa can say bugger those hc masters and only play 2 or 3 of them, have some breaks and also more clay..i dunno

zagor · Dec 7, 2012

Nothing wrong with sticking to his guns, clay is his best surface so obviously he'll try to peak for that part of the year.

However, say what you will about him but Nadal has more than proven his mettle off clay- 2 Wimbledon titles and 5 finals, 2 HC slam titles and 4 finals, SOG, 5 HC masters etc.

This year he reached AO final and came withing a hair of winning it, last year he reached his 2nd USO final in a row so no he hasn't become a one dimensional tennis pro.

Phoenix1983 · Dec 7, 2012

I think at the very least Nadal will want to win Wimbledon again. I can't imagine he will only be satisfied winning clay tournaments from now on...

kragster · Dec 7, 2012

zagor said:
Nothing wrong with sticking to his guns, clay is his best surface so obviously he'll try to peak for that part of the year.

However, say what you will about him but Nadal has more than proven his mettle off clay- 2 Wimbledon titles and 5 finals, 2 HC slam titles and 4 finals, SOG, 5 HC masters etc.

This year he reached AO final and came withing a hair of winning it, last year he reached his 2nd USO final in a row so no he hasn't become a one dimensional tennis pro.

Nadal has proven beyond a doubt his abilities outside clay when you compare it vs the vast majority of the field but when you start comparing the greatest of the greats, I think Nadal could definitely bolster his resume off clay. I would rather he have a shortened career but focus 1 yr heavily outside clay than play clay season for 3 years winning his 11 billionth MC. Total slam count matters but personally for me,

1 more RG + 1 Wimby/USO/AO > 3 RG

Certainly I see no reason why he should not focus on grass at least, it is much easier on his joints than HC and despite the Rosol loss I would say he is still the 2nd best player on grass behind Fed.

Phoenix1983 · Dec 7, 2012

^ I agree, winning a 3rd and 4th Wimbledon will cement his legacy more than an 8th and 9th FO.

zam88 · Dec 7, 2012

If i were Rafa my tennis season would consist of these tournaments:

Warm up for AO
AO

nothing until Clay Season
Enter EVERY clay tournament i can

Wimbledon

1 hard court warmup
USO

end season.

about 10 tournaments.

That would allow him to play the longest and achieve the most in the sport.

He can be in the top 5 just off his clay results and could pick up a slam off clay if the cards fall right.

Magnetite · Dec 7, 2012

I think it's smart.

Clarky21 · Dec 7, 2012

Nadal has always been one dimensional, but Cvac is just as one dimensional as Nadal is except for his one dimension dominates the tour making it easier for him to win titles.

paulorenzo · Dec 7, 2012

to say nadal is one dimensional seems a little absurd. right off the top of my head i can think of at least two dimensions to Nadal's game. injured and not-injured

McEnroeisanartist · Dec 7, 2012

I wouldn't call the owner of a career grand slam "one dimensional." A bit absurd. After Federer, Laver, Agassi, Borg, and Lendl, probably the most dimension tennis player in the open era.

DropShotArtist · Dec 7, 2012

Nadal is a very good tennis player, better than Sampras. But like Sampras, he has no real personality.

kragster · Dec 7, 2012

zam88 said:
If i were Rafa my tennis season would consist of these tournaments:

Warm up for AO
AO

nothing until Clay Season
Enter EVERY clay tournament i can

Wimbledon

1 hard court warmup
USO

end season.

about 10 tournaments.

That would allow him to play the longest and achieve the most in the sport.

He can be in the top 5 just off his clay results and could pick up a slam off clay if the cards fall right.

Good list, I agree. He should skip pretty much all the Masters 1000 on hc except 1 as a warmup for USO. I would add WTF to that list. 11 tournaments.

Boricua · Dec 7, 2012

I agree also with playing more on clay and limiting hard courts tournaments.

cknobman · Dec 7, 2012

Nadal is not one dimensional.

Nadal is a clay court player who did everything in his capability to be successful on other surfaces, and he was, but it cost him his health.

Crisstti · Dec 7, 2012

Rafa will focus on Wimbledon as well, I'm sure. He probably thinks/feels he needs to have done well on clay to have a good chance there.

What would the penalties be if Nadal would skip most hc masters (though i doubt it's what he intends to do)?. Would it be just fines?.

zagor said:
Nothing wrong with sticking to his guns, clay is his best surface so obviously he'll try to peak for that part of the year.

However, say what you will about him but Nadal has more than proven his mettle off clay- 2 Wimbledon titles and 5 finals, 2 HC slam titles and 4 finals, SOG, 5 HC masters etc.

This year he reached AO final and came within a hair of winning it, last year he reached his 2nd USO final in a row so no he hasn't become a one dimensional tennis pro.

Not much else to add to that.

tennis_pro · Dec 7, 2012

What do you mean by "become"? Has he ever been any different?

Deleted member 307496 · Dec 7, 2012

Nadal is just looking out for his knees, he doesn't care about rankings.

Crisstti · Dec 7, 2012

tennis_pro said:
What do you mean by "become"? Has he ever been any different?

Lol, you wish.

MichaelNadal · Dec 7, 2012

zagor said:
Nothing wrong with sticking to his guns, clay is his best surface so obviously he'll try to peak for that part of the year.

However, say what you will about him but Nadal has more than proven his mettle off clay- 2 Wimbledon titles and 5 finals, 2 HC slam titles and 4 finals, SOG, 5 HC masters etc.

This year he reached AO final and came withing a hair of winning it, last year he reached his 2nd USO final in a row so no he hasn't become a one dimensional tennis pro.

Good post Zagor, I agree with all your points. I think Rafa will do better than most people expect him to when he comes back.

tennis_pro · Dec 7, 2012

Crisstti said:
Lol, you wish.

More like you wish he wasn't. Nadal has always been ultra one-dimensional, he still can't hit a proper drive volley after all his "improvements", heck, has he ever hit one?

cc0509 · Dec 7, 2012

zagor said:
Nothing wrong with sticking to his guns, clay is his best surface so obviously he'll try to peak for that part of the year.

However, say what you will about him but Nadal has more than proven his mettle off clay- 2 Wimbledon titles and 5 finals, 2 HC slam titles and 4 finals, SOG, 5 HC masters etc.

This year he reached AO final and came withing a hair of winning it, last year he reached his 2nd USO final in a row so no he hasn't become a one dimensional tennis pro.

I agree zagor. I don't love his style and he has less variety than a player like Federer, but to call him untalented and one-dimensional is looney tunes. If anything, Federer has been one-dimensional in his slam appearances against Nadal for the past five years. Always the same tune every time with Federer against Nadal, Federer starts off strong and chokes mentally in the end. All of Fed's variety not able to save him.

Clarky21 · Dec 7, 2012

cc0509 said:
I agree zagor. I don't love his style and he has less variety than a player like Federer, but to call him untalented and one-dimensional is looney tunes. If anything, Federer has been one-dimensional in his slam appearances against Nadal for the past five years. Always the same tune every time with Federer against Nadal, Federer starts off strong and chokes mentally in the end. All of Fed's variety not able to save him.

But he is one dimensional, and is the least talented out of the top 4.

And Fed's not one dimensional against Nadal. He tries everything but he struggles mentally against him for whatever reason.

Agassifan · Dec 7, 2012

but but but some Rafa fans have GUARANTEED us 3 slams next year.

MichaelNadal · Dec 7, 2012

^^Come on Clarky. Nadal is not one dimensional and untalented. When he's not confident does he play like a nervous pile of crap? Yes. Definitely. But otherwise, and especially when he's playing well, his tennis is something to behold.

Clarky21 · Dec 7, 2012

Agassifan said:
but but but some Rafa fans have GUARANTEED us 3 slams next year.

I think you mean one troll with multiple personalities. No real Nadal fans are even close to predicting Nadal to win anything at all next year much less win 3 slams.

tennis_pro · Dec 7, 2012

Clarky21 said:
But he is one dimensional, and is the least talented out of the top 4.

And Fed's not one dimensional against Nadal. He tries everything but he struggles mentally against him for whatever reason.

Maybe cause he's half a decade older and facing him in the most physical era ever where you have to be incredibly fit in order to compete? On top of that you got these hilariously slow surfaces which makes it nearly impossible to play at the net. So for Fed to beat Nadal in a major he has to outrally him in 3 sets. At age 31. Ain't happening.

At least Nadal will have a taste of his own medicine soon and my God he will suffer. Can't wait.

cc0509 · Dec 7, 2012

Clarky21;7052093]But he is one dimensional, and is the least talented out of the top 4.

I am not sure about that Clarky, in fact I would have to say I disagree.

And Fed's not one dimensional against Nadal. He tries everything but he struggles mentally against him for whatever reason.

There is definitely a huge mental component that has held Federer back in his slams against Nadal especially since the Wimbledon 2008 loss. But, with that said, Federer has enough talent and variety that he should have been able to overcome the physical and mental limitations against Nadal especially since he knows exactly what to expect from Nadal, no surprises. Fed can clearly still beat Nadal in best of three where the pressure is not as intense so it shows he still has the game plan to defeat Nadal. Call it what you want, mental, physical or both, it is perplexing to watch as a Federer fan.

Clarky21 · Dec 7, 2012

MichaelNadal said:
^^Come on Clarky. Nadal is not one dimensional and untalented. When he's not confident does he play like a nervous pile of crap? Yes. Definitely. But otherwise, and especially when he's playing well, his tennis is something to behold.

I didn't say he was untalented completely, just that he is the least talented out of the top 4.

PSNELKE · Dec 7, 2012

tennis_pro said:
Maybe cause he's half a decade older and facing him in the most physical era ever where you have to be incredibly fit in order to compete? On top of that you got these hilariously slow surfaces which makes it nearly impossible to play at the net. So for Fed to beat Nadal in a major he has to outrally him in 3 sets. At age 31. Ain't happening.

At least Nadal will have a taste of his own medicine soon and my God he will suffer. Can't wait.

He didn't make it in his mid and late 20s either, so stop looking for excuses.

Clarky21 · Dec 7, 2012

cc0509 said:
I am not sure about that Clarky, in fact I would have to say I disagree.

There is definitely a huge mental component that has held Federer back in his slams against Nadal especially since the Wimbledon 2008 loss. But, with that said, Federer has enough talent and variety that he should have been able to overcome the physical and mental limitations against Nadal especially since he knows exactly what to expect from Nadal, no surprises. Fed can clearly still beat Nadal in best of three where the pressure is not as intense so it shows he still has the game plan to defeat Nadal. Call it what you want, mental, physical or both, it is perplexing to watch as a Federer fan.

You don't think he's the least capable out of the top 4? Which one do you think it is then?

Fed has nightmares about Nadal, but I think he will finally get him in a slam next year. I cannot believe he has gone as long as he has without a win in best of 5 over Nadal.

Deleted member 307496 · Dec 7, 2012

Clarky21 said:
You don't think he's the least capable out of the top 4? Which one do you think it is then?

Fed has nightmares about Nadal, but I think he will finally get him in a slam next year. I cannot believe he has gone as long as he has without a win in best of 5 over Nadal.

It's because Nadal has a mental hold over Federer. He has been beating him consistently for years.

Paul Murphy · Dec 7, 2012

Smart move.
It's either this or see his career end prematurely.

Clay lover · Dec 7, 2012

tennis_pro said:
More like you wish he wasn't. Nadal has always been ultra one-dimensional, he still can't hit a proper drive volley after all his "improvements", heck, has he ever hit one?

He has and he hits it pretty well. He has done so with his backhand even. You just hate him too much so you haven't watched enough of him.

Crisstti · Dec 7, 2012

tennis_pro said:
More like you wish he wasn't. Nadal has always been ultra one-dimensional, he still can't hit a proper drive volley after all his "improvements", heck, has he ever hit one?

Yeah, right. I know you wish you could keep saying that without looking completely silly like you did around 2006, but you just can't.

How must all of his wins on grass and hc bother you...

tennis_pro said:
Maybe cause he's half a decade older and facing him in the most physical era ever where you have to be incredibly fit in order to compete? On top of that you got these hilariously slow surfaces which makes it nearly impossible to play at the net. So for Fed to beat Nadal in a major he has to outrally him in 3 sets. At age 31. Ain't happening.

At least Nadal will have a taste of his own medicine soon and my God he will suffer. Can't wait.

Sure, because he's only been beating him recently, not when Fed was right on his prime...

Oh wait.

Huanita99 · Dec 7, 2012

Nadal has always been an one dimensional player. but it worked for him. why change it if it ain't broken.

in terms of talent, not really a natural talent ... I wouldn't say he is not talented at all, but let's say average. He basically manages to win most of his matches by wearing down his opponents till they make an error. His game is basically very physical. Djokovic is the only guy on the tour who can stay with him and dictate the play. Murray still has many issues when playing Rafa. I won't even mention Fed here, no need, we all know it.

I'd like to see him being more aggressive and not playing 10km behind the base line but Rafa will never change his ways. He is who he is.

DropShotArtist · Dec 7, 2012

What do you mean 'become' OP? Nadal has always been 1-dimenstional and still is. He was lucky to win AO09 and W08 because of bad back and mono to Fed and being off-peak for Fed. Also very lucky to win USO10 not having to face Djoker 2.0.

winstonplum · Dec 7, 2012

Yes, he's one dimensional. Career slam,two hard court slams, two Wimbledons. Olympic Gold. Jeez. What a one-trick pony.

cork_screw · Dec 7, 2012

The man made his living and racked up most of his points in the clay season. Consider this, he got to the finals in aussie, but lost in 1 Rd in Wimby and never played USO. He won his french and swept through the clay season. He had enough points with just his clay wins and a few masters results, (but no titles) on hard courts. And that was enough to secure him a #4 spot and STILL miss 6 months of tennis. That is incredible!

If I were him, I would screw all hard court and even play the small 250 tournaments and breeze through. Screw hard court, just focus all your energy on clay.

tennis_pro · Dec 7, 2012

Clay lover said:
He has and he hits it pretty well. He has done so with his backhand even. You just hate him too much so you haven't watched enough of him.

Find me one video of Nadal hitting a proper drive volley (not the pushy ones he plays all the time when his opponent is 10 miles off court) and I'll change mind. He doesn't have any power on his volleys whatsoever, he just hits smart approach shots, that's all there is to it.

tennis_pro · Dec 7, 2012

Crisstti said:
Yeah, right. I know you wish you could keep saying that without looking completely silly like you did around 2006, but you just can't.

How must all of his wins on grass and hc bother you...

I don't see any links proving me wrong now, do I? Instead you come up with "yeah, right" lol. A vid or it didn't happen. And since I've seen tens of his matches I know it didn't happen. You can talk about Nadal's improvements regarding his results in the other 3 majors and his general success on hard courts/grass courts but how much of it is thanks to these surfaces being way slower than they used to? You think a mere clay courter would be able to win Wimbledon without visiting the net more than a few times during a 4-5 hour match?

Crisstti said:
Sure, because he's only been beating him recently, not when Fed was right on his prime...

Oh wait.

At the French Open only. When Federer was in his prime he could only beat him there, if only Nadal bothered to go deeper at the Australian and US Opens where Federer excelled (more than at Wimbledon). Instead he waited for Federer to get old and then started to reach all those finals. Luckily, now he's having a taste of his own medicine. Or at least he will if he bothers to show up on court again.

tennis_pro · Dec 8, 2012

PSNELKE said:
He didn't make it in his mid and late 20s either, so stop looking for excuses.

Last time I checked Federer won 2 Wimbledon finals against Nadal in 2006,2007, the only 2 times they faced each other on non-clay surfaces in majors when Federer was in his prime. If it wasn't for mono that screwed up Federer's 2008, he would probably be sitting on 7 Wimbledon victories in a row. Instead, Nadal took advantage at Wimbledon and then beat a mentally wounded Federer at the AO next year.

That's ancient history, though. Let's see how Rafa has been doing in the last couple of months..

OOPS!

oneness · Dec 8, 2012

tennis_pro said:
Last time I checked Federer won 2 Wimbledon finals against Nadal in 2006,2007, the only 2 times they faced each other on non-clay surfaces in majors when Federer was in his prime. If it wasn't for mono that screwed up Federer's 2008, he would probably be sitting on 7 Wimbledon victories in a row. Instead, Nadal took advantage at Wimbledon and then beat a mentally wounded Federer at the AO next year.

That's ancient history, though. Let's see how Rafa has been doing in the last couple of months..

OOPS!

Fed is great, the greatest player of his era, so I don't care too much to argue about his H2H vs nadal, but why the non clay qualifier. AFAIK clay is and always has been a legitimate surface.

RAFA2005RG · Dec 8, 2012

3fees said:
Heres an interview from Poker stars on poker and tennis- 6 Dec 2012.

It appears he's all clay court now.

Is it true that you and your team are considering playing more matches on clay in 2013 and, if so, why?

[RN] We’ll see how it all unfolds. At the end of the day, the season you have will determine the results. But yes, we have to try prioritise playing a bit more on clay, insofar as we can within our schedule, which provides little room for manoeuvre. Firstly, it is a less aggressive surface for my body, and secondly because it is a surface in which I have always felt comfortable, as well as getting great results. I love playing on clay.

http://www.nadalnews.com/2012/12/06/interview-poker-and-tennis/

:mrgreen:

Would you pass up an opportunity to win 10-12 Roland Garros titles? No hardcourt is worth that. I hope he retires from all hardcourt tennis and focuses on his professional golf career (while racking up Roland Garros titles).

RAFA2005RG · Dec 8, 2012

The reporter who asked that question must be the dumbest reporter in the history of the world. "Why would the lord of clay want to play more clay events?"? :lol:

Deleted member 307496 · Dec 8, 2012

winstonplum said:
Yes, he's one dimensional. Career slam,two hard court slams, two Wimbledons. Olympic Gold. Jeez. What a one-trick pony.

Some people probably believe he won those out of luck. :roll:

Crisstti · Dec 8, 2012

tennis_pro said:
I don't see any links proving me wrong now, do I? Instead you come up with "yeah, right" lol. A vid or it didn't happen. And since I've seen tens of his matches I know it didn't happen. You can talk about Nadal's improvements regarding his results in the other 3 majors and his general success on hard courts/grass courts but how much of it is thanks to these surfaces being way slower than they used to? You think a mere clay courter would be able to win Wimbledon without visiting the net more than a few times during a 4-5 hour match?

At the French Open only. When Federer was in his prime he could only beat him there, if only Nadal bothered to go deeper at the Australian and US Opens where Federer excelled (more than at Wimbledon). Instead he waited for Federer to get old and then started to reach all those finals. Luckily, now he's having a taste of his own medicine. Or at least he will if he bothers to show up on court again.

A video?, his results speak for themselves. Yeah, the courts... I've seen haters like you talking here in 2006 saying how the clay specialist Nadal would be beaten by the first decent grass player in Wimbledon, and then how he'd never win the USO. But of course, once he won them they were suddenly just like clay, lol.

Must have been hard for you.

RAfa is 5 years younger, he reached those finals in HIS prime.

Oh, and Fed was the lucky one that Nadal got too nervous in that 2007 final (not to mention the way the scheduling went).

Sabratha said:
Some people probably believe he won those out of luck. :roll:

Oh, they do, just look at Tennis_pro here.

monfed · Dec 8, 2012

Ralph HAS become one-dimensional?? :lol:

Gonzalito17 · Dec 8, 2012

Nadal is far from one dimensional but his game may have stopped improving.

Has Rafa Become a One Dimensional Tennis Pro?

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