2025 Alcaraz vs 2014 Nadal on Clay

[Berrettini_Fan]

2014 Nadal was possibly his worst-but-still-good-enough version on clay (outside of 2015 and 2024, when he genuinely was bad). He won only 1 clay tournament prior to RG, at Madrid. And that was only bc Nishikori got injured after winning the first set 6-2. Then Nadal was less than dominant (by his standards) in winning RG.

How would 2014 Nadal fare vs 2025 Alcaraz on clay? Only Alcaraz serves.

 

[ojo rojo]

Only Alcaraz serves.

Lol

 

[nolefam_2024]

2014 Nadal was possibly his worst-but-still-good-enough version on clay (outside of 2015 and 2024, when he genuinely was bad). He won only 1 clay tournament prior to RG, at Madrid. And that was only bc Nishikori got injured after winning the first set 6-2. Then Nadal was less than dominant (by his standards) in winning RG.

How would 2014 Nadal fare vs 2025 Alcaraz on clay? Only Alcaraz serves.

Is this even true ? I don't think this is true so rejecting outright. Right out of the hand.

Post in thread 'ATGs and 60% years , including streaks'

Dec 3, 2024

Looking at clay, there are 51 player's seasons who had 60+ game win % on clay since 1990. This is 18 more than on HC.
Coincidentally there are 17 player's seasons with game % between 60 and 60.99. So removing those we get 34 almost like on HC.

Taking minimum of 10 matches as even Nadal has had only 10 matches in COVID 20.

Player	Year	Game Won %	Matches played
Courier	1992	62.26	19
Courier	1993	64.31	13
Bruguera	1993	61.23	53

...

• nolefam_2024

• 

2014 is not third worst Nadal years. This is lie.

 

[TheGoldenEra1990’s]

Pfft. This alcaraz couldn’t even beat 36 year old 2022 Nadal with a numb foot or nub for a limb

 

[nolefam_2024]

Pfft. This alcaraz couldn’t even beat 36 year old 2022 Nadal with a numb foot or nub for a limb

What an idiotic comment when Nadal lost to him then.

 

[TheGoldenEra1990’s]

What an idiotic comment when Nadal lost to him then.

He was better than back in 2022-2023 than he is now LOL. Alcaraz has regressed as a player from 2-3 years ago

 

[Deleted member 746398]

2022 Ruud >>>>

 

[Berrettini_Fan]

Is this even true ? I don't think this is true so rejecting outright. Right out of the hand.

Post in thread 'ATGs and 60% years , including streaks'

Dec 3, 2024

Looking at clay, there are 51 player's seasons who had 60+ game win % on clay since 1990. This is 18 more than on HC.
Coincidentally there are 17 player's seasons with game % between 60 and 60.99. So removing those we get 34 almost like on HC.

Taking minimum of 10 matches as even Nadal has had only 10 matches in COVID 20.

Player	Year	Game Won %	Matches played
Courier	1992	62.26	19
Courier	1993	64.31	13
Bruguera	1993	61.23	53

...

• nolefam_2024

• 

2014 is not third worst Nadal years. This is lie.

In terms of his clay level, I think it is. I don't count 2015 and 2024 since he was outright bad those years. I don't count 2016 as he withdrew from RG so the story is incomplete. I don't count 2021 bc he won 2 clay titles prior to RG and only Djokovic managed to stop him there. I don't count 2022 since he played Alcaraz that season and we all know how that story plays out so no need for hypotheticals. So from 2005-2014 plus 2017-2020, which was his worst year? It's hard not to say 2014. Had Nishikori not been injured in the Madrid Finals, Nadal would've entered RG with no clay titles on the season.

 

[NatF]

Apart from RG, Nadal was basically dog sh!te outside of Rome where even then he wasn't at his best however...that didn't matter when RG rolled around. Alcaraz has hardly been impressive himself he can probably beat 2014 Monte Carlo Nadal, but I see little evidence he'll be anywhere near Nadal's level at the French.

 

[Razer]

Nadal would straight set Alcaraz if it is in the final.

 

[dking68]

2014 Nadal was possibly his worst-but-still-good-enough version on clay (outside of 2015 and 2024, when he genuinely was bad). He won only 1 clay tournament prior to RG, at Madrid. And that was only bc Nishikori got injured after winning the first set 6-2. Then Nadal was less than dominant (by his standards) in winning RG.

How would 2014 Nadal fare vs 2025 Alcaraz on clay? Only Alcaraz serves.

He wouldn’t even beat 36 year old Nadal, much less prime 28 year old Nadal. Would lose in every match IMO

 

[RS]

All that matters is RG 2014

 

[TheGoldenEra1990’s]

He wouldn’t even beat 36 year old Nadal, much less prime 28 year old Nadal. Would lose in every match IMO

Yep. He could hardly keep his service games against uncoordinated Draper. Nadal would whip him with ease. 2025 alcaraz don’t look that good at all. He was playing much better tennis 2-3 years ago

 

[NatF]

All that matters is RG 2014

Glorious forehands in the SF.

 

[RS]

Glorious forehands in the SF.

In the final it took Djokovic apart aswell.

I watched the final again last year. Must book the SF sometime as well.

 

[Pheasant]

Alcaraz has won a whopping 46% of his return points on clay this year, a career-best. This is up there with prime(but not peak) Nadal. Alcaraz’s serving is way too inconsistent. Sometimes he serves like a madman(ask Djoker after the the 2024 Wimbledon final). But usually, he’s serving up cream puffs, which would get eaten up by 2014 Nadal; let alone the 2008 version of Nadal.


Let’s see where this version of Alcaraz ends up. This is his age-22 season. That corresponds to Nadal’s 2008 season, the year he won an unthinkable 50.4% of his return points on clay(compared to 46.6% in 2010).

As for 2014 Nadal vs 2025 Nadal, I’m taking Nadal 15-5 at the FO. Alcaraz can adapt extremely well. He’d probably fall behind 6-0 before he started adapting somewhat to Nadal’s game. Alcaraz has a winner’s mentality. I believe that the right player can cause him to up his level. Alcaraz’s top gear is tremendous. It’s not enough to trouble peak Nadal. But a prime-ish 2014 Nadal would lose a few times.

 

[nolefam_2024]

Alcaraz has won a whopping 46% of his return points on clay this year, a career-best. This is up there with prime(but not peak) Nadal. Alcaraz’s serving is way too inconsistent. Sometimes he serves like a madman(ask Djoker after the the 2024 Wimbledon final). But usually, he’s serving up cream puffs, which would get eaten up by 2014 Nadal; let alone the 2008 version of Nadal.


Let’s see where this version of Alcaraz ends up. This is his age-22 season. That corresponds to Nadal’s 2008 season, the year he won an unthinkable 50.4% of his return points on clay(compared to 46.6% in 2010).

As for 2014 Nadal vs 2025 Nadal, I’m taking Nadal 15-5 at the FO. Alcaraz can adapt extremely well. He’d probably fall behind 6-0 before he started adapting somewhat to Nadal’s game. Alcaraz has a winner’s mentality. I believe that the right player can cause him to up his level. Alcaraz’s top gear is tremendous. It’s not enough to trouble peak Nadal. But a prime-ish 2014 Nadal would lose a few times.

2008 version of Nadal is not a different Nadal. They are all peak nadal's.

2005-14
2017-22

Agree with the rest.

 

[Cabeza del Demonio]

2014 Nadal was possibly his worst-but-still-good-enough version on clay (outside of 2015 and 2024, when he genuinely was bad). He won only 1 clay tournament prior to RG, at Madrid. And that was only bc Nishikori got injured after winning the first set 6-2. Then Nadal was less than dominant (by his standards) in winning RG.

How would 2014 Nadal fare vs 2025 Alcaraz on clay? Only Alcaraz serves.

I used to think this, then I looked at the numbers and Nadal was actually quite dominant that year at RG:

There was just a lot more talk about his form on clay because he'd had such a bad pre-RG season, and he was dealing with fitness issues. But the scores tell a different story.

If anything, the only real hiccup was dropping the 1st set to Ferrer. I remember that match causing a stir because Ferrer had already beaten him in Monte Carlo, but he turned that around quick.

 

[TheGoldenEra1990’s]

Good lord. Alcaraz is dropping sets and barely scraping out of service games against zeros and mugs and one footed penguins . Please stop saying he’s gonna beat the GOAT. It’s just foolish

 

[nolefam_2024]

I used to think this, then I looked at the numbers and Nadal was actually quite dominant that year at RG:

There was just a lot more talk about his form on clay because he'd had such a bad pre-RG season, and he was dealing with fitness issues. But the scores tell a different story.

If anything, the only real hiccup was dropping the 1st set to Ferrer. I remember that match causing a stir because Ferrer had already beaten him in Monte Carlo, but he turned that around quick.

Nadal won Madrid , lost in third set vs Djokovic in Rome and then steamrolled in rg. He was not weak at all.

Op need to rephrase.

 

[Incognito]

That Rafa in the finals of RG final in 2014 had back issues and could barely serve. Carlos might push it 5.

 

[Cabeza del Demonio]

Nadal won Madrid , lost in third set vs Djokovic in Rome and then steamrolled in rg. He was not weak at all.

Op need to rephrase.

We're talking prime Nadal standards here. Losing more than 1 match on clay all year would qualify it as a weak year

That was the first year since 2004 that he failed to win more than pre-RG clay event.

 

[Sport]

What an idiotic comment when Nadal lost to him then.

Nadal didn't numb his foot at Madrid 2022 nor Rome 2022. He did it at RG 2022, which proved to be a drastic change: from injured zombie to his last ever good form.

 

[RS]

That Rafa in the finals of RG final in 2014 had back issues and could barely serve. Carlos might push it 5.

Did Nadal have back issues in that final? I can't recall

 

[NatF]

In the final it took Djokovic apart aswell.

I watched the final again last year. Must book the SF sometime as well.

Took a set to get going but yeah.

 

[nolefam_2024]

Nadal didn't numb his foot at Madrid 2022 nor Rome 2022. He did it at RG 2022, which proved to be a drastic change: from injured zombie to his last ever good form.

I don't know this is true as well.

What issues Nadal has is a secret. If his issue was exaggerated with time , we don't know if in madrid it was severe enough to need injections.

In short, nope , this above comment does not land.

 

[BauerAlmeida]

2014 Nadal was possibly his worst-but-still-good-enough version on clay (outside of 2015 and 2024, when he genuinely was bad). He won only 1 clay tournament prior to RG, at Madrid. And that was only bc Nishikori got injured after winning the first set 6-2. Then Nadal was less than dominant (by his standards) in winning RG.

How would 2014 Nadal fare vs 2025 Alcaraz on clay? Only Alcaraz serves.

Eh, 2014 was still better than some of the latter years, not just 2024. And probably better than 2016.

 

[MeatTornado]

Idk why I always thought Nadal went into 2014 RG without winning any of the clay warmups. I have no memory of him winning that Madrid.

 

[Mustard]

Nadal won Madrid , lost in third set vs Djokovic in Rome and then steamrolled in rg. He was not weak at all.

Op need to rephrase.

Nadal was getting outplayed by Nishikori in the 2014 Madrid final, until a brutal rally that seemed to injure Nishikori.

Nadal went into the 2014 French Open with his worst clay court form in a decade. 2014 was basically the period where the perception changed from Nadal losing ANY match on clay being a very big deal to Nadal losing A match on clay not really mattering all that much anymore as long as it wasn't at the French Open. Peak clay empire was over for Nadal, and he had to start prioritizing the most important tournament(s).

Djokovic was favourite to win the 2014 French Open at the start of the tournament, but Nadal had become favourite going into the final.

 

[DSH]

Nadal, with his RG 2014 serve and forehand, would destroy Alcaraz in straight sets.

 

[The Blond Blur]

Idk why I always thought Nadal went into 2014 RG without winning any of the clay warmups. I have no memory of him winning that Madrid.

It was more of Glasshikori breaking again to lose than RAFA winning Madrid.

 

[dking68]

Nadal, with his RG 2014 serve and forehand, would destroy Alcaraz in straight sets.

He won't even win this title. The Italian who took a 3-month break has a huge chip on his shoulder and a point to prove in the final of Roma.

 

[DSH]

He won't even win this title. The Italian who took a 3-month break has a huge chip on his shoulder and a point to prove in the final of Roma.

Tomorrow against Ruud, what is your prediction?

 

[dking68]

Tomorrow against Ruud, what is your prediction?

Michael B. Jordan in 2

 

[Sport]

I don't know this is true as well.

What issues Nadal has is a secret. If his issue was exaggerated with time , we don't know if in madrid it was severe enough to need injections.

In short, nope , this above comment does not land.

All my assertions are backed up by robust and apodictic empirical evidence.

It's true that Nadal started with painkiller injections in the foot just at RG 2022. The Spaniard also proceeded to get a nerve ablation after RG 2022.

Nadal was limping (foot injury) against Shapovalov at Rome 2022:

Madrid 2022 was Nadal's first tournament after a rib fracture that had let him absent from the tour for 6 weeks after his IW injury. Analogously, Novak got injured in the kmee at RG 2024 and then reached the W 2024 final. You wouldn't say Novak was perfectly healthy the first tournament he played after his injury, right? If Novak wasn't completely healthy at W 2024 because it was the first tournament he played after an injury, then Rafa wasn't perfectly healthy at Madrid 2022 because it was the first tournament he played after a long injury. Unless you want to display a double standard logic.

Nadal wasn't in his best physical shape in Madrid 2022 due to a combination of factors, such as the advanced age and recovery from an injury. He was in better form at RG 2022 because he numbed his foot with painkiller injections and had passed enough time from his rib fracture.

In this interview from 2022, Rafael acknowledges that he took his personal doctor with him and started with the foot injections at RG 2022, not in Rome or Madrid:

Rafael Nadal's startling confession about injury at French Open

How Rafael Nadal managed to win his 14th grand slam on his chronically injured left foot is anybody's guess. Read more here.

au.sports.yahoo.com

The empirical confirmation that Nadal underwent a radiofrequency nerve ablation after RG 2022 and before W 2022:

Rafael Nadal enters Wimbledon on good footing after procedure to relieve pain

abcnews.go.com

 

[nolefam_2024]

It's true that Nadal started with painkiller injections in the foot just at RG 2022. The Spaniard also proceeded to get a nerve ablation after RG 2022.

Nadal was limping (foot injury) against Shapovalov at Rome 2022:

Madrid 2022 was Nadal's first tournament after a rib fracture that had let him absent from the tour for 6 weeks after his IW injury. Analogously, Novak got injured in the kmee at RG 2024 and then reached the W 2024 final. You wouldn't say Novak was perfectly healthy the first tournament he played after his injury, right? If Novak wasn't completely healthy at W 2024 because it was the first tournament he played after an injury, then Rafa wasn't perfectly healthy at Madrid 2022 because it was the first tournament he played after a long injury. Unless you want to display a double standard logic.

Nadal wasn't in his best physical shape in Madrid 2022 due to a combination of factors, such as the advanced age and recovery from an injury. He was in better form at RG 2022 because he numbed his foot with painkiller injections and had passed enough time from his rib fracture.

In this interview from 2022, Rafael acknowledges that he took his personal doctor with him at RG 2022, not in Rome or Madrid:

Rafael Nadal's startling confession about injury at French Open

How Rafael Nadal managed to win his 14th grand slam on his chronically injured left foot is anybody's guess. Read more here.

au.sports.yahoo.com

The empirical confirmation that Nadal underwent a radiofrequency nerve ablation after RG 2022 and before W 2022.

We are not talking Wimbledon at all.

Nadal has tendinitis. Which flares up with more time on the court. Madrid is 4 weeks away from RG if I am not wrong, Madrid, then Rome, then 250s and 1 week extra during this time.

 

[Incognito]

Did Nadal have back issues in that final? I can't recall

Yes he did

 

[Backspin1183]

We are not talking Wimbledon at all.

Nadal has tendinitis. Which flares up with more time on the court. Madrid is 4 weeks away from RG if I am not wrong, Madrid, then Rome, then 250s and 1 week extra during this time.

Playing through injury to beat Taylor Fritz proved to be a bad decision in hindsight. Nadal never recovered from it. He was playing very well even on grass until then.

 

[DSH]

Playing through injury to beat Taylor Fritz proved to be a bad decision in hindsight. Nadal never recovered from it. He was playing very well even on grass until then.

 

[tudwell]

Alcaraz has won a whopping 46% of his return points on clay this year, a career-best. This is up there with prime(but not peak) Nadal. Alcaraz’s serving is way too inconsistent. Sometimes he serves like a madman(ask Djoker after the the 2024 Wimbledon final). But usually, he’s serving up cream puffs, which would get eaten up by 2014 Nadal; let alone the 2008 version of Nadal.

To be fair, Nadal in 2014 lost in straights to Ferrer, whose serve is about the definition of cream puff. Probably should’ve lost in straights to Nishikori too, who’s hardly a serving powerhouse. So the serve wouldn’t necessarily cost Alcaraz, in the early tourneys at least. The Nadal of Roland Garros stomps this version of Carlos, though. (Obviously we’ll have to wait a few more weeks to make a full comparison.)