You aren't listening Tennis Hands. Nadal cried in the lockerrom after losing to Federer because he had NEVER won Wimbledon (after losing in 2006 final and 2007 final). That is the whole point. Nadal valued Wimbledon until he won it. After he won it, it was skippable.
You have very strange perceptions of why people value things.
Why would Nadal's views on what he values the most change with a win?
I suppose he didn't see it as the most desirable OVER ALL OTHER TOURNAMENTS because of the nice fat check, that he would receive, or because he has a fetish for Wimbledon trophies.
Nadal could easily have played Wimbledon in 2009. We all saw him play the exhibition match a couple of days before Day One of Wimbledon. He wasn't limping. He was moving to every ball and was competitive. He clearly had lost motivation to play Wimbledon in 2009, because he lost at Roland Garros.
We agree, that Nadal didn't have any serious injury, preventing him to play at Wimbledon 2009.
And in 2012 he didn't play after Wimbledon, because Uncle Toni announced that from now on they won't be using 'band aid' solutions for his injuries. At Roland Garros 2012 they made Nadal numb his knee just to play the semis and final. That is a 'band aid' solution. Also at Halle, we saw the injection mark on his knee. Band aid solution. The team had made a promise to look for long-term solutions (rest). That is why he took the 7 months away from the game.
This is where your theory is lacking in logic.
Let us put it this way.
Nadal did play at Wimbledon 2012.
If anything, that goes against your theory, that the significance of the tournament has faded in his eyes. In fact, it is a proof for the opposite. If we presume, that Nadal's knees were in such dire state, that he needed such a long vacation, it only shows how important Wimbledon is for him that he decidet to play anyway.
But, I am just entertaining a possibility, a hypothetical, since I don' t believe that Nadal had issues with his knees at the time of Rosol's loss. I have watched that match several times and nothing in his movement or behaviour showed, that he has such an extreme problem. He was playing his usual style, which is unusual, if you are trying to not ruin your aching knees. He certainly can play agressive and shorten points, if need be and he didn't do that.
And in 2013, after losing at Wimbledon (and putting in minimal effort once it was clear the grass was slippery), Uncle Toni questioned Nadal's motivation-
“For me, what failed him most was his attitude. It is because of this we lost,” Toni said. “He didn’t face up to the game well. After a break of seven months, returning with many doubts, making a great effort and everything going very well, I think Rafa dropped his intensity a little.”
Yeah, a loss of motivation is not unusual, but why link it to a specific tournament?
Are you saying, that he didn't motivate himself enough, because it is "only" Wimbledon?
I refuse to believe that that is the case. It would be extremely unprofessional.
If the issue is motivational it is something, that cannot be related to Wimbledon as a tournament.
