Better Nadal period: 05-07Dal, or 11-13Dal?

Which Nadal version was best?

  • Total voters
    45
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Kralingen

Bionic Poster
Now that all the Rafa fans have actually returned to the board, let’s try to settle this once and for all.

Anyone who knows tennis would inarguably agree Rafa’s best period was ‘08-10, at least on all surfaces, winning all 4 Slams and producing the GOAT RG run in 2008.

However, which version of Nadal was better: the ‘05-07 one from the preceding 3 years, or 11-13 from the following 3 years? (we could also include 2014 because of the ‘12/‘14 injuries to make a truly equal 3 years of tennis in both periods).

‘05-07: 3 Slam wins (Roland Garros), 2 WB finals, best finish at HC Slam: QF. 9 Masters titles.

‘11-13: 4 Slam wins (3 RG+‘13 USO), 1 WB/USO/AO final each, 12-14 WB bad losses, 1 YE #1. 8 Masters titles.
 
How can anyone not say 11-13?..you are comparing baby Nadal vs peak/prime Nadal. Even though he lost 7 months to injury in 2012 - 13, still has more slams, more GS finals and YE#1 as well. 05-07 dal only has a better clay resume.
 
aman92 said:
How can anyone not say 11-13?..you are comparing baby Nadal vs peak/prime Nadal. Even though he lost 7 months to injury in 2012 - 13, still has more slams, more GS finals and YE#1 as well. 05-07 dal only has a better clay resume.
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But this is solely bc of losing to peak Fed at Wimbledon/YEC. It's hard to tell imo
 
63wizu.jpg
 
aman92 said:
How can anyone not say 11-13?..you are comparing baby Nadal vs peak/prime Nadal. Even though he lost 7 months to injury in 2012 - 13, still has more slams, more GS finals and YE#1 as well. 05-07 dal only has a better clay resume.
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Baby Nadal on HC would get straight smoked on by 2022 Old Nadal.
 
MichaelNadal said:
But this is solely bc of losing to peak Fed at Wimbledon/YEC. It's hard to tell imo
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I think more HC finals and that USO title along with World No 1 seal the deal for me. 2013 Nadal was the best hard court player of the year arguably while battling against Peakovic, Murray and Fed.
 
aman92 said:
I mean I love Babydal as much as anyone but it's a fact that his hard court game didn't mature to become potent at slams until late 2008.
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Maybe not in Bo5, but Nadal won more HC Masters (4 - Canada ‘05, Madrid ‘05, IW/Canada ‘07) in 2005-2007 than he did in 2011-14 (3 - IW/Canada/Cincy ‘13), and also beat Federer at Dubai in ‘06.
 
Kralingen said:
Maybe not in Bo5, but Nadal won more HC Masters (4 - Canada ‘05, Madrid ‘05, IW/Canada ‘07) in 2005-2007 than he did in 2011-14 (3 - IW/Canada/Cincy ‘13), and also beat Federer at Dubai in ‘06.
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Again beating Peakovic in a USO final far supercedes an additional masters title he might had. Also reached the final of WTF defeating Fed for the first and only time there and narrowly avoided adding another AO title.
 
Difficult to choose but I would go with 05-07 for his raw speed and atheticism. 11-13 had more experience but he lost a leg. 81 consecutive wins on clay in 05-07 should not be overlooked.
 
MichaelNadal said:
Nadal won 11 titles in 2005, I really think you're underrating him.
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I started watching him in 2005 and hated him a lot back then lol. But the young guy was really spectacular I had to admit that. 05-07 and 11-13 were like completely different versions of Nadal.
 
MichaelNadal said:
Nadal won 11 titles in 2005, I really think you're underrating him.
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He was a monster on clay and very good on grass in 07 that's it. 11-13 he had to compete with his biggest nightmare who was at his peak and he turned the table on him in slam matches , it's not even close MN.
 
NeutralFan said:
He was a monster on clay and very good on grass in 07 that's it. 11-13 he had to compete with his biggest nightmare who was at his peak and he turned the table on him in slam matches , it's not even close MN.
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He's already very good on grass in 06... snatched a set from the peakiest Fed in WC F.
 
NeutralFan said:
Quality of field higher ????

Peak Nadal + Peak Djok + Peak Murray + very good Fed + Peak Tsonga + Peak Birdman are miles better than the filed of 05-07.
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Wait until abmk will tell you how peak Baghdatis. Gonzalez and Roddick were far better competition than Murray, Tsonga and Berdych not to forget Peakovic and very good Federer
 
The existence of 05-07 Rafa is half of the reason why no one gave Djoker full credit when he rose to #1.

It felt like Djoker earned it by attrition and Fed and Rafa finally declining rather than him getting better than those guys’ peak level. The truth is it was a little of both, but it didn’t feel that way at the time.
 
travlerajm said:
If you have to use Tsonga and Birdman to make your argument, then you’ve already lost.
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Sadly we don't have baby Djokovic, Baby Murray and Mighty Baggy , James Blake in 11-13 , they were miles better than Peak Murray, peak Djokovic, very good Fed. The mighty top 5 of 2006 can't ever be repeated in any era bro.
 
Last edited:
Kralingen said:
Now that all the Rafa fans have actually returned to the board, let’s try to settle this once and for all.

Anyone who knows tennis would inarguably agree Rafa’s best period was ‘08-10, at least on all surfaces, winning all 4 Slams and producing the GOAT RG run in 2008.

However, which version of Nadal was better: the ‘05-07 one from the preceding 3 years, or 11-13 from the following 3 years? (we could also include 2014 because of the ‘12/‘14 injuries to make a truly equal 3 years of tennis in both periods).

‘05-07: 3 Slam wins (Roland Garros), 2 WB finals, best finish at HC Slam: QF. 9 Masters titles.

‘11-13: 4 Slam wins (3 RG+‘13 USO), 1 WB/USO/AO final each, 12-14 WB bad losses, 1 YE #1. 8 Masters titles.
Click to expand...

what does DAL means?????????????

it this short form of NADAL
 
2005-2007 easily, way better at Wimbledon in 2007, and way better on clay in 2005-2007.
Wasn't winning hardcourt slams 2005-2007 but was winning plenty of hardcourt tournaments.
 
Nadal's prime is pretty weird so you have to split it by surface:

Clay best to worst (but all of them are still good which you can't necessarily say for the HC or grass lists):

2012
2007
2005
2006
2013 (2013 a bit better than 2006 at RG but worse in the clay season as a whole)
2011

Grass best to worst:

2007
2006 / 2011 (2006 slightly better final but 2011 better pre-final)
2012
2013

HC best to worst:

2013
2011
2005 / 2007 / 2012 (2012 legit impressive in the few events he played but the sample size is too small)
2006
 
travlerajm said:
If you have to use Tsonga and Birdman to make your argument, then you’ve already lost.
Click to expand...

Well, if you have lubicic in top 4 then that era is beyond repair. Give me equivalent of Prime , Djokovic , Prime , Murray and good playing Fed in 05-07 .

Btw Same Birdman defeated Fed multiple times in slams and took him to one 5 setter in 2009. Something Titans of Fed era could never do to Fed in slams ;)
 
Last edited:
Third Serve said:
Nadal's prime is pretty weird so you have to split it by surface:

Clay best to worst:

2012
2007
2005
2006
2013 (2013 a bit better than 2006 at RG but worse in the clay season as a whole)
2011

Grass best to worst:

2007
2006 / 2011 (2006 slightly better final but 2011 better pre-final)
2012
2013

HC best to worst:

2013
2011
2005 / 2007 / 2012 (2012 legit impressive in the few events he played but the sample size is too small)
2006
Click to expand...
And 2010 was probably his best US Open level, certainly his best serving, and 2010 was one of his best clay seasons ever (undefeated at clay masters, and didn't drop a set at RG).
 
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