Do you think Rafa would give up a slam to not have played the AO final last year against Fed?

[hipolymer]

Rafa's legacy without the slam record is that of having a winning H2H and slam H2H against the GOAT, Fed. But with that loss at the AO final in their presumably last-ever slam final meeting, Rafa's H2H is tarnished due to Federer being 35 years old in his victory against his arch nemesis.

Would Nadal give up a slam win (to have 15 slams instead of 16) if it meant this loss at the AO would never have happened?

 

[zagor]

Would Nadal give up a slam win

Hahaha, no.

 

[reaper]

He would give up all 10 French Opens, no?

 

[goldengoose]

He quits while he is losing, what don't you get?

 

[mike danny]

No, just like Federer wouldn't give up a slam win for a better H2H against Rafa.

 

[D.Nalby12]

Nobody knows what was going in his mind that time. But one thing for sure Federer would have dismantled him, had he made final.

 

[ktid]

You are aware that only we care about such tedious and meaningless statistics. Federer might care because he knows it will be a hard match but that's it.

 

[RF-18]

In their last 5 slam meetings, Nadal has beaten him three times on HC. So he should be fine with losing once.

Why would one give up a slam for one loss. Just like fed wouldn't give up his slams for a couple of wins against nadal.

 

[fedtennisphan]

This thread is funny because at this very moment on another forum, Fedhaters are already created “arguments” to discredit a possible Federer title. Did you see how angry Nadal was when he had to retire? That angry is more than not being able to finish the match. Let’s face it, that loss in last year’s final to Federer definitely left a mark on Nadal. He was trying to stop at WB and was desperately trying to makeup for that final’s loss. If Federer wins this title in a big way liking w/o dropping a set. It would put more pressure on Nadal to win the FO again to even stay close.

 

[BGod]

Better question in my opinion is when someone asks about Nadal balancing out his spread at the expense of the French with a 7-3-3-3 still giving him the record at Roland Garros but a triple career slam.

 

[ingvar]

Rafa's legacy without the slam record is that of having a winning H2H and slam H2H against the GOAT, Fed. But with that loss at the AO final in their presumably last-ever slam final meeting, Rafa's H2H is tarnished due to Federer being 35 years old in his victory against his arch nemesis.

Would Nadal give up a slam win (to have 15 slams instead of 16) if it meant this loss at the AO would never have happened?

its very bad for his legacy and great for feds but its almost unimaginable to me he would give up a slam that he has already won in this hypothetical game. And not something like a USO which is important for his legacy. If he was hypothetically on 12 RG sure give up one RG. He cant afford to give up the other slams though and it would be a bad trade up as he loses more than he gains

For VB fans i dont know. Maybe. A lot of them h2h themed crap is everything, a lot less so since djok went 7-0 7-0 but still important esp djok has gone off injured and will not be doing any further damage to nads

 

[zagor]

This thread is funny because at this very moment on another forum, Fedhaters are already created “arguments” to discredit a possible Federer title. Did you see how angry Nadal was when he had to retire? That angry is more than not being able to finish the match. Let’s face it, that loss in last year’s final to Federer definitely left a mark on Nadal. He was trying to stop at WB and was desperately trying to makeup for that final’s loss. If Federer wins this title in a big way liking w/o dropping a set. It would put more pressure on Nadal to win the FO again to even stay close.

Obviously, he called AO this year a "lost opportunity" and implied he was reaching the final at Wimbledon last year if he got past Muller.

Nadal is extremely motivated to get the slam record.

 

[Deleted member 742196]

Can’t relate to some of the thinking on this forum.

I’m sure both Federer and Nadal are well aware their legacies are improved with the rivalry.

Nobody looks at Williams’ last few years of slam success in quite the same way because of the lack of a competitive rival.

Similarly, Djokovic’s legacy suffers some extent from also lacking a true rivalry during his 2011~2015 dominant phase.

There’s absolutely no way any of these special champions would shirk away from each other, win or lose.

Shirking away from challenge is usually something us ordinary folk think about.

 

[fedtennisphan]

Obviously, he called AO this year a "lost opportunity" and implied he was reaching the final at Wimbledon last year if he got past Muller.

Nadal is extremely motivated to get the slam record.

But that motivation could be Nadal’s undoing. The pressure builds for Nadal when Federer advances further than him GS draws. Notice he didn’t play nervously at FO and USO once he knew Federer was not playing or lost. Federer definitely needs to keep the pressure on.

 

[ingvar]

obvs nads wants slam record who wouldnt but If fed wins which is a big if, dont take it for granted at his age, then no way in hell is nads getting 21 slams lol VB might as well completely forget about that. We'll be hearing VB suddenly come up with new arguments that dont make sense like slams dont matter. Dont put it past them they live through nads their emotional wellbeing will then need slam count to not matter anymore

 

[fedtennisphan]

Can’t relate to some of the thinking on this forum.

I’m sure both Federer and Nadal are well aware their legacies are improved with the rivalry.

Nobody looks at Williams’ last few years of slam success in quite the same way because of the lack of a competitive rival.

Similarly, Djokovic’s legacy suffers some extent from also lacking a true rivalry during his 2011~2015 dominant phase.

There’s absolutely no way any of these special champions would shirk away from each other, win or lose.

Shirking away from challenge is usually something us ordinary folk think about.

Nadal didn’t run away from a challenge but he is definitely feeling the pressure. That’s why as a Federer fan I want Federer to win the title because I want to see Nadal’s response to Federer winning the title.

 

[Shank Volley]

He wouldn't give up a slam, no question, but he might give up reaching that final. A semi would still be a great result for him and he would have carried into the year maybe with more confidence against Roger.

I'm not saying it's a certainty, but slam final loss vs semifinal loss without that dent in his confidence is a better discussion to have.

 

[fedtennisphan]

obvs nads wants slam record who wouldnt but If fed wins which is a big if, dont take it for granted at his age, then no way in hell is nads getting 21 slams lol VB might as well completely forget about that. We'll be hearing VB suddenly come up with new arguments that dont make sense like slams dont matter. Dont put it past them they live through nads their emotional wellbeing will then need slam count to not matter anymore

I want Federer to win this title so badly because I want to see if Nadal can hold on physically to keep pace.

 

[zagor]

Nadal didn’t run away from a challenge but he is definitely feeling the pressure. That’s why as a Federer fan I want Federer to win the title because I want to see Nadal’s response to Federer winning the title.

I'm sure Fed is aware of that and is trying to put additional pressure on Nadal to keep up.

Problem for him is that he's 5 years older (so who knows how long he can keep this up, though Nadal's no spring chicken either) and that Nadal has zero competition on clay. A big hitter/big server can potentally take out Fed on HC/Grass, who's gonna beat Nadal at FO? Thiem? A supposed CC specialist that has terrible point construction and is a UFE machine.

 

[fedtennisphan]

I'm sure Fed is aware of that and is trying to put additional pressure on Nadal to keep up.

Problem for him is that he's 5 years older (so who knows how long he can keep this up, though Nadal's no spring chicken either) and that Nadal has zero competition on clay. A big hitter/big server can potentally take out Fed on HC/Grass, who's gonna beat Nadal at FO? Thiem? A supposed CC specialist that has terrible point construction and is a UFE machine.

In my mind, Federer is holding all the cards if he wins the title. That’s the beauty Nadal’s trump card the FO is played on a physically demanding surface: Clay. Yes, Federer is 5 years old and he should do whatever he can to stay healthy to make the most of his opportunities in GS play. Fedhaters are already are scratching their heads because they Murray, Djokovic and Nadal had the age advantage. Federer has done a good job so far in making that moot.

 

[MichaelNadal]

I thought of many things to respond your post with. Then decided it's not worth it and that the OP should be deleted from the forum.

 

[ingvar]

I want Federer to win this title so badly because I want to see if Nadal can hold on physically to keep pace.

Yeah i wonder how nads is going to try and overcome it or just flat out forget it as an unattainable goal and just go for brole on clay or call it quits or is he going to go for it regardless

 

[ingvar]

I'm sure Fed is aware of that and is trying to put additional pressure on Nadal to keep up.

Problem for him is that he's 5 years older (so who knows how long he can keep this up, though Nadal's no spring chicken either) and that Nadal has zero competition on clay. A big hitter/big server can potentally take out Fed on HC/Grass, who's gonna beat Nadal at FO? Thiem? A supposed CC specialist that has terrible point construction and is a UFE machine.

Agreed about fed 5 years and big hitters etc. hc and grass has the whole field as competition. But no way in hell nads is getting 21 slams. But will fed even get 20?

 

[ingvar]

I want Federer to win this title so badly because I want to see if Nadal can hold on physically to keep pace.

Also a win here means no man in open era history has more slams/titles then fed at AO, WIMB, US, WTF and obviously no man has more slams. Its the death of VB

 

[JMR]

Nadal should sacrifice a slam in order to avoid having lost a slam? Knowing Nadal's obsessive nature, pretty soon his slam count will be in the negative numbers through the application of this principle!

 

[fedtennisphan]

Also a win here means no man in open era history has more slams/titles then fed at AO, WIMB, US, WTF and obviously no man has more slams. Its the death of VB

Federer is tied at the US Open and a title at AO would be a tie. But still enough to create ruins. Come on Federer, I want to see ruins.

 

[ingvar]

Federer is tied at the US Open and a title at AO would be a tie. But still enough to create ruins. Come on Federer, I want to see ruins.

Its a tie but still means no man in history has more titles than fed at AO, USO etc. Its already a beatdown fed v nads GOAT of tennis past 20 years but any VB attempts to say Nads is anything bar better clay courter than fed if no one is better than fed at 3 of 4 slams plus WTF then just becomes laughable. Like actually comical but then bordering on are the VB mental

 

[Vish13]

Nobody knows what was going in his mind that time. But one thing for sure Federer would have dismantled him, had he made final.

Notwithstanding 2017, this is the last thing a Federer fan can be sure of. 1 year of results is not enough to assert this for certain. Ofcourse, it is easier to do so once Nadal has lost but given a choice no hardcore Federer fan who want nothing but a GS win for Federer would want Nadal on the opposite side of the net in the final.

 

[chjtennis]

This thread is funny because at this very moment on another forum, Fedhaters are already created “arguments” to discredit a possible Federer title. Did you see how angry Nadal was when he had to retire? That angry is more than not being able to finish the match. Let’s face it, that loss in last year’s final to Federer definitely left a mark on Nadal. He was trying to stop at WB and was desperately trying to makeup for that final’s loss. If Federer wins this title in a big way liking w/o dropping a set. It would put more pressure on Nadal to win the FO again to even stay close.

That's funny. I didn't think Nadal would be able to beat Federer at AO anyway, and Nadal was lucky Fed got injured before USO 17. I really don't see Federer losing to Nadal in a slam anywhere outside clay right now, in current health and form of each of them. I am really disappointed we are missing out on another proof of this obvious fact. Now I really wish Nadal was in the final instead of Cilic.

 

[chjtennis]

By the way, Nadal would never back away from any Federer matches now. He will try and beat Federer, and I really wanted to see if he had found the answers to Federer riddle. I want to see Fedal matches every week as the end of their respective career are nearing to an end, and we won't have much time left for this classic matchup.

 

[chjtennis]

I'm sure Fed is aware of that and is trying to put additional pressure on Nadal to keep up.

Problem for him is that he's 5 years older (so who knows how long he can keep this up, though Nadal's no spring chicken either) and that Nadal has zero competition on clay. A big hitter/big server can potentally take out Fed on HC/Grass, who's gonna beat Nadal at FO? Thiem? A supposed CC specialist that has terrible point construction and is a UFE machine.

Nadal's body seems to be breaking down a bit. I think Injury is a possibility on clay, where it gets more physical, so injuries may beat Nadal at RG. I'm not really wishing here for Nadal's injury, I'm just saying things as they look to me. He looked tired towards the end of last year, after playing so much tennis throughout 2017. I predicted he may have some physical problem in 2018 from burning himself out in 2017. I really think he needs to schedule himself well now. I hope both Federer and Nadal stays healthy and meet each other often this year.

 

[ingvar]

By the way, Nadal would never back away from any Federer matches now. He will try and beat Federer, and I really wanted to see if he had found the answers to Federer riddle. I want to see Fedal matches every week as the end of their respective career are nearing to an end, and we won't have much time left for this classic matchup.

Yeah same, I dont care if fed loses I want to see fed matches all the time before its all over. I want to see what change up nads makes and how long can fed keep his level this high. Most fans probably do too, I think but I dont know. Who the heck doesnt want to see a fedal match? The odd opposing fan base thats all and the fedal fans too nervous to watch

 

[chjtennis]

Notwithstanding 2017, this is the last thing a Federer fan can be sure of. 1 year of results is not enough to assert this for certain. Ofcourse, it is easier to do so once Nadal has lost but given a choice no hardcore Federer fan who want nothing but a GS win for Federer would want Nadal on the opposite side of the net in the final.

I'm a Federer fan who wanted to see Fedal final.

The thing about their encounters in 2017 was that Federer beat Nadal not by fluke but with clear game plan. To be aggressive and use BH topspin rather than slice by taking the ball early. And Nadal really didn't have any answer. It was the opposite prior to 2017. Whenever Nadal got into trouble during a rally, all he had to do was send a heavy topspin to Fed's BH and the rally would be reset every time. That was how Nadal used to beat Federer and that is not working any more. Until I see a new pattern Nadal uses to beat Federer, Federer should beat Nadal every time anywhere outside clay unless he suffers some bad luck.

 

[chjtennis]

Yeah same, I dont care if fed loses I want to see fed matches all the time before its all over. I want to see what change up nads makes and how long can fed keep his level this high. Most fans probably do too, I think but I dont know. Who the heck doesnt want to see a fedal match? The odd opposing fan base thats all and the fedal fans too nervous to watch

I'm sure under current circumstances, most of Federer fans would love to see Federer v Nadal as often as possible. That will be the case until Nadal comes up with another game plan to beat Federer.

 

[fedfan39]

Just what kind of stupid question is this? LMAO. Hell no. It's a stupid thread, but still, I will bother.

- Rafa still made the AO final, which was essential for him to finish YE #1.
- Rafa still has a very thick edge in the Fed rivalry especially at slams at 9-3. Even at AO, he still leads 3-1.
- Losing to Federer in a nail biter 5 set thriller is really no shame.
- Rafa's legacy is his own and is dependent on the H2H very little. His main legacy is the best clay courter all time by a huge margin, only man to win any tournament (including a GS) 10 times, and possibly the second best player of all time. Not bad.

 

[SinjinCooper]

Maybe a French Open one. He's got plenty of them, and they're not worth as much in terms of legacy, anyway.

 

[fedtennisphan]

Its a tie but still means no man in history has more titles than fed at AO, USO etc. Its already a beatdown fed v nads GOAT of tennis past 20 years but any VB attempts to say Nads is anything bar better clay courter than fed if no one is better than fed at 3 of 4 slams plus WTF then just becomes laughable. Like actually comical but then bordering on are the VB mental

VB attempts to make Nadal equal or better Federer will be futile because Nadal’s legacy is based on clay and the FO. His numbers on other surfaces and GS are inferior to Federer in every way.

 

[Vish13]

I'm a Federer fan who wanted to see Fedal final.

The thing about their encounters in 2017 was that Federer beat Nadal not by fluke but with clear game plan. To be aggressive and use BH topspin rather than slice by taking the ball early. And Nadal really didn't have any answer. It was the opposite prior to 2017. Whenever Nadal got into trouble during a rally, all he had to do was send a heavy topspin to Fed's BH and the rally would be reset every time. That was how Nadal used to beat Federer and that is not working any more. Until I see a new pattern Nadal uses to beat Federer, Federer should beat Nadal every time anywhere outside clay unless he suffers some bad luck.

And I agree. As a Federer fan nothing will be better than to beat Nadal in the final to win a Grand Slam. I was trying to highlight that it can never be a given result like it was being suggested. And if I don't know how long Federer is going to continue and want him to reach the 20th, possibly not having Nadal on the other side will be more comforting.

 

[chjtennis]

And I agree. As a Federer fan nothing will be better than to beat Nadal in the final to win a Grand Slam. I was trying to highlight that it can never be a given result like it was being suggested. And if I don't know how long Federer is going to continue and want him to reach the 20th, possibly not having Nadal on the other side will be more comforting.

I hear you, but I still would've felt more comfortable if it was Nadal who's in the final than Cilic. Cilic, to me, seems more of a threat for Federer than Nadal at AO 2018.

 

[Vish13]

I hear you, but I still would've felt more comfortable if it was Nadal who's in the final than Cilic. Cilic, to me, seems more of a threat for Federer than Nadal at AO 2018.

Fair point.

Edit: Infact Chung might prove to be handful too

 

[zagor]

Nadal's body seems to be breaking down a bit. I think Injury is a possibility on clay, where it gets more physical, so injuries may beat Nadal at RG. I'm not really wishing here for Nadal's injury, I'm just saying things as they look to me. He looked tired towards the end of last year, after playing so much tennis throughout 2017. I predicted he may have some physical problem in 2018 from burning himself out in 2017. I really think he needs to schedule himself well now. I hope both Federer and Nadal stays healthy and meet each other often this year.

I've been hearing that since 2005.

 

[chjtennis]

I've been hearing that since 2005.

Haha, yeah, I know, but getting injured at 20 is not the same as getting that at 32. I just sense Nadal is struggling more physically these days, after playing a lot.