Fed's mental block when it comes to Nadal

[wangs78]

Ok, guys, just wanted to take a poll re how many of think that Fed very clearly has a mental block against Nadal. Just judging by his poor serving today and of course the missed break points, especially in the third set, you've got to believe that Fed, if not for this mental block, should have won today's AO final but also the 2008 Wimbledon. I don't want to take all the credit from Nadal though, because he is definitely a clutch player, but it seems like he is especially clutch when he's playing Fed. It's like Nadal KNOWS Fed will crack and Fed doesn't believe he can win or something. How the hell does he blow love-40 in the 3rd set???? Judging by the quality from both players in the match, there is no way he should have blown 4 straight bps!!!! He choked, plain and simple. And then he choked 2 more bps in the 3rd set. Nadal made some great plays for sure today but when one watches these matches, it's pretty clear to me that Fed is the one with more weapons. But Nadal has HUGE mental edge. Wilander was right, against Nadal, Fed's balls shrink to a very very small size. I'm a big Fed fan, but I'm really worried bc with each additional loss to Nadal it will only get worse.

 

[veritech]

the mental edge is HUGE between the two. it's sad, really. federer should think about hiring a coach, or at least someone to aid him with this problem.

 

[Aabye]

Aiyiyiyi, why do people mention this mental block? Because it's Federer? Well, other players have run into the same roadblock when they play Fed (Roddick, for instance) and we don't declare it a mental block, we call it a bad match-up.

 

[cokebottle]

Hard courts even moreso than grass this is true I think. Federer should get a psychologist since he is really making an embarassment of the so called rivalry when he has the ability to more if he stopped the Novontna-like choking fits.

 

[vicnan]

I don't agree with the convenient and cliched "choke" tag, but I do think Federer has a mental block when he plays Nadal that prevents him from playing loose, from playing his best tennis. The poor break percentage and lapses in concentration he has against Nadal are not simply explained through technical tennis differences.

That said, I still think the best Federer v Nadal match is still in the future -- despite the recent Wimbledon/AO results. May be it will be in this (or, next) year's hard court slam(s).

 

[bladepdb]

A very close 2nd is Nadal's game...high bouncing topspinners to Fed' 1hBH.

 

[wangs78]

Aiyiyiyi, why do people mention this mental block? Because it's Federer? Well, other players have run into the same roadblock when they play Fed (Roddick, for instance) and we don't declare it a mental block, we call it a bad match-up.

The reason is that I think it's pretty clear that Fed has more weapons than Nadal. So why can't he win? Why can't he convert a single bp at love-40?

Roddick is clearly at a lower level than Fed. He might have a mental block as well but I think even he recognizes that Fed is a better player.

My poll is to ask who thinks Fed is the more talented player than Nadal and his losses on grass/hc to Nadal have a lot to do with a mental block.

 

[wilsonplayer]

aabye, i think we call it a mental block because of the poor quality of play that he shows when matches become competitive with nadal. when roddick goes out and plays his best tennis and loses to fed, it's not a mental block because fed is just too good. it's not a mental block because there's no hesitancy or tentativeness from roddick, he goes out and plays his game and federer just straight up raises his play. well, i think a lot of tennis fans are waiting for fed to raise his level of play like he has for the past 5 years and step up and beat nadal, instead of playing a poor quality match. his play was filled with tentativeness, and he was obviously extremely nervous. for that reason, which has to do with his cognizance, he cannot raise his level of play, and therefore it is a mental block.

 

[wangs78]

A very close 2nd is Nadal's game...high bouncing topspinners to Fed' 1hBH.

This I agree with. On clay, mental block or not, Nadal has the advantage. On grass / hc though, Fed's playing style should have the upper hand.

 

[db379]

These Nadal-Fed matches are nerve wrecking! There's no question they are head and shoulders above the rest of the field. Once again they displayed fantastic tennis, great athletism, unmatched desire to win (especially Nadal!). These matches are just classics, pure drama. A model of talent, beauty and shear determination... An example for the rest of us.

When it comes to these encounters there's no question that there are two fantastic players, two players with different weapons but equally great in there own way. I think, like some already said, that Fed has a mental blockage when he plays Nadal (and frankly, who wouldn't?). Thruth be told, I really think that Fed should have won this one and Wimbledon 08. But maybe I am slightly underestimating Nadal's talent to wear down his opponents and bring them down to their knees in submission. No matter how great Nadal is (and he is one of the greatest for sure!), I really have the feeling that Fed has the weapons and the mental strength to beat him at least 50% of the time in these GS finals. He should really sit down and rethink his tactics against Rafa. I mean, he was able to win some serve games so easily when he was mixing it up with drop shots, slices on the backhand side and S&V. There got to be a better tactic for Fed than staying 3 feet behind the baseline and engaging in unterminable rallies with the king of spin.

 

[wangs78]

These Nadal-Fed matches are nerve wrecking! There's no question they are head and shoulders above the rest of the field. Once again they displayed fantastic tennis, great athletism, unmatched desire to win (especially Nadal!). These matches are just classics, pure drama. A model of talent, beauty and shear determination... An example for the rest of us.

When it comes to these encounters there's no question that there are two fantastic players, two players with different weapons but equally great in there own way. I think, like some already said, that Fed has a mental blockage when he plays Nadal (and frankly, who wouldn't?). Thruth be told, I really think that Fed should have won this one and Wimbledon 08. But maybe I am slightly underestimating Nadal's talent to wear down his opponents and bring them down to their knees in submission. No matter how great Nadal is (and he is one of the greatest for sure!), I really have the feeling that Fed has the weapons and the mental strength to beat him at least 50% of the time in these GS finals. He should really sit down and rethink his tactics against Rafa. I mean, he was able to win some serve games so easily when he was mixing it up with drop shots, slices on the backhand side and S&V. There got to be a better tactic for Fed than staying 3 feet behind the baseline and engaging in unterminable rallies with the king of spin.

I don't disagree with you, but I think the main problem for Fed is that on important points Fed is downright nervous and not playing loose, like a previous poster said. Fed is clearly able to put himself in position to take commanding leads in these matches but he blows the break point opportunities. It's weird bc usually when I have a bp in a game I feel more confident knowing that my opponent has his back to the wall and I am in position to make the kill. But Fed seems to freeze up at the very moment when Nadal's jugular is exposed, like in the 3rd set today.

 

[eeytennis]

the mental edge is HUGE between the two. it's sad, really. federer should think about hiring a coach, or at least someone to aid him with this problem.

I totally agree. Federer was fine when he was winning all the time, but as soon as Nadal started beating him as well as him losing to other lower ranked players, he really lost his edge. Technically, his game is beautiful, mentally, he doesn't know what it's like to be 2nd best and I think that really shook him up. He should definitely invest in some kind of mental training.

 

[activentures]

i think so. either that or it is coincidence that he hasn't performed in their finals. Ok you can discount Paris because Nadal is the main man, but the stats for today and Wimby 08 are totally un-Roger like. First serve percentage and unforced errors particularly. Either this was just two off days or it is the effect that having Nadal on the other side of the net is having on him mentally. I've watched most of their matches and I've always felt Fed just wasn't himself and not in top gear to a quite infuriating extent. Fed should have won Wimby 08 and the AO today. Today I think it was the third set where he was winning his service games easily and going to deuce/break points on Rafa's. He was dominating the points and you think its only a mater of time before he takes control..but then he plays the important points not so well and doesn't seize his opportunites. Nadal is more mentally strong on the important points.

 

[_maxi]

Yes, but I don't judge him for that, he is human.

 

[DarkSephiroth]

If he didn't, Fed's serve would have been a lot better. LoL.

 

[Ocean Gypsy]

Ok, guys, just wanted to take a poll re how many of think that Fed very clearly has a mental block against Nadal. Just judging by his poor serving today and of course the missed break points, especially in the third set, you've got to believe that Fed, if not for this mental block, should have won today's AO final but also the 2008 Wimbledon. I don't want to take all the credit from Nadal though, because he is definitely a clutch player, but it seems like he is especially clutch when he's playing Fed. It's like Nadal KNOWS Fed will crack and Fed doesn't believe he can win or something. How the hell does he blow love-40 in the 3rd set???? Judging by the quality from both players in the match, there is no way he should have blown 4 straight bps!!!! He choked, plain and simple. And then he choked 2 more bps in the 3rd set. Nadal made some great plays for sure today but when one watches these matches, it's pretty clear to me that Fed is the one with more weapons. But Nadal has HUGE mental edge. Wilander was right, against Nadal, Fed's balls shrink to a very very small size. I'm a big Fed fan, but I'm really worried bc with each additional loss to Nadal it will only get worse.

Well said. Agreed on all counts.

 

[iriraz]

It would help Federer`s cause if he would train regularly with a decent lefty or meet more lefties in the tournament .Nadal has a big advantage every time he plays Federer because he is used to right handed players while for Federer his only left handed opponent is Nadal.
Nadal-Verdasco was a good example why Nadal struggled.He is used to righties but against an inform lefty he struggled.
If u don`t train regularly against lefties it`s really hard to play them when u meet them

 

[travlerajm]

I think the mental block goes beyond just playing tight on big points. I think it is making him tighten up on his strategy too. Usually he plays the chess match well, but against Nadal, he becomes a mental midget when it comes to rally strategy:

http://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/showthread.php?t=242963

 

[iriraz]

Ok, guys, just wanted to take a poll re how many of think that Fed very clearly has a mental block against Nadal. Just judging by his poor serving today and of course the missed break points, especially in the third set, you've got to believe that Fed, if not for this mental block, should have won today's AO final but also the 2008 Wimbledon. I don't want to take all the credit from Nadal though, because he is definitely a clutch player, but it seems like he is especially clutch when he's playing Fed. It's like Nadal KNOWS Fed will crack and Fed doesn't believe he can win or something. How the hell does he blow love-40 in the 3rd set???? Judging by the quality from both players in the match, there is no way he should have blown 4 straight bps!!!! He choked, plain and simple. And then he choked 2 more bps in the 3rd set. Nadal made some great plays for sure today but when one watches these matches, it's pretty clear to me that Fed is the one with more weapons. But Nadal has HUGE mental edge. Wilander was right, against Nadal, Fed's balls shrink to a very very small size. I'm a big Fed fan, but I'm really worried bc with each additional loss to Nadal it will only get worse.

I want to say here that if u watched the match when Nadal was 0-40 down and Federer had like 5-6 BP in that game i think Nadal missed only one first serve.Nadal attacked all of Federer`s returns on those important points and u have to give him credit for that.It`s not like Federer missed with an open court an easy shot.
In contrast to Wimbledon Federer took some of his chances in the 2 and 4 set but if Nadal gets his first serve in it`s hard to do something

 

[edmondsm]

It's part mental block and part physics of tennis. Everyone should be aware that 90% of break points come in the ad-court. This is where a left-hander can slice the serve out wide, to a righties backhand, and get him way out of position to start the point. Nadal does this with brutal consistancy, along with just relentlessly pounding Federer's backhand during the rallies.

I think it's the matchup that causes the mental issues for Federer. He knows, he can feel out there, that he has a huge problem to try and solve.

 

[muzza123]

I want to say here that if u watched the match when Nadal was 0-40 down and Federer had like 5-6 BP in that game i think Nadal missed only one first serve.Nadal attacked all of Federer`s returns on those important points and u have to give him credit for that.It`s not like Federer missed with an open court an easy shot.
In contrast to Wimbledon Federer took some of his chances in the 2 and 4 set but if Nadal gets his first serve in it`s hard to do something

I agree. Federer deserves more credit than "he simply tanked it". Bar maybe one or 2 UE's max, Federer was doing all he could. It's just that Nadal was solid and ultimately his willpower got him through those games.

 

[JennyS]

I think he does have a mental block. The Redskins had this problem against the Cowboys for YEARS. Deion Sanders used to say that the Cowboys KNEW they were going to win those games. In the 1999 season opener the Redskins were up by 21 points at the start of the 4th quarter, but the Cowboys came back to win.

What did Roger do differently in those two Masters Cup wins he had over Nadal? He won those pretty easily if I recall.

 

[dh003i]

I tend to agree with most of the analysis here. Federer was certainly playing well enough to win, despite his awful serving, and just blew his chances, tightened up. With several multiple-BP opportunities in the 3rd set, he should have converted. One break point, I can understand. But he had 15-40 and 0-40 situations. Unless Nadal served all aces and unreturnables -- which he didn't -- Federer should've broken. Period.

It isn't taking away from Nadal's win to say that. I mean, that's just reality. A better strategy than whatever the hell un-Federer-like tentative Hewitt-style play he was doing on those BP's would have been to take Agassi- or Safin-style go-for-broke swings for winners off the return.

I think he's too great a champion not to overcome this, and hopefully Mirka will shake some sense in him that he needs to get a tough coach, to rail on him for playing tentatively on BPs. At the very least, he needs to play the same (or up his level) on BPs as on other points, not play more tentatively.

More generally, he really ought to be consistently moving his whole game back towards more of an all-court aggressive game utilizing all of his shots and improving his net consistency.

 

[FiveO]

IMO it's physical more than mental, but the physical mounts and effects the mental as the grind continues.

1) Nadal has a go to pattern. High to Fed's bh where over time and number of reps it becomes a percentage play in and of itself. It gains Nadal the nuetral when in trouble and and when he's not places enourmous pressure on Fed to overreach, in an effort to deny Nadal a short ball that sits up.

2) Nadal gets to exploit that pattern being left handed. Serving everything to Fed's bh initiates his favored diagonal exchange.

3) Nadal blunts all of Fed's go to plays. Fed's bh slice hit short plays into Nadal's favorite shot and gives him options other opponents simply don't have from that spot in the court.

4) Nadal out waits Fed's patience. Fed's patience, his willingness to out wait other opponents is Fed's strength against those with fire power, but who are in the end simply not as steady as he is off the ground. Nadal can out wait even Fed.

5) Fed's game and psyche is so based on consistency, that he is risk averse. While Fed will hit the lines he doesn't want to go there as many times as Nadal forces him to. Fed is forced to reduced the margins of everything he does in order to make headway in the point. When he can't by the time he is accustomed to vs. anyone else, the pressure mounts.

Fed is forced from his comfort zone, over time that constant nagging pressure forces Fed to do the uncomfortable, go for more pace, hit closer to the netcord and lines with less margins. That carries over to the serve hence the difference in his serving performance v. Roddick and compared to Nadal.

His serve percentages and efficiency drops due to the increased pressure which in turn increases the pressure Fed feels on every other element of his game. A miss further erodes confidence and this viscious cycle commences a spiral which accelerates with every point lost. This match up was bad for Fed from the get. Nadal got even tougher while Fed has lost a fraction of a step. I fear it only gets worse from here.

5

 

[wangs78]

It's part mental block and part physics of tennis. Everyone should be aware that 90% of break points come in the ad-court. This is where a left-hander can slice the serve out wide, to a righties backhand, and get him way out of position to start the point. Nadal does this with brutal consistancy, along with just relentlessly pounding Federer's backhand during the rallies.

I think it's the matchup that causes the mental issues for Federer. He knows, he can feel out there, that he has a huge problem to try and solve.

Good point but my two counterpoints are:
1) It was love-40 so Fed would have had at least one break point opportunity in the deuce court
2) It's a hard court, the lefty advantage that Nadal has is clearly not as great as on clay. In fact, I thought Fed did quite well with his backhand today. I don't think Nadal broke down Fed's backhand at all today. Fed just lost key points today from both wings.

 

[urban]

If we talk about lost breakpoints, don't forget, that Nadal, at 2-2 in the fourth, had 4 break chances to virtually close out the match. Yes, Federer is afraid of Nadal. He showed it at Hamburg last year, when Nadal was tired from the ultra-tough Djokovic semi and Fed had all advantages on his side. A Five O wrote, it can get worse, because now, Nadal is getting a distinct advantage even on the forehand. He is beginning to attack Federer's forehand, and if needed, he can still rely on the high topspin to the backhand.

 

[dh003i]

Nadal's game is certainly a bad matchup for Federer, but that isn't the problem. Federer seemed to overcome that in the 2nd and 4th sets, so he clearly can do it, and with some margin too (6-3 sets).

 

[danb]

Ok, guys, just wanted to take a poll re how many of think that Fed very clearly has a mental block against Nadal. Just judging by his poor serving today and of course the missed break points, especially in the third set, you've got to believe that Fed, if not for this mental block, should have won today's AO final but also the 2008 Wimbledon. I don't want to take all the credit from Nadal though, because he is definitely a clutch player, but it seems like he is especially clutch when he's playing Fed. It's like Nadal KNOWS Fed will crack and Fed doesn't believe he can win or something. How the hell does he blow love-40 in the 3rd set???? Judging by the quality from both players in the match, there is no way he should have blown 4 straight bps!!!! He choked, plain and simple. And then he choked 2 more bps in the 3rd set. Nadal made some great plays for sure today but when one watches these matches, it's pretty clear to me that Fed is the one with more weapons. But Nadal has HUGE mental edge. Wilander was right, against Nadal, Fed's balls shrink to a very very small size. I'm a big Fed fan, but I'm really worried bc with each additional loss to Nadal it will only get worse.

Yet another excuse

 

[JohnnyCracker]

I think the occasion just overwhelmed Federer. He was on the verge of equalling Sampras's record. He was so close, just ONE win away, he could almost taste it. He was looking ahead instead of focusing on the task at hand. Because he wanted it so bad, it paralyzed him big time. Right from the get-go he was feeling so much pressure that he couldn't even serve. He was reacting most of the match insteading of dictating. Nadal played great. He was dictating most of the rallies and the one thing that he does best is ignoring the score, ignoring how big the ocassion is, and just play the point. That's something Federer has to learn from Nadal. It's much harder to do than it sounds, especially when playing from behind.

 

[edmondsm]

Good point but my two counterpoints are:
1) It was love-40 so Fed would have had at least one break point opportunity in the deuce court
2) It's a hard court, the lefty advantage that Nadal has is clearly not as great as on clay. In fact, I thought Fed did quite well with his backhand today. I don't think Nadal broke down Fed's backhand at all today. Fed just lost key points today from both wings.

100% right, and I think that is where the mental side comes into things. Federer gets oppurtunities where he needs them and HE KNOWS he needs them. Also, Nadal is just a beast in the clutch. Federer got to that love-40 and Nadal got 3 big first serves in. You can't give enough credit to Nadal, the guy has mental fortitude that is, well just humbling.

 

[Lotto]

Well, from 2006 on when Nadal really emerged has a top dog look at the results at slams:

2006 - Federer would have won the Grand Slam if it wasn't for : Nadal

2007 - Federer would have won the Grand Slam if it wasn't for : Nadal

2008 - Federer would have won 3 grand slams if it wasn't for : Nadal

And so far in 2009 Federer would have the very first GS of the year if it wasn't for Nadal.


So really Federer could be the undisputed GOAT if it wasn't for Nadal. In 2006 Federer won 3/4 majors, he got to the final in the 4th and Nadal beat him, same in 2007 and in 2008 he would have won the French and Wimbledon aswell as the US had it not been for Nadal.


So, seriously, I really think that it is a HUGE HUGE mental block for Federer on grass and hard courts, clay fair enough but seriously.

Here are the three reasons I believe:


1. Mental Block
2. Choice of Tactics and Stubborness
3. Nadal's heavy topspin game to Feds backhand
4. Federer's stubborness, lack of motivation and lack of desire to improve his game so that he now can catch up with Nadal. It's roles reversed from a few years back, Nadal improved to Federer's level and is now slightly above it but Fed isn't willing to put the work in to regain his place.

 

[BreakPoint]

Against anyone else, Federer attacks his opponent's weak second serves, especially on break points. Against Nadal, he doesn't. He meekly pushes Nadal's weak second serves into the net on break point opportunities.

Why? Must be a mental block. It almost seems as if Federer doesn't really want to beat Nadal or something. It's quite bizarre. I just don't get it. Federer goes for his shots when he plays against Del Potro and Roddick, but against Nadal he turns into a wuss. Mirka needs to give Federer a spanking after that poor performance. :shock:

 

[CyBorg]

Aiyiyiyi, why do people mention this mental block? Because it's Federer? Well, other players have run into the same roadblock when they play Fed (Roddick, for instance) and we don't declare it a mental block, we call it a bad match-up.

Roddick is clearly an inferior player compared to Federer. This is why he loses. Not just the mental thing, but in terms of physical ability.

Would you say Federer is inferior skill-wise to Nadal?

I don't think he is. If Roger serves at 60% first serve as he should and then converts on that 0-40 late in the third set the match is his.

He blew it. It's as simple as that.

 

[CyBorg]

Fed is forced from his comfort zone, over time that constant nagging pressure forces Fed to do the uncomfortable, go for more pace, hit closer to the netcord and lines with less margins. That carries over to the serve hence the difference in his serving performance v. Roddick and compared to Nadal.

Thanks for chipping in, FiveO and I've bolded the part of your post that seems to get at the problem. Sometimes the 'comfort zone'-thing is used as an excuse by some folks - to me, it reveals a great problem and, in general, a negative about Federer.

What was great about champions like Laver, Gonzales and Sampras is that they didn't really have 'comfort zones'. They knew how to adjust and change their game depending on the situation at hand.

Sampras, of course, had that big serve to get him out of trouble. If his backhand stopped working, he would always go to this and knew he could rely on this weapon.

Roger seems to only know how to play one way. Something breaks down and he has no aces up his sleeve.

A player with too much of a 'comfort zone' is a player with a massive achilles heel. This is what Nadal has been able to exploit and he knows Roger so well. This is why he keeps saying that if he can stay close to Roger then he believes he will win.

It's because he'll improvise on the go, while Roger keeps doing the same-old.

 

[msc886]

It's partly mental block but it's not the biggest factor. From what I've observed,
1) His tactics and variety. Back in his prime, what made him difficult to beat was his variety, his all-roundedness, earlier, he hitting mostly topspin groundstrokes which Nadal could easily get to. He should of taken a leaf out of Verdasco, Blake (of old), Berdych, etc that he was to hit aggressively and more flat and he can do that. Also where was his old slice? He kept trying to come over the ball and hit topspin backhands to Nadal's forehand. That's really asking for it.
2) Nadal has improved a lot. He was running down everything and not only does he get them back but he gets them back with authority now. His defense to offense has never been better. Couple with his desire to win and his mental toughness, it made him almost unstoppable and Federer had no answer, well he didn't even try to find an answer.
3)Federer hasn't improved at all. His game doesn't show that he has really been training much.
Federer is really gonna have to take it up a notch if he wants another grand slam because at the moment Nadal is onl getting better.

 

[Pushmaster]

Nadal's game is certainly a bad matchup for Federer.

It's a bad matchup for anybody when the guy on the other side of the net is better than you. :roll:

 

[The-Champ]

I think he does have a mental block. The Redskins had this problem against the Cowboys for YEARS. Deion Sanders used to say that the Cowboys KNEW they were going to win those games. In the 1999 season opener the Redskins were up by 21 points at the start of the 4th quarter, but the Cowboys came back to win.

What did Roger do differently in those two Masters Cup wins he had over Nadal? He won those pretty easily if I recall.

Those were not 5 set matches.


I think it's a combination of many things. Rafa is clutch, mental block on Roger's part, bad match-up due to the nature of Rafa's game.

 

[db379]

I agree with lotto's analysis, except maybe for the part where he says Fed doesn't want to improve. I don't think thisi s true, as a great player and professional I'm sure he's keen on improving. That being said, I really think Fed has to change his tactic and break Rafa's rythm at critical points in the match. He cannot keep on playing Nadal's game from the backcourt and hope to win. That's the thing that I don't understand. After all these defeats it looks like Fed keeps on playing the same game against Rafa, and clearly it doesn't work! So why he won't change his tactics? I think Fed needs a few new tricks in his bag, he has to mix it up when he's losing, break Rafa's rythm, do something different. I'm sure he knows it but for some reason he doesn't seem to be able to do it against Rafa. He can do it against anybody else but not Rafa....

Do you guys also think Fed needs a new coach (if he already has one...), sit down and think about the startegy to beat Nadal?

 

[vtmike]

Well, from 2006 on when Nadal really emerged has a top dog look at the results at slams:

2006 - Federer would have won the Grand Slam if it wasn't for : Nadal

2007 - Federer would have won the Grand Slam if it wasn't for : Nadal

2008 - Federer would have won 3 grand slams if it wasn't for : Nadal

And so far in 2009 Federer would have the very first GS of the year if it wasn't for Nadal.


So really Federer could be the undisputed GOAT if it wasn't for Nadal. In 2006 Federer won 3/4 majors, he got to the final in the 4th and Nadal beat him, same in 2007 and in 2008 he would have won the French and Wimbledon aswell as the US had it not been for Nadal.


So, seriously, I really think that it is a HUGE HUGE mental block for Federer on grass and hard courts, clay fair enough but seriously.

Here are the three reasons I believe:


1. Mental Block
2. Choice of Tactics and Stubborness
3. Nadal's heavy topspin game to Feds backhand
4. Federer's stubborness, lack of motivation and lack of desire to improve his game so that he now can catch up with Nadal. It's roles reversed from a few years back, Nadal improved to Federer's level and is now slightly above it but Fed isn't willing to put the work in to regain his place.

Agree +1

Good post!

I agree with lotto's analysis, except maybe for the part where he says Fed doesn't want to improve. I don't think thisi s true, as a great player and professional I'm sure he's keen on improving. That being said, I really think Fed has to change his tactic and break Rafa's rythm at critical points in the match. He cannot keep on playing Nadal's game from the backcourt and hope to win. That's the thing that I don't understand. After all these defeats it looks like Fed keeps on playing the same game against Rafa, and clearly it doesn't work! So why he won't change his tactics? I think Fed needs a few new tricks in his bag, he has to mix it up when he's losing, break Rafa's rythm, do something different. I'm sure he knows it but for some reason he doesn't seem to be able to do it against Rafa. He can do it against anybody else but not Rafa....

Do you guys also think Fed needs a new coach (if he already has one...), sit down and think about the startegy to beat Nadal?

Yes Desperately! He is not thinking clearly to come up with a winning strategy on his own!