Is Nadal more stronger than ever on clay ?

Third Serve said:
Kinda feel like Nadal purposefully held back a little seeing as the competition wasn’t anywhere near his level. He did dial it back up once he saw Soderling across the net in the final, though.
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Yeah, he had the gears to afford to not go out until he meet Sod. As long as he was comfortable and not being pushed, no need to play your absolute best.

Reminds me of the 07 SF. Nadal was so much better than Djoko on clay that year that he could afford to drop a double break in set 1 from 4-0 up, knowing he was gonna break at 5-5 for sure. Pretty much held back until later in the match and still won easily.
 
It isn't only about weak competition, its about mental state of Nadals opponent. I just watched Soderling highlight from 2009. He had a plan, and he executed it from start to finish. He wasnt scared of winning. Now compare him to Sinner yday. He played great until 5-3, and then pussied out. Most of wins of big names victories comes before the match, and when you add perfect conditions for Rafa on RG, he is almost unbeatable.
 
One said:
It isn't only about weak competition, its about mental state of Nadals opponent. I just watched Soderling highlight from 2009. He had a plan, and he executed it from start to finish. He wasnt scared of winning. Now compare him to Sinner yday. He played great until 5-3, and then pussied out. Most of wins of big names victories comes before the match, and when you add perfect conditions for Rafa on RG, he is almost unbeatable.
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Soderling had a high risk game, and made more winners and less unforced errors than normal on that day. Sinner got to serving for the first set and then started imploding with errors. Once Nadal won that first set, the message being sent was that it's very hard to win a set against Nadal at the French Open, let alone a match.
 
MichaelNadal said:
Sleevelessdal would murder currentdal
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How? He'd outrun him? Nadals ballstriking just seems stronger and heavier these days. I agree his movement isn't what it once was, especially off clay, but his shotmaking skills have improved especially off his BH side. He has never hit his BH as well as he does now especially when he is aggressive, but also under pressure he has the ability to turn from defence to offense fast.

These weak field theorists is just a joke excuse honestly. If people really think it's down to the field that Nadal still looks this good and barely losing sets, you are delusional. I'm sick of hearing tbh. People need to stop living in the past with the notion how everything was better before.
 
RF-18 said:
How? He'd outrun him? Nadals ballstriking just seems stronger and heavier these days. I agree his movement isn't what it once was, especially off clay, but his shotmaking skills have improved especially off his BH side. He has never hit his BH as well as he does now especially when he is aggressive, but also under pressure he has the ability to turn from defence to offense fast.

These weak field theorists is just a joke excuse honestly. If people really think it's down to the field that Nadal still looks this good and barely losing sets, you are delusional. I'm sick of hearing tbh. People need to stop living in the past with the notion how everything was better before.
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He's way better now than people give him credit for absolutely. I just don't know if I see him beating 06 Fed today. His game was much more defensive yes, but there's a reason he won 81 straight matches on clay then too
 
RF-18 said:
How? He'd outrun him? Nadals ballstriking just seems stronger and heavier these days. I agree his movement isn't what it once was, especially off clay, but his shotmaking skills have improved especially off his BH side. He has never hit his BH as well as he does now especially when he is aggressive, but also under pressure he has the ability to turn from defence to offense fast.

These weak field theorists is just a joke excuse honestly. If people really think it's down to the field that Nadal still looks this good and barely losing sets, you are delusional. I'm sick of hearing tbh. People need to stop living in the past with the notion how everything was better before.
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And people need to stop with the recency bias and assuming things only get better and better.
 
RF-18 said:
How? He'd outrun him? Nadals ballstriking just seems stronger and heavier these days. I agree his movement isn't what it once was, especially off clay, but his shotmaking skills have improved especially off his BH side. He has never hit his BH as well as he does now especially when he is aggressive, but also under pressure he has the ability to turn from defence to offense fast.

These weak field theorists is just a joke excuse honestly. If people really think it's down to the field that Nadal still looks this good and barely losing sets, you are delusional. I'm sick of hearing tbh. People need to stop living in the past with the notion how everything was better before.
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Lol at that talk that his backhand is better than ever.


There is absolutely nothing current Nadal does better than 2008 Nadal, except for hitting more double faults. Would have lost to him in straight sets.
 
Mustard said:
Soderling had a high risk game, and made more winners and less unforced errors than normal on that day. Sinner got to serving for the first set and then started imploding with errors. Once Nadal won that first set, the message being sent was that it's very hard to win a set against Nadal at the French Open, let alone a match.
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Yes, but why did Sinner imploded on 5-3, he was playing great up until then? You need to be mentally prepared to beat Nadal, otherwise not even Djokos BH, Delpos FH and Isner serve is not going to be enough for a victory.
 
RF-18 said:
How? He'd outrun him? Nadals ballstriking just seems stronger and heavier these days. I agree his movement isn't what it once was, especially off clay, but his shotmaking skills have improved especially off his BH side. He has never hit his BH as well as he does now especially when he is aggressive, but also under pressure he has the ability to turn from defence to offense fast.

These weak field theorists is just a joke excuse honestly. If people really think it's down to the field that Nadal still looks this good and barely losing sets, you are delusional. I'm sick of hearing tbh. People need to stop living in the past with the notion how everything was better before.
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I agree. His groundies these days are otherworldly on Chatrier.
 
StrongRule said:
And what is your point? 2008 Nadal would have lost something like 3-4 games to Sinner. And for sure wouldn't be gifting him a free point with a double fault in almost every service game.
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That backhand (1:50) is better than the one you posted.
 
RF-18 said:
How? He'd outrun him? Nadals ballstriking just seems stronger and heavier these days. I agree his movement isn't what it once was, especially off clay, but his shotmaking skills have improved especially off his BH side. He has never hit his BH as well as he does now especially when he is aggressive, but also under pressure he has the ability to turn from defence to offense fast.

These weak field theorists is just a joke excuse honestly. If people really think it's down to the field that Nadal still looks this good and barely losing sets, you are delusional. I'm sick of hearing tbh. People need to stop living in the past with the notion how everything was better before.
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So do you think today's Nadal beats 2008 Nadal then?
 
weakera said:
That backhand (1:50) is better than the one you posted.
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Not really. And few good shots don't make up for lots of errors. Maybe Nadal looks a bit more aggressive now, but this is because he is not able to grind anymore. Obviously @RF-18 likes this Nadal more, because he loses to Djokovic all the time. 2008 Nadal would have destroyed current Djokovic in RG.
 
Third Serve said:
And people need to stop with the recency bias and assuming things only get better and better.
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I did say things wich isn't the same as before, like his movement. You guys want to claim he does everything worse like his past versions would straight set him. Oh and the field is a joke too is what is being said aswell. Was Mathieu a strong era player or what?
 
StrongRule said:
Not really. And few good shots don't make up for lots of errors. Maybe Nadal looks a bit more aggressive now, but this is because he is not able to grind anymore. Obviously @RF-18 likes this Nadal more, because he loses to Djokovic all the time. 2008 Nadal would have destroyed current Djokovic in RG.
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Yea I saw how Djokovic has destroyed him on clay these past few years.
 
RF-18 said:
I did say things wich isn't the same as before, like his movement. You guys want to claim he does everything worse like his past versions would straight set him. Oh and the field is a joke too is what is being said aswell. Was Mathieu a strong era player or what?
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I was also trying to make sense of this. Brands and Klizan can be better than the likes of Sinner and Diego on clay yet they took sets of Nadal. Nadal's offense is hurting his opponents more and I also think the aura of invincibility of Nadal at RG is more than. 80% of players lose 50% of the match before the toss itself. The mental aspect of tennis is very underrated but is very crucial.
 
RS said:
So do you think today's Nadal beats 2008 Nadal then?
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Well, like many are saying here, I definitely don't believe he'd straight set him. As I said, there are stuff Nadal does better now that could make up for the things he had back in 2008, and he would adjust his tactics.
 
RF-18 said:
Well, like many are saying here, I definitely don't believe he'd straight set him. As I said, there are stuff Nadal does better now that could make up for the things he had back in 2008.
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I think 2008 Nadal takes it in 4 sets with two tiebreaks and a rout in the final set where 2021 Nadal will fall off physically. Something like 7-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-2 for 2008 Nadal.
 
RF-18 said:
I did say things wich isn't the same as before, like his movement. You guys want to claim he does everything worse like his past versions would straight set him. Oh and the field is a joke too is what is being said aswell. Was Mathieu a strong era player or what?
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Bet you've never seen that match huh?
 
RF-18 said:
I did say things wich isn't the same as before, like his movement. You guys want to claim he does everything worse like his past versions would straight set him. Oh and the field is a joke too is what is being said aswell. Was Mathieu a strong era player or what?
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was Verdasco a strong era player or what? He wasn’t? Well how does one explain the AO 2009 SF?

Same story here. You should give that match a watch.
 
RF-18 said:
Yea Mathieu would probably be inside top 3 today huh? He'd destroy these next gens.
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He wasn't ranked inside the top three in 2006 either you dolt. But he played at an undeniably high level in that match. Thanks for once again confirming your utter ignorance of tennis from that era (y)
 
Nole Slam said:
Nah. This ain't peak Nadal.
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Nadal 2008 beats Nadal 2021 on clay 6-1 6-2 6-0.
Rafa is not that great on clay now. His aura wins him a lot of matches. But his movement is nowhere near what it was neither is his stamina. His FH is a different shot nowadays and nowhere near the destructive shot it was on clay.
What i am seeing from Zverev worries me if Rafa made the final. Really does.
 
Beckerserve said:
Nadal 2008 beats Nadal 2021 on clay 6-1 6-2 6-0.
Rafa is not that great on clay now. His aura wins him a lot of matches. But his movement is nowhere near what it was neither is his stamina. His FH is a different shot nowadays and nowhere near the destructive shot it was on clay.
What i am seeing from Zverev worries me if Rafa made the final. Really does.
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You are strongruling here
 
RoS said:
When I rewatch some videos of young Nadal, I'am thinking if finally the current Nadal is became more powerful and brutal than her old self

His backhand was almost nothing then and now he is ripping it with sharp angles (his BH is dangerous as his FH right now), and his FH has not the brutal power (except FO 2008 and FO 2012) he has now, he was often pushing with his FH. His serve was nowhere the weapon it is now (his serve was the key factor in the Rome Final against Novak)

I feel that the offensive, juggernaut Nadal is a more complete player, more ruthless player than ever, more impossible to handle at Roland Garros. He barely lost sets since 2017. Djokovic in the FO Final 2020 had his worst defeat against Nadal while even against 2008 Peak Claydal, he had a set point to take the third set.
Yes he lost a bit of his speed, but he is still defending like a maniac. Nobody has the answers to his defense and his topspin FH

He is stronger than ever, or the competition is worse ? (no more Peak Federer or Peak Coria, no more Peak Djokovic). It is strange to see Nadal pushed very hard by the likes of PHM, Brands and of course Soderling who beat him . We don't have even a lower ranked player who can push him like this. It's why I'am thinking he is playing better than ever.
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2005-2008 Rafa >>>> 2021 Rafa .

It's not even worth questioning
 
weakera said:
That backhand (1:50) is better than the one you posted.
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He posted the wrong one.

The 2008 SF *highlights* have at least three points where Nadal gets stretched off but then blasts a BH past Djokovic while Djokovic stands right in front of it but couldn't do anything.
 
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