Is Nadal's career on clay realistically over if he doesn't win RG this year, or at least have a very strong showing?

[aldeayeah]

The whole foot thing has been coming and going for a couple years now, in which Nadal has still managed to snatch a couple slams and a few other tournaments.

Let's not sound the alarms just yet.

 

[smalahove]

You guys need to start thinking of it from the opposite way. It’s a two man game, the sport of tennis. Who do you really, truly in your heart of hearts trust to actually put Nadal to the sword, in Bo5? Think about it. Shapo and Medvedev are completely out. Zverev lol. Tsitsipas and Thiem have done it but both have some epic chokes in their repertoire at the Slam level. Anyone else like Sinner, Ruud, Rublev etc. is a foolish prediction

Alcaraz and Djokovic are the only players I think can beat a somewhat decent Rafa at Roland Garros. Simple as that.

That's simply not true. Even if I agree with you regarding Nadal's impressive ability to overcome injury and perform at the highest level when it truly matters (and what matters more than RG to him?), his form during the last few weeks have not been shown any Bo5 form, rather the exact opposite. He didn't win convincingly against Kecmanovic and Goffin, and had he played Bo5 matches against this type of player from round 1, he could easily have been taken out early, based on his declining stamina in longer matches, prob due to injury, but still.

 

[albertobra]

Nadal finnish OP? Been there, done that. You should know better OP.
Nadal won the last Slam, ffs. And you talk about retirerment? He might miss RG because not perfectly fit. But be ready for deep runs in Wimby and USO.

 

[Jokervich]

I sincerely hope that this is the first (and last) time that anyone will ever describe an 11-time champion as generally doing poorly in an event.

Not won or reached the final there since 2018. Might have not done poorly in the past, but clearly does so now.

 

[helterskelter]

Not won or reached the final there since 2018. Might have not done poorly in the past, but clearly does so now.

He lost twice. Bad losses but hardly a pattern.

 

[vex]

Alcaraz ain't beating Novak on Hc or Grass surface in bo5 bro

We’ll see. He definitely CAN. But will he? I dunno. He doesn’t need to anyway. There are like 20 guys that can randomly upset this declined Novak now.

 

[junior74]

Nadal should concentrate on his buttock's modelling career and save us the embarrassment.

 

[Mivic]

You guys never learn lmao... I remember how everyone said Nadal is washed after his loss to harris,and his slam winning days are over...

He is washed and he wouldn't have won another grand slam if it weren't for the Djokovic debacle in Australia. Luckily the neofascists over there gave him a helping hand. QF exit to Shapo was guaranteed with Djokovic in the draw. RG this year is definitely possible but he'll be too ancient to win even that next year, and he's never winning another non-clay slam with Djokovic in the draw and with Alcaraz improving the way he is. So 22 at the absolute max for him.

 

[Poisoned Slice]

I'm not sure.

 

[Rattie]

He is washed and he wouldn't have won another grand slam if it weren't for the Djokovic debacle in Australia. Luckily the neofascists over there gave him a helping hand. QF exit to Shapo was guaranteed with Djokovic in the draw. RG this year is definitely possible but he'll be too ancient to win even that next year, and he's never winning another non-clay slam with Djokovic in the draw and with Alcaraz improving the way he is. So 22 at the absolute max for him.

Very bitter post.

 

[DSH]

Yes he deserves better as Nadal was limping, crying and not moving for balls on court

Slay, buddy.

 

[ChaelAZ]

Nadal has already mentioned he is at the end of his career and just looking to retire on his own terms over having it stop with an injury. So I don't think it is dependent on clay performance, but being able to play. And that might be true for the rest of the season.

 

[octobrina10]

Is Nadal's career on clay realistically over if he doesn't win RG this [2022] year, or at least have a very strong showing?

Rafa won, Djoko fanatic!

 

[Phenomenal]

Djokovic fans in 2022 before RG: Djokovic is in a very strong form Nadal has no chance.
After RG: Djokovic was not ready lol. The fact is that Nadal played very little before RG not Djokovic.

 

[SonnyT]

Didn't he say this is his last year?

 

[octobrina10]

Didn't he say this is his last year?

No.

 

[nolefam_2024]

No.

He better retire this year. The will he won't he crap is going on for too long. Now we have zero patience. The sooner

 

[DSH]

He better retire this year. The will he won't he crap is going on for too long. Now we have zero patience. The sooner

Do you think your idol will retire in 2025 after the beatings he will receive from Sinner, Alcaraz and Rune in the next Majors tournaments?

 

[SonnyT]

If Nadal doesn't retire after RG, Cisca will wonder what happens to the man she marries?

 

[DjokoLand]

If he doesn’t win it I think that is it personally. I always loved the myth that Nadal would of won so much more if he wasn’t injured but he always pulled out of tournaments he wasn’t really going to win to be ready for clay season and especially RG.

Nadal is nearly 38 and if he doesn’t win RG this year I feel that is the end for him as he always manages his injury well for this tournament with so much success but now time is catching up and he be 39 next year with millions of mileage and he won’t win another slam.

Though I wouldn’t be surprised if he turned up and won RG as I have doubted him many of years and he always proves me wrong

 

[DSH]

Nadal is one serious injury away from being done, and it could certainly be this foot issue he has even if he refuses to call it an "injury". Just because he's still competitive with the young guys doesn't mean that physically he's fine. It could mean that he's hanging on physically and relying on experience and mental strength to triumph against these hapless Nexgen. If Alcaraz is the real thing, I think he will not just win for himself but also inject a big dose of confidence into the likes of Tsitsipas, Zverev, Shapo, FAA and others. Rafa and Novak have been holding back a dam that is about to burst. Together with Roger until 2020, it was amazing how long they were able to hold it.

It happened like that.

 

[D.Nalby12]

Let's wait.

 

[roysid]

If Nadal doesn't retire after RG, Cisca will wonder what happens to the man she marries?

He will retire after RG or the Olympics

 

[MichaelNadal]

Rafa about to win Barcelona and Rome looking like 2007 Undertaker lol

 

[Hitman]

It happened like that.

Don't be sad. He has out lasted 99.9% of all tennis players careers. 22 slams and numerous other achievements. Be happy, he will always go down as one of the best to ever play, and will be in every conversation when discussing the elites.

 

[RS]

99.999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 and more

 

[ALCARAZWON]

I think even after Nadal retires, he'll end up winning Roland Garros more times, because he'll feel so injury-free in retirement that he'll be lured back to Roland Garros because he knows he won't lose when injury-free.
So his retirement won't be legit.