Nadal has lost just 3 Sets at Roland Garros over the past 6 years.

[Leandro2045]

Been seeing a lot of posts regarding Nadal "decline" at Roland Garros recently, are people here being dense on purpose ?

Since his mental and apocalyptic 2015 season Rafael Nadal has only lost 3 single sets at Roland Garros.

Just for comparison and perspective Novak lost 5 sets this year alone in Australia when he won the title.

Rafa has won all 33 matches he has played (100%) during this time frame winning 98 of the 101 sets he has played during the past 6 years (97%)..

He is anything but declining, at least in Paris.

 

[Krish872007]

2015 was an aberration in terms of Nadal's overall performance (not just at RG).

But it's pretty clear that Nadal has both lost and gained some things over that time period

He's lost pure footspeed (should be obvious) which has in part meant that he tends to cough up more short balls or make errors. But he's somewhat compensated for this by become significantly more aggressive - going for outright winners early, trying to shorten points. Great hands at the net.
1 major contributing factor to his recent success has also been AURA. An aura that only grows with each passing victory. An aura that makes it so, so tough to get the better of him mentally or physically.
It's what I would term a "managed decline"

 

[mike danny]

Nadal has still declined, but the players he's faced since 2016 are worse than ever.

 

[The Blond Blur]

Nadal has declined big time, but the players everyone has faced since 2016 are worse than ever.

FIFY

 

[Krish872007]

FIFY

Ah yes, the famous CRAPOLA generation of MUGS

 

[StrongRule]

So you are comparing 2017 with 2021? Really? What did you want, him to lose sets to Gasquet and Norrie? He needs to be at his absolute worst for it. It doesn't mean he is playing well. He has no chance to win the title this year.

 

[mike danny]

Ah yes, the famous CRAPOLA generation of MUGS

Well, it's not farther from the truth.

These 30's dudes, Nadal at RG included, shouldn't have such an easier time winning majors.

 

[Backspin1183]

Nadal has still declined, but the players he's faced since 2016 are worse than ever.

Absolutely. 2005 Nadal would make this Nadal hit so many extra shots and turn him into unforced error machine.

 

[The Blond Blur]

Ah yes, the famous CRAPOLA generation of MUGS

You’re gonna have to be more specific. There’s been like 3 generations in a row that are in the running for worst gen of all time

 

[mike danny]

You’re gonna have to be more specific. There’s been like 3 generations in a row that are in the running for worst gen of all time

That status firmly belongs to the Lost Gen. Even the Next Gen can't stoop that low.

Raonic and Nishikori even lost schlem finals in straights to non-Fedalovic opponents

 

[Bender]

So you are comparing 2017 with 2021? Really? What did you want, him to lose sets to Gasquet and Norrie? He needs to be at his absolute worst for it. It doesn't mean he is playing well. He has no chance to win the title this year.

But you were the one saying he was going to lose sets and matches against Gasquet and Norrie

 

[MadariKatu]

Yes he has declined, but his major rivals have as well, and the youngsters haven't been up for the challenge so far, except Thiem, who, at least, gave Nadal a match in the first 2 sets in 2019.

 

[Nadal_Django]

The clay field is the most pathetic in the history of tennis. Where are the new Gugas, Musters, Brugueras, Berasateguis in the current clay field. Non existent.

 

[The Blond Blur]

That status firmly belongs to the Lost Gen. Even the Next Gen can't stoop that low.

Agreed. Depending on where you put Timmy (I have him as the youngest pup in the litter known as Lost Gen), they’ve either won 0-1 schlems. And in order for that one title he needed Ol’ Rog injured, RAFA avoiding the pandemic, Joker DQ’d, and Zedrot to out choke him.

 

[Krish872007]

You’re gonna have to be more specific. There’s been like 3 generations in a row that are in the running for worst gen of all time

Can just club them into one to form a broad generation of SuperMugs
But full credit to Nishikori / Dimitrov / Raonic / Kyrgios for their MASSIVE false dawn in 2014

 

[The Blond Blur]

The grass field is the most pathetic in the history of tennis.

FIFY

 

[mike danny]

Agreed. Depending on where you put Timmy (I have him as the youngest pup in the litter known as Lost Gen), they’ve either won 0-1 schlems. And in order for that one title he needed Ol’ Rog injured, RAFA avoiding the pandemic, Joker DQ’d, and Zedrot to put choke him.

Thiem single-handedly saves that generation from absolute irrelevancy. So he is good.

But if he is the best the Lost Gen could produce, then it still remains the weakest ever.

 

[TheNachoMan]

FIFY

That’s why RAFA has made a habit of being owned by no name mugs at Wimby

 

[The Blond Blur]

That’s why RAFA has made a habit of being owned by no name mugs at Wimby

In recent years? He’s had back to back SF appearances. Losing only to Fedovic.

 

[StrongRule]

That’s why RAFA has made a habit of being owned by no name mugs at Wimby

40 years old Federer is probably still Djokovic's main competition on grass, dude.

 

[TheNachoMan]

40 years old Federer is probably still Djokovic's main competition on grass, dude.

Who is Rafa’s main competitor on clay over the past few years? A guy who just got beat in the first round. Lol

 

[mike danny]

40 years old Federer is probably still Djokovic's main competition on grass, dude.

Hey, no one said the grass field is good now. Has been bad since 2016.

 

[StrongRule]

Who is Rafa’s main competitor on clay over the past few years? A guy who just got beat in the first round. Lol

Djokovic who has a servebot level serve, at the Djokovic Open. Also, the young players are all much better on clay than on grass.

 

[Terry Tibbs]

So you are comparing 2017 with 2021? Really? What did you want, him to lose sets to Gasquet and Norrie? He needs to be at his absolute worst for it. It doesn't mean he is playing well. He has no chance to win the title this year.

No chance to win? What are you smoking dude? Bookies favourite by some distance. Its reasonable to suggest that he may not win it this year but to state he has no chance is just so dumb.

 

[mike danny]

Djokovic who has a servebot level serve, at the Djokovic Open. Also, the young players are all much better on clay than on grass.

So a guy who gets bageled is Nadal's toughest opponent?

 

[Tennis_Freak99]

Weak Clay era

 

[The Blond Blur]

Hey, no one said the grass field is good now. Has been bad since 2016.

Yeah. At this point the strength of field surface pecking order is probably HC >> CC >> GC.

 

[StrongRule]

No chance to win? What are you smoking dude? Bookies favourite by some distance. Its reasonable to suggest that he may not win it this year but to state he has no chance is just so dumb.

Best he can do is reach the semifinals. But he can't beat the servebot Djokovic.

 

[mike danny]

At this point the strength of field ranking is probably HC >> CC >> GC.

Yep, pretty much.

The decline of grass is so sad. The younger guys are too pretentious to learn to play on a surface that plays even remotely different.

Even MUGS like Raonic and Dimitrov found a way to play good tennis on grass, so why can't these guys?

 

[Krish872007]

At this point the strength of field ranking is probably HC >> CC >> GC.

Hard court a clear winner here since these clowns need conditions to be absolutely perfect for their tennis - even bounce, even pace, artificially smooth surfaces, less disturbance from natural elements.
Typical of the entire generation ROFLMAO - don't know how to tough it out

 

[40-15 still haunts me]

No offence to Rafa or his fans but I genuinely think RG is just the organisers hand picking innocent bystanders who have never played tennis before to take him on at this point.

 

[mike danny]

Best he can do is reach the semifinals. But he can't beat the servebot Djokovic.

If he beats him, will you leave the forum?

 

[TennisFan3]

The stats are more a reflection of the patheticism of the rest of the field.
Nadal has declined. Clearly. But the rest of the field quality has become even worse in comparison.

Tennis as a sport is dying. When 34/35/40 years dinosaurs rule the earth, it mean that talent pipe is finished. After 35 years of watching, this is the most pathetic era of tennis.

 

[StrongRule]

So a guy who gets bageled is Nadal's toughest opponent?

This year Nadal is the one who got breadsticked. And Djokovic is now playing even better than in Rome.

 

[Nadal_Django]

So a guy who gets bageled is Nadal's toughest opponent?

Djokovic playing his regular HC game on clay isn't Nadal's biggest clay opponent. Come on now. Djokovic is not a clay courter in the first place. Thiem is Nadal's toughest clay opponent and the guy lost in the first round here. The clay competition is a real joke at the moment, and it's not even funny anymore.

 

[mike danny]

This year Nadal is the one who got breadsticked. And Djokovic is now playing even better than in Rome.

Yeah, let's forget the technicality that Djokovic actually lost the match. That breadstick is the single definitive evidence.

 

[StrongRule]

If he beats him, will you leave the forum?

Why should I leave the forum because of a tennis match result?

 

[mike danny]

Why should I leave the forum because of a tennis match result?

Because apparently you do care about this otherwise you wouldn't daily spam us with this.

 

[King No1e]

Nadal has still declined, but the players he's faced since 2016 are worse than ever.

Hit the nail on the head here. Yes, the Big 3 are amazing for their age, but not so amazing that they'd be able to hold off a next generation with even the bare minimum consistency.

 

[Deleted member 762343]

Absolutely insane, but insanity became the norm for him at RG.

 

[StrongRule]

Because apparently you do care about this otherwise you wouldn't daily spam us with this.

We also heard how Djokovic was "not winning" AO this year. Who was right? On this forum the usual stuff is underrating Djokovic and overrating Nadal, doesn't matter what is their form. I'm getting bashed because I write the opposite.

 

[Deleted member 762343]

If he beats him, will you leave the forum?

Please, don’t try to chase him out of this forum, I like him.

 

[Beckerserve]

Been seeing a lot of posts regarding Nadal "decline" at Roland Garros recently, are people here being dense on purpose ?

Since his mental and apocalyptic 2015 season Rafael Nadal has only lost 3 single sets at Roland Garros.

Just for comparison and perspective Novak lost 5 sets this year alone in Australia when he won the title.

Rafa has won all 33 matches he has played (100%) during this time frame winning 98 of the 101 sets he has played during the past 6 years (97%)..

He is anything but declining, at least in Paris.

He is much slower and more error prone. Sinner is going to be hardest match of his career at RG.

 

[MadariKatu]

This year Nadal is the one who got breadsticked. And Djokovic is now playing even better than in Rome.

So is Nadal.

 

[mike danny]

We also heard how Djokovic was "not winning" AO this year. Who was right? On this forum the usual stuff is underrating Djokovic and overrating Nadal, doesn't matter what is their form. I'm getting bashed because I write the opposite.

After last year's result all the bashing directed at you turned out to be justified.

 

[Leandro2045]

I don't buy this excuse that the clay field is declining.

Apart from Novak not being on his peak Clay level there's just not any difference regarding the rest of the tour.

In the early 2010s Nadal was losing sets in RG to the likes of Isner, Klizan & Brands, these are definitely not better clay court players than what we currently have on Clay..

 

[StrongRule]

After last year's result all the bashing directed at you turned out to be justified.

Who deserves bashing are users who still believe Djokovic's "injuries", even after seeing him playing these games lots of times before. Him winning AO was never in doubt.

 

[helterskelter]

Well, it's not farther from the truth.

These 30's dudes, Nadal at RG included, shouldn't have such an easier time winning majors.

As he has got older, Nadal has got worse at playing his peers, but has got even more efficient at beating lesser players handily. So, it's no surprise that he's not dropping sets these days. It's just a shame that he has no peers at Roland Garros.

Still, perhaps Djokovic can take a set this year in the semis. If not, Nadal might well win the title without dropping a set again.

 

[mike danny]

I don't buy this excuse that the clay field is declining.

Apart from Novak not being on his peak Clay level there's just not any difference regarding the rest of the tour.

In the early 2010s Nadal was losing sets in RG to the likes of Isner, Klizan & Brands, these are definitely not better clay court players than what we currently have on Clay..

Come on, man, you think is normal for 30's to mid 30's Nadal to not break a sweat on what's supposed to be the most grinding surface to play tennis on?

 

[mike danny]

Who deserves bashing are users who still believe Djokovic's "injuries", even after seeing him playing these games lots of times before. Him winning AO was never in doubt.

Don't change the subject. You received a big egg on your face last year with all the Djokovic Open stuff. They even played indoors and Nadal manhandled him.