Nadal: I can't Go On Like This

[malakas]

Thank you for pointing out this article ... Here's a horrible translation of it from an online Serbian to English translator ... Difficult read but some nuggest can be gleaned ... Thanks again malakas

Nadal will face more than three seasons leading tennis physiotherapist Czech Novotni Mihal, who have treated six years of Spanish tennis, Guidelines Communication explains why the end of his career best tennis world champion biggest weakness - the knee. Before six years the first time is the world's leading specialist fizioterapaeut-tennis, 34-year-old Czech Mihal Novotni treated Rafaela hope, now the best tennis world. Then the "Rafa in Monte Carlo played his first major tournament, and even then had problems with knees, recalls the Novotni and he adds that because of these and other problems," stand to play up to three seasons. " Novotni travel to the world's largest tournament and then helps the best players the world. Godineje the beginning, for example, the main physio grend slemturniru in the first of the season - the International Championship in Australia. When Federer, Nadal or Djokovic address the judge, asking the doctors, they often add, "I will Mihai! For Novotni of them really have a name ... Good deogodine Novotni spend in Spain, speaks excellent Spanish, so that and therefore has a closer relationship sNadallom. The injuries have long hoped to say. Through 10 days (3 June) napunićetek 23 godine.Da will play in the tridesetoj? -Certainly not, give him a maximum of three seasons. Knees are a problem. The second is that he is constantly appear minor injuries that do not cured - said Novotni najtiražnijem Czech newspaper Mlada Front Dnes-. - There are large and strong muscles in the legs. This, of course, is not bad, but it has very small feet. Weight, no where to rasprostre so that the load on the places where the muscles join skostima very large. The problem is his style of play: aggressive and explosive. In this way burden the entire chain of muscles on the left side that begins to show the weakest places - in the knees. And then the pain gradually spread further. Federer, zahvaljući your style of play, such problems, according to Novotni probably will not have: I can not have them. In its pure and neisforsiranoj the game is almost impossible to hurt. Has perfect technique, the wounds are almost ideal, great strength and uses much less energy consuming. Federer I am more than eight years in the top of world tennis only twice helped. Nada at the problem and its program on what it is Novotni upozoravao several times: "When the deal is complicated rub his head to the sea at least two months to not play, to pass through the rehabilitation program, and then train again, but would postupno.Time certainly extend his career for two years ... Nadal, however, is not used to train forces in half, will now full strength, just the fight hungry. And injuries do not develop, the thigh of your teeth, it helps when you play a variety of bandage and tape. This is to be understood as his rank-list've standings from last season, would not be held in the first place, would earn less ... Novotnidodaje that all tennis agresvniji and demanding, scheduling is much greater density and therefore the health of all players ugroženije ... John Mekinro of his hand said that "gold". Marathi Safina says that "the Czech Hammer. "There is something in it," Novotni comment, and recognized that "when you work really hurts." Already more than eight years of treating the world's tennis elite, preparing them before the match, intervene in the match ... It stretches them, lomi, been, syringe painful places, previja, while onikrive lica.Rezultat, however, the most that they can continue to play ... For "show mast go on!"

thanx for the effort!
So the problem seems to be,all the muscle on the thighs combined with the very small feet.(you know what they say about small feet ).
If the be tennis physiotherapist give him 3 years then it doesn't look good. :?

 

[sureshs]

But it looked to me like Nadal was running and moving fine in all 4 of his matches, including the Soderling match.

Yup, and no knee tape, medical timeouts, or mention of problems before that. After the loss, he copies the Federer mono/back pain strategy which is a win-win situation. It is an excuse for the loss, a sign of not complaining but doing his duty of entertaining the crowd, and an excuse for future losses by lowering expectations. All in one shot.

 

[BreakPoint]

Yup, and no knee tape, medical timeouts, or mention of problems before that. After the loss, he copies the Federer mono/back pain strategy which is a win-win situation. It is an excuse for the loss, a sign of not complaining but doing his duty of entertaining the crowd, and an excuse for future losses by lowering expectations. All in one shot.

Um...when did Federer blame a loss on his back? Which match specifically?

He announced his back problem at the Paris Masters in November by withdrawing from his match against Blake. So, no, he didn't blame his loss in the AO final in February on his back even though it was obvious that his back was preventing him from serving at his normal level.

 

[Power Player]

Exactly. Your friends don't know anything about tennis because they only watch 8 matches a year. That's why they didn't understand what they were seeing. They didn't realize that it was Soderling's play that made Nadal look bad. Those of us that watch 800 matches a year know better.

How do you have time to watch 800 matches with that post count of yours? lol.

I don't care as much as a lot of you guys. It's like half the people here are related to Fed or Nadal the way they have to respond to every post and insult each other. My first sentence said Soderling deserved to win the way he played. But Nadal was not himself energy wise. He did not attack the ball as much as I am used to seeing. That is my opinion.

Now, let the flames and hatred carry on from the self proclaimed tennis experts.

 

[Devilito]

Nadal needs a break for the sake of his longevity. He's so young, it wont hurt to lay off for a bit even if he does end up sacrificing his year end ranking. Look at Andre. He has had so many ups and downs and still has a hall of fame career. Nadal won't be any less of a player if he takes some time off to recover. You never know, he may surprise at the US Open

 

[BreakPoint]

How do you have time to watch 800 matches with that post count of yours? lol.

Multi-tasking.

 

[martini1]

:neutral:

:-?






I had no idea it was that serious.

Now people realize he was probably hurt during the 3rd set in Roland Garros.

 

[TheTruth]

This thread is hilarious, after having heard about Fed's mono for over nine months last year. And his "bad back" which miraculously disappeared! He played hurt, didn't he? And he made sure to say it in press conferences, soooo......

not understanding this new twist.

 

[TheTruth]

Um...when did Federer blame a loss on his back? Which match specifically?

He announced his back problem at the Paris Masters in November by withdrawing from his match against Blake. So, no, he didn't blame his loss in the AO final in February on his back even though it was obvious that his back was preventing him from serving at his normal level.

He came out in the press and said he had a back injury? Why was he telling us?

 

[featherlight]

From NY Blog:

http://straightsets.blogs.nytimes.c...y-wimbledon-after-rehabbing-knees/?ref=sports

looks like nadal is starting to be superstitous again he is using back the breathe cage 2

 

[rafan]

Nadal Nadal Nadal - we are ALL fascinated with him and wow does he evoke some diverse emotions - what a great guy he is

 

[BreakPoint]

He came out in the press and said he had a back injury? Why was he telling us?

When? He never did.

He said the reason he withdrew from his QF match against Blake at the Paris Masters was due to a back injury. When you withdraw from a match, you are obligated to provide a valid medical reason.

Then in February, he pulled out of the Davis Cup versus the U.S. due to the same back problem which had not yet fully recovered. So what tournaments did he play between the Paris Masters and the Davis Cup? Hmmm...that would be the Shanghai Masters Cup, Doha, and the Australian Open, and he lost them all.

Did you not see him getting back massages during almost every changeover and sitting down behind the baseline and stretching his back between points during the Murray match in Shanghai?

 

[jamesblakefan#1]

I'm pretty surprised that there's (apparently, because I don't feel like reading through ten pages of crap) a fight over this between Fed and Nadal ****s. If the man's hurt, he's hurt. When did he get hurt? He knows, but none of us know. And to speculate on when the injury happened and what kind of effect it's had is kinda...********. (no offense to the mentally handicapped)

Look, bottom line is, was he hurt during the French? Maybe, but more than likely yes. Is this the only reason he lost? No, Soderling played a great match to beat the previously unbeaten Nadal. Give credit where credit is due. I don't see why both sides don't want him to be back to health. The way I see it, if his career ends early, people are going to look at it and say he could have possibly broken Fed's record, which devalues Federer.

I know Fed and Nadal ****s are going to keep fighting the way I see it, but can we all at least agree that we want to see Nadal healthy and, if not 100%, close enough to it where he can play Wimbledon without any injury excuses. I know that's not gonna happen, but one can dream. Just like one can dream of a day where Fed and Nadal ****s agree on something.

If he misses Wimbledon, so what-that shouldn't devalue whoever eventually wins it, just b/c Rafa wasn't there. I don't see them taking the SB title from the Steelers because Tom Brady got hurt week 1 of the season.

Look, injuries happen. Nadal plays such a style and schedule, where even he had to know that this sort of thing was inevitable. As I said, I haven't read any previous posts, so I don't even know if this makes sense. But that's just my 2 cents as though it matters.

And oh yeah, Nadal's a moonball pusher who'll never win anything. Back to our regularly scheduled flame war.

 

[Blinkism]

I'm pretty surprised that there's (apparently, because I don't feel like reading through ten pages of crap) a fight over this between Fed and Nadal ****s. If the man's hurt, he's hurt. When did he get hurt? He knows, but none of us know. And to speculate on when the injury happened and what kind of effect it's had is kinda...********. (no offense to the mentally handicapped)

Look, bottom line is, was he hurt during the French? Maybe, but more than likely yes. Is this the only reason he lost? No, Soderling played a great match to beat the previously unbeaten Nadal. Give credit where credit is due. I don't see why both sides don't want him to be back to health. The way I see it, if his career ends early, people are going to look at it and say he could have possibly broken Fed's record, which devalues Federer.

I know Fed and Nadal ****s are going to keep fighting the way I see it, but can we all at least agree that we want to see Nadal healthy and, if not 100%, close enough to it where he can play Wimbledon without any injury excuses. I know that's not gonna happen, but one can dream. Just like one can dream of a day where Fed and Nadal ****s agree on something.

If he misses Wimbledon, so what-that shouldn't devalue whoever eventually wins it, just b/c Rafa wasn't there. I don't see them taking the SB title from the Steelers because Tom Brady got hurt week 1 of the season.

Look, injuries happen. Nadal plays such a style and schedule, where even he had to know that this sort of thing was inevitable. As I said, I haven't read any previous posts, so I don't even know if this makes sense. But that's just my 2 cents as though it matters.

And oh yeah, Nadal's a moonball pusher who'll never win anything. Back to our regularly scheduled flame war.

I don't fully, fully agree with all your points but I agree with your attitude about the whole thing.

Great post!

 

[rafan]

When? He never did.

He said the reason he withdrew from his QF match against Blake at the Paris Masters was due to a back injury. When you withdraw from a match, you are obligated to provide a valid medical reason.

Then in February, he pulled out of the Davis Cup versus the U.S. due to the same back problem which had not yet fully recovered. So what tournaments did he play between the Paris Masters and the Davis Cup? Hmmm...that would be the Shanghai Masters Cup, Doha, and the Australian Open, and he lost them all.

Did you not see him getting back massages during almost every changeover and sitting down behind the baseline and stretching his back between points during the Murray match in Shanghai?

I would suggest he pulled out of the Davis cup because it is, in my feeling, a waste of space and good for him. The way I see it is there is such an uneven balance of tennis representatives for the countries and therefore it is very unfair. Switzerland has very few players of note after all

 

[rafan]

Nobody has ever played Nadal at Roland Garros the way Soderling did, and I mean NOBODY. Everyone else tried to play Nadal using clay court tennis tactics. Soderling said the heck with that and played Nadal as if he was playing on an indoor hard court. It worked. Nadal couldn't handle it and was literally blasted off of the court. The condition of his knees don't make a difference when he's 10 feet away from the ball.

You mean Soderling is better than Federer?

 

[sh@de]

You mean Soderling is better than Federer?

He probably is at handling Nadal. Obviously he loses to Federer though...

 

[TheTruth]

When? He never did.

He said the reason he withdrew from his QF match against Blake at the Paris Masters was due to a back injury. When you withdraw from a match, you are obligated to provide a valid medical reason.

Then in February, he pulled out of the Davis Cup versus the U.S. due to the same back problem which had not yet fully recovered. So what tournaments did he play between the Paris Masters and the Davis Cup? Hmmm...that would be the Shanghai Masters Cup, Doha, and the Australian Open, and he lost them all.

Did you not see him getting back massages during almost every changeover and sitting down behind the baseline and stretching his back between points during the Murray match in Shanghai?

Breakpoint, please. He did say he had a back injury (how else do we know this?). He said he'd had it for several years now. That's why he was getting back massages. To back up his statements to the press.

He lost them all because he was suffering a crisis in confidence having lost so many matches to the Big Three consecutively.

Not finding fault, or passing judgment, but the truth is:

1. He said he a back problem.
2. He said it was ongoing, yet he only did the massages recently.
3. He lost because of whatever he was going through.

That's it.

 

[drakulie]

“I have been playing with pain on my knees for some months now and I simply can’t go on like this,” Nadal said in his announcement.

Hmmmmm, so this is where the 3 stooges get their inspiration for excuse post after excuse post.

 

[LanceStern]

Breakpoint, please. He did say he had a back injury (how else do we know this?). He said he'd had it for several years now. That's why he was getting back massages. To back up his statements to the press.

He lost them all because he was suffering a crisis in confidence having lost so many matches to the Big Three consecutively.

Not finding fault, or passing judgment, but the truth is:

1. He said he a back problem.
2. He said it was ongoing, yet he only did the massages recently.
3. He lost because of whatever he was going through.

That's it.

Find me a quote where he said he had it for years. He never mentioned anything about his back until he had to withdraw before his match because of the injury. It was the first time he ever did so according to yahoo news. He got the back massages because he was in pain. You saw him sit down, stretch and winch in his match versus Murray. Not to "prove" his statements in the press.

 

[fattsoo]

NOOOO!!! Wow, what horrible timing for Nadal. I would love to see Nadal vs Fed again at the finals of Wim. Last year's match was great. But for Nadal, it might be a bad idea if he keep going and further injure himself

 

[tahiti]

Originally Posted by BreakPoint
Nobody has ever played Nadal at Roland Garros the way Soderling did, and I mean NOBODY. Everyone else tried to play Nadal using clay court tennis tactics. Soderling said the heck with that and played Nadal as if he was playing on an indoor hard court. It worked. Nadal couldn't handle it and was literally blasted off of the court. The condition of his knees don't make a difference when he's 10 feet away from the ball.

Not saying that soderling didn't play the game of his life, but you don't know Rafa's game. If Rafa's not moving well which I saw in R'dam this year every ball from Murray appeared a winner coz Rafa was far from the ball.

An optimal functioning Rafa would have been 3 feet away from the ball with a lot more chances.

 

[catspaw]

Find me a quote where he said he had it for years. He never mentioned anything about his back until he had to withdraw before his match because of the injury. It was the first time he ever did so according to yahoo news. He got the back massages because he was in pain. You saw him sit down, stretch and winch in his match versus Murray. Not to "prove" his statements in the press.

I can't provide a link or anything, but I remember, after he withdrew from Paris, that he said he'd had back pain for years after matches, but that it had always gone away by the morning after with all the other stiffness and general aches and pains, so had never been a problem. This time, however, it didn't go away post-match and lingered on till the next match, and so got worse, forcing him to withdraw.

I don't see the big deal about mentioning it - you have to give a reason for withdrawing, after all - and I fail to see why he should be criticised, let alone that it should be thought of as an excuse for his performances or mental midgetry as has been suggested by some on here - if I remember rightly, he was playing rather well at the time.

 

[maddogz32]

he better get well soon, i want him to win wimbledon

 

[zagor]

I can't provide a link or anything, but I remember, after he withdrew from Paris, that he said he'd had back pain for years after matches, but that it had always gone away by the morning after with all the other stiffness and general aches and pains, so had never been a problem. This time, however, it didn't go away post-match and lingered on till the next match, and so got worse, forcing him to withdraw.

I don't see the big deal about mentioning it - you have to give a reason for withdrawing, after all - and I fail to see why he should be criticised, let alone that it should be thought of as an excuse for his performances or mental midgetry as has been suggested by some on here - if I remember rightly, he was playing rather well at the time.

You're right,Fed pulled ouf of Paris with a back injury.I'm pretty sure it was legitimate given the fact that Fed's next opponent was Blake who has a losing H2H against him so I sincerely doubt Fed was afraid to play him or something but some people will go to any lengths possible to criticize Fed on this forum.

 

[DoubleDeuce]

Nadal Kneeds Help

The Curious Case of Nadal’s Ailing Knees

by Sean Randall

The big news of the week in the tennis world beyond the Roger Federer GOAT discussion, which in my mind was settled Sunday, is talk of Rafael Nadal and his always-ailing knees. At just 23, Nadal’s knees have apparently already turned into muck, and given the alleged rate of their deterioration, in a year he’ll likely be playing in a wheelchair – and probably still winning matches!


Can you wait? I sure can.

I’m already sick of this knee saga. Just as I was sick of hearing about Federer’s mono last year, in fairness I’ll say that I’m already over Nadal’s and his knee tendinitis. Unfortunately, if you are in my boat on this, we are out of luck and taking on water fast because this issue just isn’t going away anytime soon. We are going to hear about it during Wimbledon and especially during the hardcourt summer season right through the US Open. Cripes, might as well get used to it.

Honestly, I almost think Uncle Toni and the rest of the Nadal’s circle of trust are running some sort of interference or smokescreen. When Nadal was stunned by Soderling, I said that day that it was the first time in his career that Rafa had been punched in the mouth – and he was. And I was very curious to see the reaction. Well, this is it: Bad knees.

“I have been playing with pain on my knees for some months now and I simply can’t go on like this,” wrote Nadal on his website. “The pain was limiting certain movements in my body, which affected me mentally as well.”

Clearly the guy does have knee problems, I’m not saying he doesn’t. But for me some things just don’t add up. If he had been suffering for “some months now” as he says, why play Rome, why play Madrid or a full clay schedule that included Monte Carlo and Barcelona when the real “end goals” are the French Open and Wimbledon?

And where was this “limited” movement he speaks of? The Rafa I watched during the clay season and even in Paris two weeks ago appeared to be moving just fine. I recall some concern during his epic tussle with Novak Djokovic in Madrid where he had some treatment on his knee from a trainer, but did he ever call for on-court medical attention during Paris? I don’t think so.

If Nadal wants to internally rationalize the loss by saying he wasn’t psychically and mentally 100% right, he’s free to do so.

But from what I saw Soderling beat Nadal straight up. Forget the knee and forget the bad pink shirt which I’m guessing will never be seen on the Spaniard ever again. The Swede attacked early and attacked often, keeping Rafa on his heals throughout the match. Soderling even knocked Nadal down on his arse on one occasion in the third set, a scene reminiscent of Mike Tyson deliriously trying to shove his mouthpiece back into his mouth after James Buster Douglas dropped him in Tokyo some 20 years ago. (Note: Tyson never recovered from that loss!)

As for the injury itself, it doesn’t seem terribly serious if Rafa’s doctor prescribed just “oral anti-inflammatories, physiotherapy as well as progressive muscular exercises for both quadriceps’s” along with a few weeks of rest. And if that’s really all it takes from him to get healthy again then why didn’t they just skip Barcelona/Rome and sit the kid down for a few weeks in late April, or just skip Madrid and take most of May off?

Bizarre.

And why did Rafa pull out of Queen’s citing knee issues when he could have withdrawn by simply saying he was tired or exhausted and no one would have batted an eye. Instead, it almost feels like the Nadal camp wanted to let people know that Rafa’s knees were not 100% for the French Open. Excuse for losing? Just read that Nadal quote again. Hmmm…

But I guess that’s what happens when you get hit for the first time.

Then again, I could be way, way, way off here and maybe Nadal skips Wimbledon because his knees really are that bad of shape. But I bet this knee thing is somewhat overblown and something tells me that he’ll show up a week from Monday at 1pm and he’ll be just fine.

 

[BreakPoint]

I would suggest he pulled out of the Davis cup because it is, in my feeling, a waste of space and good for him. The way I see it is there is such an uneven balance of tennis representatives for the countries and therefore it is very unfair. Switzerland has very few players of note after all

Huh? Switzerland would have easily beaten the U.S. if Federer had played. Even without him, it was close. I'm sure pulling out of the Davis Cup was an agonizing decision for Federer. I'm sure he wants to include a Davis Cup championship to his stellar career.

 

[BreakPoint]

You mean Soderling is better than Federer?

Soderling plays the kind of game that troubles Nadal more than Federer's game does. Just like Federer's game troubles Soderling more than Nadal's game does. There's really no such thing as "better" in tennis. It's all about match-ups. And Federer matches up pretty well against everyone except Nadal, and maybe Murray.

 

[BreakPoint]

Breakpoint, please. He did say he had a back injury (how else do we know this?). He said he'd had it for several years now. That's why he was getting back massages. To back up his statements to the press.

He lost them all because he was suffering a crisis in confidence having lost so many matches to the Big Three consecutively.

Not finding fault, or passing judgment, but the truth is:

1. He said he a back problem.
2. He said it was ongoing, yet he only did the massages recently.
3. He lost because of whatever he was going through.

That's it.

We know this because he gave a back problem as the reason he pulled out of the '08 Paris Masters in November last year. I had never heard of him having a serious back problem before this (bad enough to pull out of a tournament, WHICH WAS THE VERY FIRST TIME HE HAS EVER PULLED OUT OF A TOURNAMENT MID-WAY THROUGH IN HIS ENTIRE CAREER.) That's why it caught a lot of attention.

You'll need to provide proof that he gave a back problem as an excuse prior to this and for a reason other than having to withdraw from a tournament.

 

[BreakPoint]

Not saying that soderling didn't play the game of his life, but you don't know Rafa's game. If Rafa's not moving well which I saw in R'dam this year every ball from Murray appeared a winner coz Rafa was far from the ball.

An optimal functioning Rafa would have been 3 feet away from the ball with a lot more chances.

Soderling hits the ball a lot harder and flatter than Murray does. He was also nailing corners like he has never done before, and which Murray has never done before. Murray is a pusher compared to Soderling. Soderling plays take no prisoners, lights out tennis and blasts people off the court. Nadal has always had trouble with guys like this before, e.g., Blake, Berdych, Nalbandian, etc.

BTW, does it matter if you miss the ball by 3 feet or 10 feet?

 

[BreakPoint]

I can't provide a link or anything, but I remember, after he withdrew from Paris, that he said he'd had back pain for years after matches, but that it had always gone away by the morning after with all the other stiffness and general aches and pains, so had never been a problem. This time, however, it didn't go away post-match and lingered on till the next match, and so got worse, forcing him to withdraw.

I don't see the big deal about mentioning it - you have to give a reason for withdrawing, after all - and I fail to see why he should be criticised, let alone that it should be thought of as an excuse for his performances or mental midgetry as has been suggested by some on here - if I remember rightly, he was playing rather well at the time.

Newsflash: EVERY tennis player has a stiff back after playing tough matches, especially on hard courts. Ask any professional tennis player. Everyone knows this. He might as well have said that he takes a shower after playing tennis. He only mentioned it this time because the stiffness and pain was worse than usual and didn't go away so he likely injured it this time.

If some of these *********s actually played tennis, they would already know this.

 

[pmerk34]

Soderling hits the ball a lot harder and flatter than Murray does. He was also nailing corners like he has never done before, and which Murray has never done before. Murray is a pusher compared to Soderling. Soderling plays take no prisoners, lights out tennis and blasts people off the court. Nadal has always had trouble with guys like this before, e.g., Blake, Berdych, Nalbandian, etc.

BTW, does it matter if you miss the ball by 3 feet or 10 feet?

I think what he isn't understanding is that Soderling would probably have beaten anyone on the planet on the day he beat Nadal. That would be because they were so focused on Nadal and his supposed compromised movement. The further we get from the match time-wise the more they hope their version of event becomes accepted as conventional wisdom.

To refresh on Soderling's performance:

1)He served 130 mph+ first serves ALL MATCH

2)He served 120+ mph second serves all match.

3) He double faulted ZERO times

4) He hit some of the biggest forehands you will ever see in your life UP THE LINE within two feet of the baseline ALL MATCH LONG, including on serve returns

5)His backhand was on target and not affected by Nadal's spin

6)He moved like a Gazelle.


I would love to see Berdych and Blake up close. Man do they his the S*** out of the ball.

 

[joeri888]

You're right,Fed pulled ouf of Paris with a back injury.I'm pretty sure it was legitimate given the fact that Fed's next opponent was Blake who has a losing H2H against him so I sincerely doubt Fed was afraid to play him or something but some people will go to any lengths possible to criticize Fed on this forum.

Federer never ever quits. He's withdrawn from tournaments and for the first time withdrawn from a match, but he has never retired a match and I think he never will. He said so in the biography when he was very young. He can go out there and get totally trashed, but he won't quit. And he never did since..

Of course that injury was real, just as Rafa's injury is real now.

 

[sureshs]

I thought the same as the quoted article when I read that Rafa's treatment consists of oral anti-inflammatories and physio. Translation: motrin and massage.

No arthroscopic surgery, no laser treatment, no joint injection, no splints, no nothing.

Nadal just pulled a Federer mono, that is all.

 

[BreakPoint]

I thought the same as the quoted article when I read that Rafa's treatment consists of oral anti-inflammatories and physio. Translation: motrin and massage.

No arthroscopic surgery, no laser treatment, no joint injection, no splints, no nothing.

Nadal just pulled a Federer mono, that is all.

The difference is that you can still win with bad knees, as Nadal has proven for the past 2 years, but you can't with mono, as Federer has proven for most of 2008 until the US Open.

Besides, it was Nadal himself that announced to the world his knee problems post-French Open, while Federer wanted to keep his mono a secret and did so for several weeks until the pressure from the public was too great wanting a valid reason for his poor form and obvious illness, so it was actually his agent that released the news about his mono. Federer himself actually didn't want to go public with it.

 

[sureshs]

The difference is that you can still win with bad knees, as Nadal has proven for the past 2 years, but you can't with mono, as Federer has proven for most of 2008 until the US Open.

Besides, it was Nadal himself that announced to the world his knee problems post-French Open, while Federer wanted to keep his mono a secret and did so for several weeks until the pressure from the public was too great wanting a valid reason for his poor form and obvious illness, so it was actually his agent that released the news about his mono. Federer himself actually didn't want to go public with it.

Even the article writer does not believe it.

 

[sureshs]

Rafa has changed his name

According to an affidavit filed in Majorca today, he will henceforth be known as Rafael Knadal.

 

[Shangri La]

According to an affidavit filed in Majorca today, he will henceforth be known as Rafael Knadal.

Kneed to wait for the official announcement.

 

[sureshs]

Kneed to wait for the official announcement.

Remember to bend your nees

 

[DoubleDeuce]

Foolish?

Rafael Nadal was the man of the moment just a few months ago, from Australia to Paris. It appeared as if the tennis gods had blessed him with everything he could ever want.

But was everything so heavenly? In and out, back-to-back, he played on and on and on. Sometimes, he was masterfully striking. Sometimes, he made his body slog for his accomplishments.

He played, he won, he conquered.

And then came the clay season -- the time when Rafa turns master, his dominance of the surface so emphatic that he offers no leeway to any rival. Even the mighty Roger Federer couldn't stop him.

Rafa was invincible.

And this is where the dream started to flicker. The number of clay court tournaments Rafa packed into his schedule not even a recently turned pro could have managed to accommodate.


Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome and Madrid -- four tournaments as preparation for the "grand" Roland Garros.

It was unnecessary. His knees were still reeling from a lot of strain and there he was playing in all these tournaments, which meant two months of continuous, strenuous pressure, even though it was on his beloved surface.


As much as his knees were tortured, he tortured them even the more by winning three out of the four tournaments, finishing as a finalist in the fourth.

Who makes these decisions for him is unknown. But even common knowledge would tell you that playing four clay events for a person who is undoubtedly the best clay courter at the moment is blatantly foolish.

And what purpose did it serve? He lost in Paris and his overwrought knees have ended up getting inflamed again. His website quotes him as saying that he played most of the past months in complete agony and pain.

What was Rafa thinking?

-- Rohini Iyer

LA Times

 

[pmerk34]

Rafael Nadal was the man of the moment just a few months ago, from Australia to Paris. It appeared as if the tennis gods had blessed him with everything he could ever want.

But was everything so heavenly? In and out, back-to-back, he played on and on and on. Sometimes, he was masterfully striking. Sometimes, he made his body slog for his accomplishments.

He played, he won, he conquered.

And then came the clay season -- the time when Rafa turns master, his dominance of the surface so emphatic that he offers no leeway to any rival. Even the mighty Roger Federer couldn't stop him.

Rafa was invincible.

And this is where the dream started to flicker. The number of clay court tournaments Rafa packed into his schedule not even a recently turned pro could have managed to accommodate.


Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome and Madrid -- four tournaments as preparation for the "grand" Roland Garros.

It was unnecessary. His knees were still reeling from a lot of strain and there he was playing in all these tournaments, which meant two months of continuous, strenuous pressure, even though it was on his beloved surface.


As much as his knees were tortured, he tortured them even the more by winning three out of the four tournaments, finishing as a finalist in the fourth.

Who makes these decisions for him is unknown. But even common knowledge would tell you that playing four clay events for a person who is undoubtedly the best clay courter at the moment is blatantly foolish.

And what purpose did it serve? He lost in Paris and his overwrought knees have ended up getting inflamed again. His website quotes him as saying that he played most of the past months in complete agony and pain.

What was Rafa thinking?

-- Rohini Iyer

LA Times

He was thinking pile up points during the clay season so he stays number 1through summer hard court season and Masters Cup where he doesn't do nearly as well.

 

[catspaw]

I can't provide a link or anything, but I remember, after he withdrew from Paris, that he said he'd had back pain for years after matches, but that it had always gone away by the morning after with all the other stiffness and general aches and pains, so had never been a problem. This time, however, it didn't go away post-match and lingered on till the next match, and so got worse, forcing him to withdraw.

I don't see the big deal about mentioning it - you have to give a reason for withdrawing, after all - and I fail to see why he should be criticised, let alone that it should be thought of as an excuse for his performances or mental midgetry as has been suggested by some on here - if I remember rightly, he was playing rather well at the time.

Newsflash: EVERY tennis player has a stiff back after playing tough matches, especially on hard courts. Ask any professional tennis player. Everyone knows this. He might as well have said that he takes a shower after playing tennis. He only mentioned it this time because the stiffness and pain was worse than usual and didn't go away so he likely injured it this time.

If some of these *********s actually played tennis, they would already know this.

Please don't get arsey with me - I was purely providing some info for someone who hadn't heard that Fed had suffered back pain for years. I know that back pain is more or less universal for pro tennis players, and I also know why he mentioned it this time - it was worse than usual and stayed with him and actually turned into an injury - that was the whole point.:|

 

[Tennisplaya10]

Not surprised at all. Inevitably, there are almost always two parts to surprising outcomes. Usually, one is slightly off or "uncomfortable" because of some injury malment or some personal problems or just a bad day and the other is hot as a summer's daisy.

Tennis truly is a sport where it takes two to tango. This said, it's a part of life, you STILL have to go out and beat the guy, and that Soderling did unquestionably.

Pity he came out with the deer in the headlights look in the final. I could tell from the look in his eyes as they walked through that tunnel that MENTALLY he was NOT in it to win it. You could tell he was going to come out tight, or a better way to say it in THIS particular case...AFRAID to win it, afraid to SPOIL what everyone and their mama had flown in for. Agassi wasn't air-mailed in special delivery for a Soderling-Del Potro final if you know what I mean.

I got the feeling that Soderling was almost AFRAID to spoil the coronation of the new so-called "greatest of all time"...whatever that means...more so than he was necessarily tight just to be tight the way Gaudio was in his French final.

I think he must have felt like a pigeon that day, a mere after thought...you better NOT spoil this for us said the glances from the crowd and t.v. crews, or so he must have thought. Every single person in that stadium that day felt ENTITLED, like this is my chance to be a part of history too! I know I did watching on exactly ZERO minutes sleep, up for like 20 something plus hours straight. It's a lot of pressure, but a different kind.

i think u are giving too much meaning to certain things.
u really think soderling gives a %^&^ about what people think? lmao
it was his first grandslam final and he got nervous.

 

[BreakPoint]

Please don't get arsey with me - I was purely providing some info for someone who hadn't heard that Fed had suffered back pain for years. I know that back pain is more or less universal for pro tennis players, and I also know why he mentioned it this time - it was worse than usual and stayed with him and actually turned into an injury - that was the whole point.:|

I was actually using the info you provided in your post to address the ignorance in TheTruth's posts.

 

[Tennis_Bum]

i think u are giving too much meaning to certain things.
u really think soderling gives a %^&^ about what people think? lmao
it was his first grandslam final and he got nervous.

Soderling was there to win, but he just didn't have it that day. He wasn't going to hand it to Fed. Soderling doesn't care what others think and why should he? He fought hard to get to the final and Fed just played great and Soderling didn't have his A game. But he did play better in the 2nd and 3rd set to make it respectable.

 

[TheTruth]

Find me a quote where he said he had it for years. He never mentioned anything about his back until he had to withdraw before his match because of the injury. It was the first time he ever did so according to yahoo news. He got the back massages because he was in pain. You saw him sit down, stretch and winch in his match versus Murray. Not to "prove" his statements in the press.

I'm still looking for the quote, but here's an interesting article regarding what some others think about the back injury too.


February 18, 2009 - It was not only stunning, but, in a way, incomprehensible news.








By Charlie Bricker

On his web site (rogerfederer.com) on Wednesday morning, Federer announced he’s not only not playing Dubai next week because of a back injury, but he won’t play Davis Cup against the U.S. in Birmingham, Ala., March 6-8.

Repeat: March 6-8. That’s 16 days from now. If Federer indeed has a back problem, I can understand him pulling out of Dubai. But why would anyone announce at such an early stage that he won’t be fit enough to play Davis Cup?

If this was Rafael Nadal, there would be no cynicism here. Novak Djokovic? Definitely cynicism. And Federer? Let’s just say something doesn’t smell right here.

There’s three possibilities, as I see it:

1. He’s got an extremely serious back injury – serious enough that doctors have told him there’s no way he’ll be ready for Davis Cup, as far off as that is.

2. He’s got only a minor back injury that needs rest, therapy and treatment.

3. The only thing he’s injured is his ego and, after yet another crying episode following his loss to Nadal in the Australian Open final, he’s wrestling with some major emotional issues and doesn’t feel ready to go back on tour.

Back injury? Huh? We all knew he had=2 0a back injury late last year. He pulled out of the Paris Indoors, but played the Masters Cup and, though he didn’t win, he competed hard. He then had the entire off-season to strengthen the back and get fit.

In fact, Federer made quite a show with reporters of insisting that he wouldn’t let himself fall prey again to the "mononucleosis" which he said depreciated his 2008 season. We all assumed he was working his tail off to start 2009 in the fittest possible condition.

And, in fact, there is this from a Jan. 18 press conference before the Australian Open this year: "It comes down to playing well here, being fit and ready to go. I feel the way I was hoping to feel really just before the Australian Open (in 2008). So, I’m excited."

And this, from a press conference at a pre-Aussie Open exhibition in Kooyong: "This time around I felt great during Kooyong. I had good preparation, feel well."

At no time during the Australian Open was he treated on court for a back injury. No one reported Federer having any kind of injury during the Australian Open. Suddenly, after losing to Nadal in Melbourne, a week later he has a back injury that is so bad he can’t play Davis Cup 16 days from now.

This is beginning to smack of the excuses he used last season to explain why he didn’t have the same results he had in 2006 and 2007. These conflicting statements from Fede rer on his fitness are not new. A year ago, to his credit, he made no excuses after going out in the semifinals of the Australian Open. Then, a couple months later, he told reporters he had mononucleosis and has never fully recovered from it.

He comes then to Wimbledon last year and in a pre-tournament press conference says, "Today, I feel as good again as last year (2007)." After losing the Wimbledon final to Nadal, he was back to blaming mononucleosis for a series of defeats.

Meanwhile, anyone who bought the Davis Cup package for Birmingham will have a chance to root for Andy Roddick, James Blake and the Bryan twins against Stanislas Wawrinka and whoever else the Swiss trot out for this first-round.

But there won’t be any Federer.


Charlie Bricker can be reached at bricker@tennisnews.com

 

[TheTruth]

Um...when did Federer blame a loss on his back? Which match specifically?

He announced his back problem at the Paris Masters in November by withdrawing from his match against Blake. So, no, he didn't blame his loss in the AO final in February on his back even though it was obvious that his back was preventing him from serving at his normal level.

The back is cited beyond just Paris:

Can Federer come up with the answers to the questions?
May 11, 2009, 3:54 pm
Filed under: Uncategorized

Plumbing the depths
In an attempt to find out where it all went wrong, June 2008 would seem to be the moment when the bubble burst. In the 2006 and 2007 French Open finals, Federer tried out various options but was forced to give best to Nadal over four sets. And then came 2008. For a man who had stood like a colossus over men’s tennis for so long, to lose 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 was a veritable slap in the face. The final set looked like a capitulation on the part of the man from Basle, but a month later, the mere scratch that was Roland Garros became a flesh wound. At the end of a final that has gone down in the annals, Roger was forced to cede his most cherished title to his nemesis as Rafa won a five-setter in the Swiss’ back garden – Wimbledon. “This is a disaster,” was Federer’s reaction as he fought back the tears.
To add to these psychological setbacks, Federer also had back problems to contend with, though when he won the US Open in September, he seemed to be gearing up for a strong end to the season. After winning his home tournament in Basle however, he withdrew from the quarter-final of the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris and was clearly not fully fit when he played the Masters Cup in Shanghai.

2009 began where 2008 left off: a painful, tearful defeat to Rafael Nadal in the final of the Australian Open and back pain which forced him out of Switzerland’s Davis Cup defeat in Birmingham, Alabama.

Again in Rome:

Federer was up 3-1 in the final set, but three consecutive unforced errors handed Djokovic the opportunity to break back and draw even. Moreover, Federer's backhand all but evaporated. He simply, sadly, unraveled.
Afterward, Federer said that an hourlong rain delay during the second set "kind of definitely" changed the match's momentum. His serve was broken five times in the final two sets.
"I have the feeling that maybe since I had the back problem, my serve is just not working to where I want it to be," Federer said. "It maybe could have saved me a few times and it didn't, so that's something I have to make sure I can fix for Paris."

But it is confusing, according to reports by Federer's fitness coach:


Federer fans, take note: Roger is not injured. Federer fans, explain: then why isn’t he playing Davis Cup? This is all so confusing. . .
Pierre Paganini, Roger Federer’s Swiss fitness coach, did an interview last weekend with Swiss newspaper Blick, answering questions regarding Federer’s recent back injury that caused him to pull out from the Dubai tournament and Davis Cup. Paganini is in Dubai with Fed right now, along with two sparring partners, for two weeks of training. What I find fascinating about this article is Paganini’s claims that much of Federer’s (non)injury is stressed induced. (I underlined here and there for emphasis)
Thanks to Down the Line and Tennis Times for this:
- Mr. Paganini, what’s going on with Federer? What is he doing?
Paganini: At the moment we give him some time to recover. We intensified the work with his physio therapist. But to make it clear once and for all: Federer is not injured. What we are doing is pure prophylaxis. We are working for the next two weeks in Dubai. Roger also flew in two sparring partners to be able two work on the court.
-Was Federer a 100% fit in Melbourne?
Paganini: Well we have to go further back for this. Roger got injured last November. His injury is cured. Everything was ok in Melbourne. But with so many matches it is not easy to recover 100%. He wasn’t impeded in his game. But it meant a lot of stress, the journey, the pressure, etc., so the body’s reaction in a stressful situation and during a normal training is not the same. He felt it, and that’s why we have decided to take a break in order to prevent other injuries from occurring.
-What did you learn from it? Do you have to change something?
Paganini: Well we understood that we have to spend even more time doing physical preparation. This is the priority between the tournaments. Roger wants to pay attention to his body in order to be able to manage those stressful situations.
- Does that mean that he is going to play fewer tournaments?
Paganini: No, it simply means to plan in a different way, manage the time differently. We have to organize ourselves even better in order to be able to do a proper physical education wherever Roger is.
- Roger is not going to play the Davis Cup. As a Swiss man it must hurt you, but as a fitness coach you must think that it is right.
Paganini: As a fitness coach I always should be against it whenever it concerns the body. You have to recognize that if he would be playing Davis Cup he’d be playing as the team leader. He’d play Friday, Saturday and Sunday non stop. That’s just a lot for your body. Roger is like a jewel. And he knows that it would just be too risky.



SIDEBAR: Federer frustration boiling over
Tennis News
Apr 3, 2009, 19:57 GMT
Miami - Roger Federer is feeling the natural frustration of a tennis hero whose last title came just shy of six months ago.
The usually solid Swiss smashed his racket at a moment of third-set tension as he went down to a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 semi-final loss to Novak Djokovic at the Miami Masters. He last lifted a trophy at his home Swiss Open in Basel on October 20.
Federer, who lost his Australian Open trophy to Rafael Nadal this season, is feeling his former dominance slip.
'There's not a lot of pressure on me,' said the 13-time Grand Slam champion who also stands one title away from levelling on the all-time best of Pete Sampras. 'I haven't been winning twenty tournaments in a row, so nobody expects me to win really.
'It's been a tough last year or so, especially in the hardcourts. My game never really clicked except for the US Open where I thought I played great.'
Federer has battled various setbacks including a case of 2008 glandular fever and a recurring back problem, which he tried to cure with rest after Melbourne.
'I think when I was finding my form again, the back problem hit me. It was unfortunate, you know, but thank God the hardcourt season is over,' said the winner of 49 hardcourt matches in one of his glory years, 2006.
Federer, who has lost the last three French Open finals to Nadal, is scheduled to play on clay only in Rome and Madrid before Roland Garros, with his opening date on the surface nearly a full month away in last April in the Eternal City.

 

[abmk]

By Charlie Bricker

On his web site (rogerfederer.com) on Wednesday morning, Federer announced he’s not only not playing Dubai next week because of a back injury, but he won’t play Davis Cup against the U.S. in Birmingham, Ala., March 6-8.

Repeat: March 6-8. That’s 16 days from now. If Federer indeed has a back problem, I can understand him pulling out of Dubai. But why would anyone announce at such an early stage that he won’t be fit enough to play Davis Cup?

If this was Rafael Nadal, there would be no cynicism here. Novak Djokovic? Definitely cynicism. And Federer? Let’s just say something doesn’t smell right here.

There’s three possibilities, as I see it:

1. He’s got an extremely serious back injury – serious enough that doctors have told him there’s no way he’ll be ready for Davis Cup, as far off as that is.

2. He’s got only a minor back injury that needs rest, therapy and treatment.

3. The only thing he’s injured is his ego and, after yet another crying episode following his loss to Nadal in the Australian Open final, he’s wrestling with some major emotional issues and doesn’t feel ready to go back on tour.

Back injury? Huh? We all knew he had=2 0a back injury late last year. He pulled out of the Paris Indoors, but played the Masters Cup and, though he didn’t win, he competed hard. He then had the entire off-season to strengthen the back and get fit.

In fact, Federer made quite a show with reporters of insisting that he wouldn’t let himself fall prey again to the "mononucleosis" which he said depreciated his 2008 season. We all assumed he was working his tail off to start 2009 in the fittest possible condition.

And, in fact, there is this from a Jan. 18 press conference before the Australian Open this year: "It comes down to playing well here, being fit and ready to go. I feel the way I was hoping to feel really just before the Australian Open (in 2008). So, I’m excited."

And this, from a press conference at a pre-Aussie Open exhibition in Kooyong: "This time around I felt great during Kooyong. I had good preparation, feel well."

At no time during the Australian Open was he treated on court for a back injury. No one reported Federer having any kind of injury during the Australian Open. Suddenly, after losing to Nadal in Melbourne, a week later he has a back injury that is so bad he can’t play Davis Cup 16 days from now.

This is beginning to smack of the excuses he used last season to explain why he didn’t have the same results he had in 2006 and 2007. These conflicting statements from Fede rer on his fitness are not new. A year ago, to his credit, he made no excuses after going out in the semifinals of the Australian Open. Then, a couple months later, he told reporters he had mononucleosis and has never fully recovered from it.

He comes then to Wimbledon last year and in a pre-tournament press conference says, "Today, I feel as good again as last year (2007)." After losing the Wimbledon final to Nadal, he was back to blaming mononucleosis for a series of defeats.

Meanwhile, anyone who bought the Davis Cup package for Birmingham will have a chance to root for Andy Roddick, James Blake and the Bryan twins against Stanislas Wawrinka and whoever else the Swiss trot out for this first-round.

But there won’t be any Federer.


Charlie Bricker can be reached at bricker@tennisnews.com

**** article . What the hell is the bold part about ?

Fed was fine in aus open 2009 , he looked fine throughout including the finals ( just had a bad serving day )

However he was serving cr*p ( by his standards) in the master series events ( till he found some serving form and rhythm in madrid ) . The back injury may have had a significant part to play in that .

As far as the bold & underlined part is concerned , he himself didn't know he had mono till after the aussie open, it wasn't diagnosed correctly . He was sick -> He skipped the warmup event kooyong .

 

[TheTruth]

I was actually using the info you provided in your post to address the ignorance in TheTruth's posts.

But Catspaw evidently read the same article where he said he's had back problems after matches for years. That's all I said, and it was true. Where's the ignorance? I'm not the only one who saw it.

 

[abmk]

But Catspaw evidently read the same article where he said he's had back problems after matches for years. That's all I said, and it was true. Where's the ignorance? I'm not the only one who saw it.

Which article ? Please provide links to the so called 'articles' ..

Edit : Yeah, I saw that there is no link . leave it then .