Nadal News 2.0

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Deleted member 763691

Guest
Rafael probably holds serve better than any other leftie ever:)
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Red Rick

Red Rick

Bionic Poster
Heidi4tennis said:
Rafael probably holds serve better than any other leftie ever:)
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Nope. On clay Wayne Arthurs is higher

On HC, Arthurs and Greg Rusedski are higher

On grass it's Rusedski, Arthurs, Ivanisevic and Lopez

Him serving conservatively and aiming for a high first% never made any sense, considering how good his 2nd serve game is and how his 1st serve win% isn't top 300 of all time.
 
D

Deleted member 742196

Guest
DSH said:
I hope that Nadal and Federer finish in the first two places not only of the open era, but of all times.
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I’m closer to that view than you may realize: my hope is they end up with the same number of slams. It seems unfair to me one should be anointed GOAT when both have given me the ride of my life.
 
kevaninho

kevaninho

Hall of Fame
E36BMWM3 said:
And he DIDN'T win it in 2017 so let's not be over-hopeful... if there IS such a thing. He only put himself in best possible position to do it.
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You telling me you wouldn't take a finals appearance this AO , considering his lack of success at majors last season?
Id bite anyones hand off if he makes the final of this edition. Its a good sign going forward onto the clay if he can show good form in Australia.

It very well may be that he goes out early , and Djokovic goes on a massive run into RG, and then its big trouble.

A 2017 situation isn't a bad thing for Rafa.
 
D

Deleted member 763691

Guest
Djokovic is too weak to dominate a full year and was a failure for most of 2018:)
 
Rafa4GOAT

Rafa4GOAT

Professional
Sabrina said:
Nadal's draw at 2019 AO

R1: Duckworth
R2: Ebden/Struff
R3: De Minaur
R4: Edmund/Schwartzman
QF: Isner/Anderson
SF: Federer
F: Djokovic

Relatively easy until the SF IMO.
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Struff could be tough, I’m watching his match at the ASB classic against PCB right now, boy does he have some power. If he gets to Nadal and Rafa isn’t playing better than he was at the fast 4, we could see an upset.
 
K-H

K-H

Hall of Fame
Rafa4GOAT said:
Struff could be tough, I’m watching his match at the ASB classic against PCB right now, boy does he have some power. If he gets to Nadal and Rafa isn’t playing better than he was at the fast 4, we could see an upset.
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I agree. I’ve seen struff play. He can really hit that ball
 
K-H

K-H

Hall of Fame
Djokovic has definitely got it the toughest. Still don’t think Nadal has it easy. But I wouldn’t say difficult either.
 
D

Deleted member 763691

Guest
Rafael is very active in his practice sessions now, probably going to start the AO on fire!
i love Rafael's draw because he gets maximum media attention in Australia because he probably plays 3 Aussies in the first 3 rounds (unless Struff beats Ebden):)
 
Tennis Rules

Tennis Rules

Semi-Pro
good to see him moving better at the last practise videos. hope his health is ready for melbourne....and i think he must prepare of playing mostly the day sessions at until the quarters, because i think federer gets the night sessions spots.
 
D

Deleted member 763691

Guest
Tennis Rules said:
good to see him moving better at the last practise videos. hope his health is ready for melbourne....and i think he must prepare of playing mostly the day sessions at until the quarters, because i think federer gets the night sessions spots.
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Rafael got night sessions at 2017 US Open, and he and Federer were in the same half, so it makes no difference:)
 
S

smash hit

Professional
Tennis Rules said:
.and i think he must prepare of playing mostly the day sessions at until the quarters, because i think federer gets the night sessions spots.
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Stuart Fraser
@stu_fraser
·
3h

Roger Federer's Australian Open route just in...
R1: Qualifier (at night)
R2: Qualifier (at night)
R3: Qualifier (at night)
R4: Qualifier (at night)
QF: Qualifier (at night)
SF: Qualifier (at night)
F: Qualifier (at night)
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octobrina10

octobrina10

Talk Tennis Guru
octobrina10 said:
The Rafa Team

Rafael Plaza, a Spanish journalist, confirms that Rafa has changed his service motion (the article is in Spanish):

https://www.atptour.com/es/news/nadal-cambio-saque-australian-open-2019

An excerpt:
"We are looking for more damage and for the ball to go a little faster," Moya tells ATPTour.com on his way to tennis courts at Melbourne Park early Wednesday afternoon. "We had always had the feeling that Rafa's ball was fast in the service, but when it bounced it stopped a bit. Now, with a more fluid movement, we want the ball to bounce and not lose all that speed." [Via Google Translate]

Rafael Plaza is a reliable journalist, who has a good relationship with the Rafa team. He has written good articles about Rafa & his team since at least 2015, and Rafa has praised him.

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https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1083388463397957638

The ATP Staff has translated Rafael Plaza's article from Spanish to English (and published it anonymously):

¤¤ Rafa Ready To Unveil Revamped Serve

Coach Moya discusses Nadal’s new service motion ahead of Australian Open

Is it possible, at 32 years old and with 15 seasons on the ATP Tour, to rework an already highly successful formula?

If you’re Rafael Nadal, the answer is “of course.”

The Spaniard did a double training session Wednesday on Margaret Court Arena at the Australian Open: a morning practice with Great Britain’s Kyle Edmund, then an afternoon session with coach Carlos Moya. Nadal will kick off the 2019 season on 14 January in Melbourne, several days later than the initial intended start date due to a thigh ailment that forced the World No. 2 to pull out of the Brisbane International.

While recuperating from the leg injury, Nadal also made time to develop another wrinkle in his game: The 17-time Grand Slam champion has been tweaking his service motion with the intent to produce more velocity and immediately put opponents under pressure.

“We’re looking to maximise damage from the onset, and one way to do that is with a faster, more aggressive serve,” Moya told ATPTour.com following his afternoon practice session with Nadal. “We’ve been working out the mechanics of his serve; his motion now is more fluid. Before, the ball he served lost power immediately after bouncing. That isn’t the case anymore; his serve maintains speed now after making contact with the court, making it that much more potent.”
According to Moya, the idea to alter Nadal’s service swing was conceived following Nadal’s semi-final showdown against Juan Martin del Potro at the 2018 US Open. Nadal was forced to retire from that match while trailing 6-7(3), 2-6 due to a knee tendon injury. Nadal and his team identified the slight weakness in his serve and devised a plan to improve the motion.

Nadal had planned to test his tweaked service motion at the Rolex Paris Masters before being forced to withdraw from the event with an abdominal injury. The Spaniard used the time on the sidelines to undergo surgery to remove bone fragments in his right ankle, and to convene with his team and further develop the tactics needed to fine-tune his game.

“These changes came following that match at the US Open,” Moya said. “Rafa was all for the changes, even if meant added work.

“He was the first to identify the weakness in his serve, and we as a team formulated an approach to improve it. We were sidetracked [in late 2018] because of the abdominal injury and the right ankle surgery but finally got around to physically working out the new service motion after recovery. I’m happy to say he’s now comfortable with the revamped serve motion.”

Team Nadal is practical in the differences a reworked serve will mean to match results and have made it clear the left-handed player won’t be matching the likes of John Isner, Ivo Karlovic or Milos Raonic in terms of service pace or aces. The intended result of the tweak is to maintain the team’s philosophy of constantly evolving and to add to an already formidable arsenal of weapons.

“This isn’t some radical change; it’s just adjusting a weapon we believe will take him to even higher levels,” Moya said. We’ve done ‘trial runs’ in mock matches, just to ensure he’s comfortable when it’s time to compete. The modified serve was a tricky adjustment at first, but now that he’s found his groove, he’s back in his comfort zone.”

Moya is confident the 2009 Australian Open champion will be in his best form come Monday, and that the Spaniard’s serve will be in full effect.

“Rafa has taken onboard adjustments to his game in the past,” Moya said. “This is just one more chapter in his career, and another addition to his development.”¤¤

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/nadal-new-service-motion-australian-open-2019

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DSH

DSH

Talk Tennis Guru
Rafa4GOAT said:
Struff could be tough, I’m watching his match at the ASB classic against PCB right now, boy does he have some power. If he gets to Nadal and Rafa isn’t playing better than he was at the fast 4, we could see an upset.
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please, dont overrate de level of struff.
last year federer defeated the german in straights in the second round of the ao.
if nadal is "injured", what is the point of playing?
 
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Sport

Sport

G.O.A.T.
Sabrina said:
Nadal's draw at 2019 AO

R1: Duckworth
R2: Ebden/Struff
R3: De Minaur
R4: Edmund/Schwartzman
QF: Isner/Anderson
SF: Federer
F: Djokovic

Relatively easy until the SF IMO.
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Anderson is not easy for the QF IMO. Easy for a final but not for QF. And Schwartzmann somehow always makes difficult matches for Rafa.

Anyhow, it could have been way worse. Thank God, Nadal avoided Khachanov, Cilic, Tsitsipas and Thiem before the SF.
 
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DSH

DSH

Talk Tennis Guru
Sport said:
Anderson is not easy for the QF IMO. Easy for a final but not for QF. And Schwartzmann somehow always makes difficult matches for Rafa.

Anyhow, it could have been way worse. Thank God, Nadal avoided Khachanov, Cilic, Tsitsipas and Thiem before the SF.
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thiem is not a threat in plexicushion, decotourf is better for his game.
and let see if the russian meets expectations.
 
Yugram

Yugram

Legend
Sport said:
Anderson is not easy for the QF IMO. Easy for a final but not for QF. And Schwartzmann somehow always makes difficult matches for Rafa.

Anyhow, it could have been way worse. Thank God, Nadal avoided Khachanov, Cilic, Tsitsipas and Thiem before the SF.
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Yep, Diego is a tough matchup. Hopefully he won’t make it to R4. Thanks God Rafa won’t play Tsonga/Wasrinka/Berdych in R2/R3.
 
octobrina10

octobrina10

Talk Tennis Guru
Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre in Mexico

The new Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre in Mexico has opened its doors.

The Centre is located in the Costa Mujeres area on the Mexican Caribbean Coast (north of resort city of Cancun), in the facilities of the two resorts TRS Coral Hotel and Grand Palladium Costa Mujeres Resort & Spa. The resorts belong to Rafa's business partners.
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1083647984741408768

Rafa visited the construction site of the new tennis centre in February 2018:
http://www.tennisnow.com/Blogs/NET-...)/Nadal-Launches-Tennis-Centre-in-Mexico.aspx

NadalAcademy1.aspx

NadalAcademy3.aspx

NadalAcademy4.aspx


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octobrina10

octobrina10

Talk Tennis Guru
Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre in Greece

A new Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre will open its doors in Halkidiki, Northern Greece, in April 2019.

Via Google Translate, excerpts:
IUSPORT, January 11, 2019: ¤¤ Greece will be home for a new Rafa Nadal Tennis Center.

After the fruitful agreement reached with Sani Resort, it became official today that the new Rafa Nadal Tennis Center will open its doors next April in Halkidiki, one of the most important tourist destinations in Greece.

Located inside Sani Resort, an impressive 5 star resort with more than 400 hectares, the Rafa Nadal Tennis Center will be composed of 8 clay courts, in which tennis programs will be available for players of all ages and all levels. The objective is to offer a high quality tennis training so that guests and residents of the area can play and receive classes through different personalized programs according to the different profiles of players.

Consolidated as one of the most important holiday destinations in the Mediterranean, Sani Resort is located less than an hour from Thessaloniki, one of the cultural capitals of Europe. Its varied leisure offer and its wonderful surroundings will be an important added value so that all tennis lovers who come to the Rafa Nadal Tennis Center can enjoy a paradisiacal vacation while improving their technique and enjoy a luxurious resort with all the comforts.

Rafa Nadal himself wanted to express his happiness for this new launch: "I am very happy that we officially announce the birth of a new Rafa Nadal Tennis Center in Greece, as it consolidates the Academy's expansion project around the world. I thank Sani Resort for the trust it has placed in our team; I am sure that this alliance will be very fruitful. Especially for tennis fans, to which I invite you to come and enjoy these magnificent facilities since April."

The opening of the centre in Greece will mean the creation of the second Rafa Nadal Tennis Center, after the first of these sports centers opened its doors at the end of 2018 in Costa Mujeres, north of Cancun (Mexico). ¤¤
Read more:
https://iusport.com/art/77978/grecia-albergara-un-nuevo-rafa-nadal-tennis-centre

The Sani Resort website: "THE RAFA NADAL TENNIS CENTRE AT SANI RESORT":
https://www.sani-resort.com/en_GB/rntc

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The RNA website, January 11, 2018: "RAFA NADAL TENNIS CENTRE GREECE":
https://www.rafanadalacademy.com/en/rafa-nadal-tennis-centre-greece

Sani Resort:
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Halkidiki:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalkidiki

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octobrina10

octobrina10

Talk Tennis Guru
Australian Open 2019

January 12, 2019
Media Day

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Via RNKOTFB

Transcript of Rafa's pre-tournament presser:

Question. How do you assess your physical condition at this specific stage? How do you feel?
RAFAEL NADAL: Good. No, I feel good. If I am not feeling good, I will not be here. I have good feelings in terms of the surgery that I have in the foot. I can say is almost done.

Then, of course, after surgery, after months without competing, having troubles to practice, of course there is always issues when you come back.

But nothing new for me. I had couple of ones of this. Just accept the challenges of the body presents and the tennis presents.

Is again another season, coming back from a tough period of time, but with highest motivation possible to start another season. Very excited to be back here in Melbourne, starting another one.

Yeah, of course is good news that I am here again – for me, I don’t know for you (smiling). That’s my feeling: happy to be here.

Q. I’ve seen some video that makes it look like your serve is quite different. Did you change it? If so, why? Was it a difficult thing to do?
RAFAEL NADAL: You need to make you feel alive, you know. There is always things to improve. Is true that I try to improve during all my career all the things. The serve was always a thing that I tried to improve, and I think I did.

Maybe was the time to try to make one more step, no? That’s what we are trying. I happy with it. I happy with the motivation to do something new. I happy with the fact that, if I am able to make that happen in a good way, that hopefully will give me the chance to help me on my game a longer term. That’s all.

I didn’t compete with this new serve, so let’s see how it works. I am confident it’s going to work well.

Q. You’ve known Andy Murray such a long time. How is it going to feel to be on tour without him?
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, of course is very bad news. But being honest, when somebody like him, that he achieved almost everything in his tennis career, is suffering like he’s doing for such a long time already, and you feel that you are not competitive for the thing that really makes you wake up every morning and go on court with the passion to practice, to improve, and with a goal, then is so difficult, no?

I can’t say that because I didn’t had that experience, but in some way I can speak about similarities that I had in my career, no? When you are going on court every day without the clear goal because you cannot move well, you have pain, then is a moment to take a decision.

Probably he is fighting for keep going since a long time. If he doesn’t feel that the thing can go better, probably he does the right thing for his mental health.

Will be a very important lose for us, for the world of tennis, for the tour, for the fans, even for the rivals that he have been part of a great rivalry between the best players for a long time, and a great competitor.

But that’s life. Seems like he had not very long career because today players are playing that long. But he’s 31. 10 years ago, if he retired at 31, we will say he had a great and very long career. That’s the real thing.

So all the best for him. We will miss him. But today is him. Tomorrow another one. We are not 20 any more. Our generation, everyone is more than 30s. These kind of things happens. That’s it.

Q. You talked about the similar experiences you had with Andy, with physical issues. With all the injuries that you’ve had, the operations, the procedures on your knee, have you ever thought that your body is telling you that maybe you shouldn’t be playing tennis, that you should go play golf, go fishing?
RAFAEL NADAL: I didn’t arrive to that point. I am a positive guy. I always had the feeling that we’ll fix it. But, of course, there is periods of time that you don’t see the light. Is tough.

My only goal is always to have been keep going. Even if lot of days you go on court when you have troubles or you go to the gym without having a real goal or without knowing why I am going there, because I don’t see a benefit on this today; you keep going. That’s the only way that you can keep having confidence and hope for a good comeback in terms of health. That’s it.

I have my experience. I know sometimes is hard mentally. Is tough when you have one thing, then another thing.

But I know that tennis is not forever. I want to do it as long as I can and give myself the best possibilities to fight for the things really I am passionate about, and to keep doing the things that I really enjoy doing. Playing tennis is one of the things, compete in this sport is one of the things that I enjoy more doing.

When arrive the day that I cannot hold it again will be the day to go and do what you told me or another things.

Q. You talked about Andy, the rivalries, everything. A lot of the support from players is pointed out what they will miss is him, his personality, how he was as a man.
RAFAEL NADAL: Yeah, we shared competitions under 13, under 14. Yeah, we know each other since a very long, long time ago, no? When he was a kid, he was little bit a bad boy (smiling).

Then, of course, you have an evolution on your personality. And yes, at the end of the day you appreciate a lot your rivals because you shared lot of important moments in our lives.

I always had good relationship with him. We shared moments in my academy. We shared moments playing some exhibitions all around the world. We shared court in the most important stadiums in the world, competing for the most important things. That’s impossible to forget.

He has a good fighting spirit. He have been a hard worker. Is not nice to finish like this because is great that you finish when you want to finish, not because of another thing.

Overall, when he puts everything on the balance, will be that the positive things of the balance are much heavier than the negative things, even if in the end is not probably the way that he dreamed about. But you can’t manage that.

Q. One of your great rivalries is with Roger Federer. What are your recollections of the 2017 final playing him, and how different was it, given the stages your careers were at?
RAFAEL NADAL: Can you repeat that?
...
Q. I know you’ve had experience in your career where you’ve preferred not to have a particular umpire at your match. What was it like when this person eventually did umpire you again? What was your feeling?
RAFAEL NADAL: I never had problems, being honest. I had some issues, I mean, long-term problems. I consider myself a very relaxed guy on court. As everybody knows, I had an issue with Carlos in Rio.

But for me is not about one thing or another thing that can happen on the match. Everybody can have mistakes. For me, the only reason why during a small period of time I request that if I cannot have him on the chair was because, in my opinion, that day in Rio de Janeiro, he didn’t respect me. That is all. He make me change my shorts in front of 7000 people. Sorry, I don’t believe that’s nice. That’s all.

If he’s pushing me with the time, making a negative call, that’s part of the business. Everybody have mistakes. I have mistakes. I am wrong sometimes. Under pressure, I can do sometimes things that being relaxed you will not.

But that’s all. I only had that issue.

Q. So it was okay the next time when he umpired you?
RAFAEL NADAL: He was umpire me plenty of times after that. I am not people that going to think about what happened in the past. I see him on the airport travelling all around. I always say hello. We always had a good relationship with Carlos.

Being honest, I respect him a lot. I think he’s one of the best umpires that we had for a long time. But that day was a mistake. He had time to think about it, that’s all. He did something that in my personal opinion was not respecting me, but that’s all.

We spoke. We don’t have problems at all. If he’s on the chair tomorrow, after tomorrow, I will not think at all about what happened in the past. No, no, no problems at all. ¤¤ [Source: Australian Open]

https://ausopen.com/articles/interviews/rafael-nadal-12-01-19-interview

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Vamos Rafa!
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