Rafa Nadal - The most important professional tennis player in history

[clayqueen]

Mats Wilander calls Rafael Nadal ‘maybe the most important professional tennis player in history’, and says Rafa has impacted the next generation more than any other player: “It's time we started celebrating Rafael Nadal, because Rafael Nadal is the main reason why we have passion and players like Carlos Alcaraz or Stefanos Tsitsipas. Rafael Nadal is the one who has most impacted the younger generation, more than Roger Federer or even Novak Djokovic, because of his behavior on the court over the years. He has always behaved like this. He is an athlete who always puts in a lot of effort, maybe even too much. But I think that's what we want to see in our young players and Rafa is the main reason for me.” “He’s one of the greatest players of all time, and maybe the most important professional tennis player of all time”

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1745856891387843064

 

[TheFifthSet]

love the strategically omitted ‘maybe,’ lmao.

 

[Azure]

And I thought it was Arthur Ashe or BJK or Nav. Silly me.

 

[clayqueen]

And I thought it was Arthur Ashe or BJK or Nav. Silly me.

You thought wrong.

 

[Tennfan123]

Sonego says 'no'.

 

[BorgTheGOAT]

So according to Mats he is the most important because he is the reason we have guys like Alcaraz and Tsitsipas (???). Don't know whether I follow that logic, especially the latter tennis could well have gone without. As for popularising the game guys like Kramer, Connors, Borg, Mac or Fed are definitely equally if not more important.

 

[_phantom]

Recency bias

 

[Kralingen]

Yeah I think he has a good case, without Rafa Fed likely wins multiple CYGS in the mid 2000s and tennis becomes a joke in the eyes of many.

He provided the best rivalry to both Fed and Djokovic.

That said you don’t see many Rafa clones (neither Alcaraz or Tsitsipas are Rafa disciples to me, someone like Ruud clearly is) on Tour, his style is quite unique and hard to replicate.

 

[junior74]

If Rafa has been Tsitsipas' main influence, because of his behaviour, why does Tsitsipas behave like a d1ck on court?

 

[JasonZ]

if nadal is the reason we have tsitsipas, it would be best if nadal never played tennis at all.

 

[Neptune]

Wilander vs Edberg reminds me of Rafa vs Fed, that's all I can say.

 

[aldeayeah]

Wilander sneakily blaming Nadal for Tsitsipas, that old fox.

 

[MichaelNadal]

The most entertaining and epic for sure.

 

[clayqueen]

Wilander vs Edberg reminds me of Rafa vs Fed, that's all I can say.

With Fed being as boring as Wilander was.

 

[Hitman]

Wilander always on the money, right OP?

 

[StrongRule]

Wilander always on the money, right OP?

The fact that even Djokovic fans laugh at this...

 

[Mustard]

Mats Wilander uses tennis punditry like the way he played tennis, i.e. playing the percentages. There's a lot of wisdom in a lot of what he says, but also stuff that leaves you scratching your head in confusion or exasperation, which leaves you thinking "Did he really say that?".

Remember after the 2006 French Open final, when Wilander said that Federer's balls against Nadal shrink to a very small size, not just once, but every time? LOL. Meltdown from Federer fans at the time.

 

[Mustard]

With Fed being as boring as Wilander was.

Wilander was often exciting. He mixed up his style of play quite a lot. Contrast the US Open finals of 1987 and 1988.

 

[Poisoned Slice]

love the strategically omitted ‘maybe’, lmao.

 

[RS]

Murray fanboy

 

[Poisoned Slice]

Murray fanboy

 

[borg number one]

Wilander was often exciting. He mixed up his style of play quite a lot. Contrast the US Open finals of 1987 and 1988.

I loved watching Wilander break down opponents. So crafty. As far as Nadal. He’s definitely a very important player in terms of tennis history but this is recency bias. Laver, Borg, etc.

 

[-NN-]

"It's time we started celebrating Rafael Nadal."

Wait - wtf?

Such an unappreciated and undervalued cretin, of course.

 

[RS]

My 2 fight choices will be good so keep out. Hard to believe Pernell is gone.

 

[messiahrobins]

Mats Wilander calls Rafael Nadal ‘maybe the most important professional tennis player in history’, and says Rafa has impacted the next generation more than any other player: “It's time we started celebrating Rafael Nadal, because Rafael Nadal is the main reason why we have passion and players like Carlos Alcaraz or Stefanos Tsitsipas. Rafael Nadal is the one who has most impacted the younger generation, more than Roger Federer or even Novak Djokovic, because of his behavior on the court over the years. He has always behaved like this. He is an athlete who always puts in a lot of effort, maybe even too much. But I think that's what we want to see in our young players and Rafa is the main reason for me.” “He’s one of the greatest players of all time, and maybe the most important professional tennis player of all time”

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1745856891387843064

I stopped reading at Stefanos Tsitsipas.

 

[messiahrobins]

I loved watching Wilander break down opponents. So crafty. As far as Nadal. He’s definitely a very important player in terms of tennis history but this is recency bias. Laver, Borg, etc.

Borg is the most important player. He is the reason tennis didnt end up like croquet. He made tennis fashionable. He attracted the sponsors. He is the reason todays players are millionaires.
Nadal is a phenomenen and in many ways the modern borg. Borg though made tennis what it is today.

 

[junior74]

if nadal is the reason we have tsitsipas, it would be best if nadal never played tennis at all.

Ok, I giggled!

 

[MeatTornado]

Maybe he is, but not because of the reasoning Mats gives.

 

[borg number one]

Borg is the most important player. He is the reason tennis didnt end up like croquet. He made tennis fashionable. He attracted the sponsors. He is the reason todays players are millionaires.
Nadal is a phenomenen and in many ways the modern borg. Borg though made tennis what it is today.

I tend to agree and have stated this often. Tennis players who didn’t play back then have a hard time appreciating the way the things were back then. Nadal, all of these guys owe so much to legends such as Borg.

 

[Mustard]

Borg is the most important player. He is the reason tennis didnt end up like croquet. He made tennis fashionable. He attracted the sponsors. He is the reason todays players are millionaires.
Nadal is a phenomenen and in many ways the modern borg. Borg though made tennis what it is today.

Connors put the street into tennis before that.

 

[socallefty]

What BS is this? Is he saying modern tennis players fight hard because of having Nadal as an example? As if pros before him didn’t try hard? I can’t think of how Alcaraz and Tsitsipas are supposed to be following the example of Nadal. None of the top modern players have strokes that resemble his serve or FH.

 

[LETitBE]

What BS is this? Is he saying modern tennis players fight hard because of having Nadal as an example? As if pros before him didn’t try hard? I can’t think of how Alcaraz and Tsitsipas are supposed to be following the example of Nadal. None of the top modern players have strokes that resemble his serve or FH.

who does nadal fight hard against?
the guy down the end who stands there picking his nose?
or is the other guy fighting too

 

[vive le beau jeu !]

Maybe he is, but not because of the reasoning Mats gives.

 

[MichaelNadal]

How else could he wreck your king right from the start?

 

[junior74]

On a serious note, comments like Wilander's are not what you'd expect from a top player of the game. It's not respectful towards the game and the long tradition and history of players, different styles, dynamics, changes, revolutions. Wilander has become a click rate media-man and a troll.

A man who says, seemingly serious, that Djokovic 2015 was best player of all time on clay, should be laughed at for all eternity.

 

[Djokovic_is_the_best#1]

Matts Wilander has a massive bout of verbal diarrhoea and changes his opinion as frequently as we all change our socks!

 

[vive le beau jeu !]

Matts Wilander has a massive bout of verbal diarrhoea and changes his opinion as frequently as we all change our socks!

sometimes, he (almost) manages to make mcenroe look like a beacon of wisdom......

ladies'n'gentlemen... welcome to our daily game: "who's gonna be mac's mats' random goat today?!"

PS: at least, mac doesn't appear to take himself too seriously...
('how could he?', you'll tell me! he's just nuts...)

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

With Fed being as boring as Wilander was.

Fed boring??? Sure, ok. Does anyone really take you seriously when you spout this nonsense?

 

[Hitman]

Fed boring??? Sure, ok. Does anyone really take you seriously when you spout this nonsense?

Boring is an opinion though. Not everyone finds the same thing to be exciting.

 

[Sport]

Recency bias

More like all-time bias. No one's gonna surpass Nadal's records at RG while you live and in many centuries, if not millenials.

 

[THUNDERVOLLEY]

Mats Wilander calls Rafael Nadal ‘maybe the most important professional tennis player in history’

Hardly.

, and says Rafa has impacted the next generation more than any other player: “It's time we started celebrating Rafael Nadal, because Rafael Nadal is the main reason why we have passion and players like Carlos Alcaraz or Stefanos Tsitsipas.

If Alcaraz(!) and Tsitsipas(!) were the best Wilander could dig up as justification of his Nadal assessment, then he's made Nadal appear historically insignificant, as they--at this point in time--are not some majors-winning force, a once-in-a-generation talent, or anything else that would reflect well on Nadal as a player or his particular talent.

Rafael Nadal is the one who has most impacted the younger generation, more than Roger Federer or even Novak Djokovic, because of his behavior on the court over the years. He has always behaved like this. He is an athlete who always puts in a lot of effort, maybe even too much. But I think that's what we want to see in our young players and Rafa is the main reason for me.” “He’s one of the greatest players of all time, and maybe the most important professional tennis player of all time”

The "younger" players who turned pro--the so-called "Next Generation" players are largely a pack of dim, untalented hacks, so again, Wilander referring to them in any sense, does not help Nadal's case.

 

[BorgTheGOAT]

Hardly.



If Alcaraz(!) and Tsitsipas(!) were the best Wilander could dig up as justification of his Nadal assessment, then he's made Nadal appear historically insignificant, as they--at this point in time--are not some majors-winning force, a once-in-a-generation talent, or anything else that would reflect well on Nadal as a player or his particular talent.




The "younger" players who turned pro--the so-called "Next Generation" players are largely a pack of dim, untalented hacks, so again, Wilander referring to them in any sense, does not help Nadal's case.

Completely agree, actually almost insulting to Rafa that Mats calls those players his biggest legacy while the guy has won 22 slams.

 

[Poisoned Slice]

My 2 fight choices will be good so keep out. Hard to believe Pernell is gone.

I like reading previous opponents thoughts about Whitaker when I need an easy boost. It's like, wow, they actually tell the truth. He just was that great. ''who's the greatest to ever do it?'' PERNELL.

 

[SystemicAnomaly]

Boring is an opinion though. Not everyone finds the same thing to be exciting.

A minority opinion. A tiny minority.

 

[Hitman]

A minority opinion. A tiny minority.

It's still an opinion.

What people find boring is all subjective opinion the same with what people find exciting.

 

[_phantom]

"Rafael Nadal is the one who has most impacted the younger generation"

No lies detected.

 

[Jonesy]

I'm sure Nadal will be the archetype for many clay specialists in the future.

 

[TMF]

Fed boring??? Sure, ok. Does anyone really take you seriously when you spout this nonsense?

That's like saying Michael Jordan is boring

 

[clayqueen]

I loved watching Wilander break down opponents. So crafty. As far as Nadal. He’s definitely a very important player in terms of tennis history but this is recency bias. Laver, Borg, etc.

Have you ever seen Laver's career statistics? I think Laver has had greatness bestowed upon him in my opinion. He is from a very different era when hardcourts were few and far between now they form the core of the tour. Laver got his Grand Slam Record by playing in 1962 and 1969, the rest of the time he was absent. Borg did make an impact but as his career was so short, the impact wasn't that great.

Laver Career stats

 

[borg number one]

Have you ever seen Laver's career statistics? I think Laver has had greatness bestowed upon him in my opinion. He is from a very different era when hardcourts were few and far between now they form the core of the tour. Laver got his Grand Slam Record by playing in 1962 and 1969, the rest of the time he was absent. Borg did make an impact but as his career was so short, the impact wasn't that great.

Laver Career stats

Laver played a ton in 3 decades and yea his stats are jaw dropping. Borg ushered in the modern era. You don’t see tennis players making the cover of Time these days. Borg was likely the biggest tennis star in terms of worldwide fame in history. Ask Nadal, Federer and Novak, they know.