Rafael Nadal: 'Novak Djokovic plays almost everything, while Roger Federer and I who have been injured for such a long time

[pj80]

Speaking about the GOAT race in Abu Dhabi, Rafa reminded that Novak Djokovic had a massive advantage over him and Roger Federer in the season behind us, embracing a regular schedule.

"I understand that the conversation is always there.

It's primarily related to Novak, who has been playing almost every week, unlike Roger and I, who have been injured for such a long time. Of course, we are equal on Major titles, but the chances for Novak are much higher than for us because he's healthy and competing, and he's doing well.

Let's see what can happen in the next couple of months. If I'm back at my best again, we can be talking about that later in the season. My current goal is to make a comeback and be healthy and competitive," Rafael Nadal said.

Rafael Nadal: 'Novak Djokovic plays almost everything, while Roger Federer and I..' (**************.org)

 

[MichaelNadal]

Pew pew pew

 

[The Blond Blur]

I mean he’s not wrong. Ol’ Rog’s knee kept him out almost all year, and RAFA’s foot kept him out for the 2nd half of the year.

 

[d-quik]

Also, water is wet. The sky is blue.

 

[Red Rick]

"He obsesses over records. Let me obsess over the excuses"

 

[Deleted member 629564]

"He obsesses over records. Let me obsess over the excuses"

 

[GabeT]

Winners win

losers find excuses

 

[killerboss]

Djokovic missed quite a lot of m1000s this year. I guess the players don't even pretend to be injured anymore lmao. It's a good move to skip these worthless tournaments and concentrate on clever scheduling. He'd be even further ahead in the m1000 race if he played them though.

 

[Nuclear]

Also, water is wet. The sky is blue.

I disagree. The sky is padq. @skypadq

 

[The Big Foe fan]

I mean he’s not wrong. Ol’ Rog’s knee kept him out almost all year, and RAFA’s foot kept him out for the 2nd half of the year.

But djok's a bot, no?

 

[The Big Foe fan]

I disagree. The sky is padq. @skypadq

And Nuclear is Bomb??

 

[zagor]

Meh, Fed has had multiple surgeries and has been injured for much longer. Nadal was a set away from bagging his 35th FO.

Their situations are not even remotely similar.

 

[Picmun]

Bash Djoke all you like, there be plenty to bash., but Bash Rafa?....This place...The Big Djoke would have well over 20 slams but for his idiocy. The debate is meaningless.

 

[The Blond Blur]

But djok's a bot, no?

Of course not, but the point being he was healthy basically all year and they weren’t. And now he’s in the best position to finish with the schlem record. That’s literally all RAFA said. The OP has made more than one thread about this now. There’s literally nothing wrong with what was said. People are just looking for ways to be offended at this point.

 

[guanzishou]

Why does Nadal have to throw Federer under the bus?

 

[TripleATeam]

I mean yeah. Tough, but it is what it is. You have to avoid getting hurt if you want to keep playing, and by extension winning.

 

[octobrina10]

Winners win

losers find excuses

Whiners whine here.

 

[GabeT]

Of course not, but the point being he was healthy basically all year and they weren’t. And now he’s in the best position to finish with the schlem record. That’s literally all RAFA said. The OP has made more than one thread about this now. There’s literally nothing wrong with what was said. People are just looking for ways to be offended at this point.

Fed is long past winning slams so him being healthy or not at this point has no bearing on the slam race.

Nadal may also be done winning slams but we shall soon find out

 

[The Guru]

I don't think Nadal is saying what the OP wants him to be saying. I think he means that Novak has the better chance to get more than 20 because he's the only one that's healthy right now. I don't think this was a dig at Novak. Nadal's not that petty or that much of a cry baby.

 

[The Blond Blur]

I don't think Nadal is saying what the OP wants him to be saying. I think he means that Novak has the better chance to get more than 20 because he's the only one that's healthy right now. I don't think this was a dig at Novak. Nadal's not that petty or that much of a cry baby.

Because that’s literally what he said

 

[Djokovic2011]

"He obsesses over records. Let me obsess over the excuses"

Nailed it lol.

 

[GabeT]

I don't think Nadal is saying what the OP wants him to be saying. I think he means that Novak has the better chance to get more than 20 because he's the only one that's healthy right now. I don't think this was a dig at Novak. Nadal's not that petty or that much of a cry baby.

I agree. But trolling is what we do here.

 

[Kralingen]

Novak does deserve more credit for the bananas dedication to his personal health he has. You don’t hear any other pro player with the stretching routine and diet he puts himself through. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that he’s one of the most durable athletes in tennis history.

the “polite” discourse we have around injuries as if they are completely out of the athlete’s control isn’t fully true. Obviously he is far luckier than guys like DelPo, Murray, Nadal, basically the entire New Balls Gen, but it’s not ALL luck. It’s a shame, certainly, that others have struggled with injuries but this is pro sports. The ability to sustain physical condition is part of the job description… we don’t mourn the juniors who had career ending injuries, do we? This is war. And in your 30s, that knowledge of one’s body and dedication to health is 1000% a skill and not luck.

You can’t tell me that injury prevention due to Monk-like asceticism and yogi level stretching isn’t a legitimate competitive advantage he has. With the razor thin margins at the top level, being able to show up prepared physically is almost as important as your shotmaking and serve.

Sometimes the best ability is availability. Truth hurts

 

[pj80]

Novak does deserve more credit for the bananas dedication to his personal health he has. You don’t hear any other pro player with the stretching routine and diet he puts himself through. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that he’s one of the most durable athletes in tennis history.

the “polite” discourse we have around injuries as if they are completely out of the athlete’s control isn’t fully true. Obviously he is far luckier than guys like DelPo, Murray, Nadal, basically the entire New Balls Gen, but it’s not ALL luck. It’s a shame, certainly, that others have struggled with injuries but this is pro sports. The ability to sustain physical condition is part of the job description… we don’t mourn the juniors who had career ending injuries, do we? This is war. And in your 30s, that knowledge of one’s body and dedication to health is 1000% a skill and not luck.

You can’t tell me that injury prevention due to Monk-like asceticism and yogi level stretching isn’t a legitimate competitive advantage he has. With the razor thin margins at the top level, being able to show up prepared physically is almost as important as your shotmaking and serve.

Sometimes the best ability is availability. Truth hurts

Rafa would have been an easier opponent in the USO final than Medvedev

 

[Kralingen]

Rafa would have been an easier opponent in the USO final than Medvedev

i mean, there’s about 250 guys on tour who would have been harder than the injured Rafa we saw in Washington. That’s kind of the point. You’ve gotta have a ticket to win the raffle.

 

[Deleted member 788697]

Still....

 

[pj80]

i mean, there’s about 250 guys on tour who would have been harder than the injured Rafa we saw in Washington. That’s kind of the point. You’ve gotta have a ticket to win the raffle.

im not talking about injured Rafa...

 

[Sampras-Bruguera 1993]

Nole has always took better care of his fitness/personal health/diet and had a higher tennis IQ at the end of the day than Fed/Nadal. so not surprising really.. Djoker is a Freak with his fitness, stretching, dieting.. I couldn't do it and probably not many other people can either. LOL. at least not to the insanity that Nole does it. You could go crazy after a week doing all the fitness guru stuff Nole does.

Nole probably COULD play until his 45 at least and injury free if he really chose to

 

[MichaelNadal]

Novak does deserve more credit for the bananas dedication to his personal health he has. You don’t hear any other pro player with the stretching routine and diet he puts himself through. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that he’s one of the most durable athletes in tennis history.

the “polite” discourse we have around injuries as if they are completely out of the athlete’s control isn’t fully true. Obviously he is far luckier than guys like DelPo, Murray, Nadal, basically the entire New Balls Gen, but it’s not ALL luck. It’s a shame, certainly, that others have struggled with injuries but this is pro sports. The ability to sustain physical condition is part of the job description… we don’t mourn the juniors who had career ending injuries, do we? This is war. And in your 30s, that knowledge of one’s body and dedication to health is 1000% a skill and not luck.

You can’t tell me that injury prevention due to Monk-like asceticism and yogi level stretching isn’t a legitimate competitive advantage he has. With the razor thin margins at the top level, being able to show up prepared physically is almost as important as your shotmaking and serve.

Sometimes the best ability is availability. Truth hurts

Facts. Imagine not having a juicy burger in a decade lol. I would be like Stan. Show up and slay, win a few slams, and bite into magnificent beef

 

[Kralingen]

Facts. Imagine not having a juicy burger in a decade lol. I would be like Stan. Show up and slay, win a few slams, and bite into magnificent beef

i mean genuinely what is that sh-t on his plate? And look how happy he looks about it? He does this every single day too. What a sicko.

 

[vex]

Speaking about the GOAT race in Abu Dhabi, Rafa reminded that Novak Djokovic had a massive advantage over him and Roger Federer in the season behind us, embracing a regular schedule.

"I understand that the conversation is always there.

It's primarily related to Novak, who has been playing almost every week, unlike Roger and I, who have been injured for such a long time. Of course, we are equal on Major titles, but the chances for Novak are much higher than for us because he's healthy and competing, and he's doing well.

Let's see what can happen in the next couple of months. If I'm back at my best again, we can be talking about that later in the season. My current goal is to make a comeback and be healthy and competitive," Rafael Nadal said.

Rafael Nadal: 'Novak Djokovic plays almost everything, while Roger Federer and I..' (**************.org)

I mean, Roger had like an extra 6ish years … Rafa had some extra years too… also Novak isn’t playing every week, he’s skipping a ton of events now. He’s just in the whole held up better than Rafa and maintained a higher level for the most part off clay.

 

[vex]

i mean genuinely what is that sh-t on his plate? And look how happy he looks about it? He does this every single day too. What a sicko.

Ha! In fairness, there’s a **** ton to rip the guy for but I think it’s safe to say that diet isn’t one of them.

 

[LETitBE]

im not talking about injured Rafa...

why did he play if he was injured?

 

[MichaelNadal]

why did he play if he was injured?

For epicness

 

[Centrius]

Facts. Imagine not having a juicy burger in a decade lol. I would be like Stan. Show up and slay, win a few slams, and bite into magnificent beef

Yuck.

 

[MichaelNadal]

Yuck.

 

[Adam Copeland]

Ohh yeah Rafa ...... you have so many excuses ready .... just like your friend Roger

 

[Tennis_Freak99]

Novak played 11 tournaments this year and Rafa played 7. So much for playing ''every week"

Hope this is a bad translation and he put it in a different way because this sounds salty as hell

 

[Adam Copeland]

I think he means that Novak has the better chance to get more than 20 because he's the only one that's healthy right now. I don't think this was a dig at Novak. Nadal's not that petty or that much of a cry baby.

I think is no room for excuses in life.

Every athlete gets enough opportunity to beat the other athlete if the age gap is till 5-6 years

If the gap would be 10 years then the opportunity to beat would be limited to an year or 2 when the youngster is a baby, not more, but here there is no excuse.

Federer and Nadal have stayed physically good enough to beat Novak for more than a decade but they both failed more than they succeeded, Rafa especially has just 11 months of age on Novak, so he speaking of injuries now is like he trying to say that if he and roger were fit then they would have beaten Novak ......This is just jealousy speaking IMO

 

[pj80]

why did he play if he was injured?

I was saying a fully fit Rafa would be easier match for Djokovic in USO final than Medvedev

 

[PrinceMoron]

Played so many opponents who can’t get over the finishing line

Djokovic is showing the same tendency at 20

just funny to see even the great and the good are human too

 

[junior74]

Meh, Fed has had multiple surgeries and has been injured for much longer. Nadal was a set away from bagging his 35th FO.

Their situations are not even remotely similar.

Yes, but the relationship is fluid, no?

 

[Fiero425]

Because that’s literally what he said

But Novak wasn't playing everything; giving free reign to the NG'rs and Nadal if they cared to take advantage of his absence in so many Masters' events this year!

 

[Fiero425]

I think is no room for excuses in life.

Every athlete gets enough opportunity to beat the other athlete if the age gap is till 5-6 years

If the gap would be 10 years then the opportunity to beat would be limited to an year or 2 when the youngster is a baby, not more, but here there is no excuse.

Federer and Nadal have stayed physically good enough to beat Novak for more than a decade but they both failed more than they succeeded, Rafa especially has just 11 months of age on Novak, so he speaking of injuries now is like he trying to say that if he and roger were fit then they would have beaten Novak ......This is just jealousy speaking IMO

We have unrealistic expectations of the NG'rs because of the excellence of Fedal and Djokovic! They're beginning to believe their own "myth" by having unrealistic expectations out of their own bodies! The game is faster now even with the homogenized courts so Fedal has to age out regardless of the egos of both thinking they can hang on for several more years ignoring the inevitable breakdown of their bodies! It's idiotic for either to use injury as a reason for Nole having free reign over the tour just because they can't get around as well as they did a decade ago! "It's called old age! Accept it grandpas!"

 

[teotjunk]

Novak played 11 tournaments this year and Rafa played 7. So much for playing ''every week"

Hope this is a bad translation and he put it in a different way because this sounds salty as hell

https://www.**************.org/tenn...pare-my-injuries-to-roger-federer-djokovic-s/

I can think of one more occasion where Nadal complained about his injuires compared to Djokovic, just cannot find find the article at the moment

 

[The Blond Blur]

But Novak wasn't playing everything; giving free reign to the NG'rs and Nadal if they cared to take advantage of his absence in so many Masters' events this year!

The point being Joker wasn’t injured while they were He wasn’t forced to skip the tournaments he didn’t play. That’s literally all that was said. People are looking for a slight when there was none at all.

 

[bjsnider]

If Nadal discussed the merits of a vegetarian diet, or crew socks, there'd be 20 threads about it here with thousands of comments about what Nadal's remarks mean in the larger context.

 

[Texas Tennis Fan]

I mean yeah. Tough, but it is what it is. You have to avoid getting hurt if you want to keep playing, and by extension winning.

Also remember that Djokovic started as a pro 2 years after Nadal and 6 years after Federer and won 20 slams at a younger age than they did.

 

[Texas Tennis Fan]

Novak does deserve more credit for the bananas dedication to his personal health he has. You don’t hear any other pro player with the stretching routine and diet he puts himself through. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that he’s one of the most durable athletes in tennis history.

the “polite” discourse we have around injuries as if they are completely out of the athlete’s control isn’t fully true. Obviously he is far luckier than guys like DelPo, Murray, Nadal, basically the entire New Balls Gen, but it’s not ALL luck. It’s a shame, certainly, that others have struggled with injuries but this is pro sports. The ability to sustain physical condition is part of the job description… we don’t mourn the juniors who had career ending injuries, do we? This is war. And in your 30s, that knowledge of one’s body and dedication to health is 1000% a skill and not luck.

You can’t tell me that injury prevention due to Monk-like asceticism and yogi level stretching isn’t a legitimate competitive advantage he has. With the razor thin margins at the top level, being able to show up prepared physically is almost as important as your shotmaking and serve.

Sometimes the best ability is availability. Truth hurts

Good post. I still remember after the longest slam match finals in history against Nadal, he was offered a little chocolate bar to celebrate and supposedly only ate half a bite. We tease Nadal about his OCD with the bottles, but Djokovic seems to be OCD about his diet and stretching and it has served him well.

 

[Saula]

Maybe if Nadal didn't play so many clay court tournaments ahead of the FO his body wouldn't break down after the FO but that would decrease his chances of winning the FO so he does it to himself time and time again .
If he doesn't decrease his schedule during the clay court season especially at 35/36 well he shouldn't really have a surprise Pikachu face when his body crumbles after . Seems like sour grapes on Nadal's part .
Novak is not so dependent on any part of the season that he needs to play so many tune up tournaments to be at his best , he played 11 tournaments this year and won 3 slams and was the n1 the entire year , Novak knows he is not 25 anymore and that his body needs more rest so he picks his battles better and it was super successful this year and if Nadal doesn't follow suit the same all same all is gonna happen again and after the FO regardless if he wins it or not his body will shut down .