Rio a must- win for Rafa?

tennisfan2015

Hall of Fame
I don't think Rio matters that much. I think Rafa is playing those S A events mostly for the points. The "must win" is during the European clay season. One of the masters or Barcelona. The South Am clay swing is relatively insignificant compared to that.
I think the same. It does not really matter that much. He will just need to practice more on his accuracy and it's nothing anyway, as he seems to claim it. Perhaps he should withdraw all together and for the rest of his career he should practice tennis in training only.
 

MichaelNadal

Bionic Poster
I'm not so sure I agree with that. He seems physically and mentally burnt out to me at the moment.

Yeah but he needs CONFIDENCE too. Watch when novak declines it doesn't matter what it's down to, his mentality will get him over the hump in a lot of matches. He'll stick his chest out, know I'm still novak ****ing djokovic damn it and you'll have to make me bleed to leave this court or you'll at the very least leave with respect. Nadal is TOO ****ing nice and gives his opponents TOO much respect. I'd be mentally burnt out too if I had to summon 500% of my mental strength to beat journeymen.
 

Noleberic123

G.O.A.T.
Yeah but he needs CONFIDENCE too. Watch when novak declines it doesn't matter what it's down to, his mentality will get him over the hump in a lot of matches. He'll stick his chest out, know I'm still novak ******* djokovic damn it and you'll have to make me bleed to leave this court or you'll at the very least leave with respect. Nadal is TOO ******* nice and gives his opponents TOO much respect. I'd be mentally burnt out too if I had to summon 500% of my mental strength to beat journeymen.
I think the difference will be that Djokovics decline will be more gradual. While Nadal has fallen off a cliff. Nadal gave us hope after a decent end to his 2015 campaign and then a pretty good start in Doha but ever since then I don't know whats happened. I was certain Nadal would get atleast to the 4th round of the AO and win Buenos Aires
 

MichaelNadal

Bionic Poster
I think the difference will be that Djokovics decline will be more gradual. While Nadal has fallen off a cliff. Nadal gave us hope after a decent end to his 2015 campaign and then a pretty good start in Doha but ever since then I don't know whats happened. I was certain Nadal would get atleast to the 4th round of the AO and win Buenos Aires

He's a hot, done mess.
 

MichaelNadal

Bionic Poster
I'm Serbian. So I'm not an ordinary fan of Novak. He is my countrymen

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edmondsm

Legend
He definitely needs to show (himself more than anything) that he can win titles. If he can't finish off a touney like Rio then his chances in Paris are not good.
 

PHS_10

Banned
He was good in his opening match in Rio, if he wins this, obviously it will be good for his confidence. The thing is he had a great run at WTF last year, don't know what happened to him this year. Anyway, I still think he has a long way to go until he thinks about retirement. He is five years younger to Fed after all.
 

TheMusicLover

G.O.A.T.
These kind of threads are pretty much resembling those that happened when Fed started losing to the Toms, ***** & Harrys say around/post 2009...

It's called decline, folks. Happens to them all.
Still I hope Rafa will be able to pick it up again nicely again, and at least win a couple of these kind of tournaments. Rio would be a good start indeed.
 

veroniquem

Bionic Poster
I think the same. It does not really matter that much. He will just need to practice more on his accuracy and it's nothing anyway, as he seems to claim it. Perhaps he should withdraw all together and for the rest of his career he should practice tennis in training only.
That is not what I mean. But minor events are not a "must win", masters and slams are.
 

Diehard

Semi-Pro
I can't possibly see Nadal in present form winning IW considering he'd have to beat Novak.
Agreed but Djokovic is not his problem as he cant beat other players consistently, but if he wants a chaance at FO he has to find a way to win IW. If he did his aura would be back as clearly doing it on a hard court, albeit his favourite HC, would worry the rest of the tour with clay coming up and at RG as long as Rafa has aura even at 50% he can win as he did in 2014. However without aura then 2015 applies!!
 

cc0509

Talk Tennis Guru
Yeah but he needs CONFIDENCE too. Watch when novak declines it doesn't matter what it's down to, his mentality will get him over the hump in a lot of matches. He'll stick his chest out, know I'm still novak ******* djokovic damn it and you'll have to make me bleed to leave this court or you'll at the very least leave with respect. Nadal is TOO ******* nice and gives his opponents TOO much respect. I'd be mentally burnt out too if I had to summon 500% of my mental strength to beat journeymen.

When Novak declines he will be like every other great. They all lose confidence when some of their physical aspects start to decline with age. It's inevitable. Also, look how easily Novak lost his confidence after his incredible 2011 year. After winning the 2012 AO, he lost a lot of slam finals outside of the AO until that 2014 W win.

As for Nadal, he's not too nice. He was ripping the a$$es of Federer and Djokovic pretty good during his peak years. What's going on with him now has nothing to do with him being too nice IMO.
 

MichaelNadal

Bionic Poster
When Novak declines he will be like every other great. They all lose confidence when some of their physical aspects start to decline with age. It's inevitable. Also, look how easily Novak lost his confidence after his incredible 2011 year. After winning the 2012 AO, he lost a lot of slam finals outside of the AO until that 2014 W win.

As for Nadal, he's not too nice. He was ripping the a$$es of Federer and Djokovic pretty good during his peak years. What's going on with him now has nothing to do with him being too nice IMO.

I see what you're saying but I disagree. Everyone declines but Rafa's problems are mainly with his head right now.
 

Fiero425

Legend
Me too tbh. It's the perfect way for a young gun to make a name for himself.

Any one who defeats Nadal is instantly made famous! I should come up with a poll asking how much longer that trend will continue? Sooner or later people will shrug and say, "what else is new? 16 y.o. kid from Katmandu took Rafa out in the 1st round of Monte Carlo? Really?" Will we care in a couple more years? :rolleyes:
 

MichaelNadal

Bionic Poster
Any one who defeat Nadal is instantly made famous! I should come up with a poll asking how much longer that trend will continue? Sooner or later people will shrug and say, "what else is new? 16 y.o. kid from Katmandu took Rafa out in the 1st round of Monte Carlo? Really?" Will we care in a couple more years? :rolleyes:

I don't want Rafa to lose, but a 09 clay trilogy/Madrid-09 type thing for Theim would be great.
 

tennisaddict

Bionic Poster
Any one who defeat Nadal is instantly made famous! I should come up with a poll asking how much longer that trend will continue? Sooner or later people will shrug and say, "what else is new? 16 y.o. kid from Katmandu took Rafa out in the 1st round of Monte Carlo? Really?" Will we care in a couple more years? :rolleyes:

Of course we care. You always remember the players who beat the champs.

Everyone remembers Zeballos, Delbonis, Brands just because they beat the big guys even if they have come at a small tournament at the time of injury.
 

Fiero425

Legend
Of course we care. You always remember the players who beat the champs.

Everyone remembers Zeballos, Delbonis, Brands just because they beat the big guys even if they have come at a small tournament at the time of injury.

D & B won? I thought they just extended him! Zeballas I watched a few years ago when Rafa was playing in Mexico & So. America returning from surgery! He actually took it even though Nadal had a set and a lead to finish it off in "straights!" :rolleyes:
 

tennisaddict

Bionic Poster
D & B won? I thought they just extended him! Zeballas I watched a few years ago when Rafa was playing in Mexico & So. America returning from surgery! He actually took it even though Nadal had a set and a lead to finish it off in "straights!" :rolleyes:

D & B won against Fed at Hamburg and Gstaad in 2013
 

Fiero425

Legend
D & B won against Fed at Hamburg and Gstaad in 2013

The Fed semi loss to D I saw! I was only thinking in terms of Nadal losing! Thanks! I don't watch a lot of early round matches; so frustrating to see guys actually challenge the elite, but they invariable give it away; not always deserved by players like Nadal, Federer, and Murray! A number of times, they were literally gifted a victory with little effort on their part! :rolleyes:
 
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