Should Nadal play exclusively on clay to play longer?

[MasturB]

If playing off clay benefits Roger, why shouldn't Nadal have a similar mindset?

Argentina - 250 pts (2/12)
Rio - 500 pts (2/19)
Sao Paulo - 250 (2/26)

Break for almost 2 months

Monte Carlo - 1000 pts (4/15)
Barcelona - 500 (4/23)
Madrid - 1000 pts (5/6)
Rome - 1000 pts (5/13)
Roland Garros - 2000 pts (5/27)

Break for month and a half

Umag/Bastad - 250 pts (7/16)
Hamburg - 500 pts (7/23)
Kitzbuhel - 250 pts (7/30)

If the wait from Kitzbuhel to Monte Carlo is too long, then he could still play Australian Swing and maybe Shanghai. Playing fast courts will benefit him as rallies end quicker and it's better for his health.

Based on the math above, that's 7500 points, should be enough to give him a good chance to be World #1 at end of year if he plays a few other tournaments like Melbourne, Shanghai, USO.

 

[SLD76]

I mean .....hasn't he been mostly doing that already



we all know his annual disappearing act during indoor hc seaaon

 

[MasturB]

I mean .....hasn't he been mostly doing that already



we all know his annual disappearing act during indoor hc seaaon

He won Beijing last year and lost to Fred in Final at Shanghai.

 

[SLD76]

Nadal would never do it tho, I dont think he just wants to be a clay bird even tho he certainly has had his "injury" breaks

 

[tennis_pro]

No change here.

But even if he plays outside of red clay it doesn't matter because the other alternatives are green and blue clay.

 

[SLD76]

He won Beijing last year and lost to Fred in Final at Shanghai.

and the year before ?

 

[Plamen1234]

He is already doing that.This year he missed 3 HC tournaments and retired from another one.His first finished tournament this year will be on clay

 

[The Green Mile]

What a schedule lmao...

 

[Deleted member 756486]

Clay tennis should be it’s own separate sport.

/s

 

[merlinpinpin]

You mean, should he officially duck all the other surfaces, not with bogus injury excuses? You need to talk like VB if you want them to be a part of this thread.

 

[Sport]

If Nadal had taken this absurd strategy he wouldn't have won the US Open 2017.

I also don't take it how you title the thread "Should Nadal play exclusively on clay"?" and then you claim he should play the US Open. Probably you only wanted more visits, regardless of writing a misleading title.

 

[King No1e]

Right now he's doing enough to stay at #1. But when he gets to Fed's age, 36-37 years old, he's definitely gonna have to shorten the schedule.
Skip AO and early season
Play either Rio or Buenos Aires, skip the other
Play IW or Miami (one of the two)
Play through clay, skip Barca or Madrid (he would never skip both because they are in his home country)
Play RG, Queen's, and Wimbledon
Skip summer swing and USO
Skip Asian Swing
Play Paris and (if he makes it) World Championship

So this way, he plays the mid-season (IW-Wimby) where he has the most success, and then he plays the year-end where he'll be better rested and could break some more records. Chances to win his favorite tourneys and to win the ones he has trouble with, and skip everything else. Win-win.

 

[Deleted member 757377]

No he is top-3 on hardcourt

 

[King No1e]

Just for fun, if Djokovic kept playing into his late 30's and had to shorten his schedule:
Play Doha/AO
Play either IW or Miami
Play one clay masters and RG
Skip grass and Canada
Play Cincy and USO
Play Beijing and Shanghai
Skip Paris
Play Championship if he makes it

 

[r2473]

I'd favor this.

How about you @vive le beau jeu !

In fact, he should only play on clay in countries that start with the letter "X"

 

[vive le beau jeu !]

I'd favor this.

How about you @vive le beau jeu !

i'm in

of course, i'd prefer "exlusively on felt", "open waters" or "golf green"... but this would already be a step in the right direction.

 

[MasturB]

If Nadal had taken this absurd strategy he wouldn't have won the US Open 2017.

I also don't take it how you title the thread "Should Nadal play exclusively on clay"?" and then you claim he should play the US Open. Probably you only wanted more visits, regardless of writing a misleading title.

To exit thread, click the X in your browser window. Or Just hover mouse over the tab and hit X to close.

 

[swizzy]

i would think he should consider retiring to the clay in a few years

 

[roleaux987]

Firstly Nadal basically has been doing this his career whether legit or not is or how or why im not going to get into but he has been doing this. Had ge played 60 consecutive GS tournaments and WTF like Fed than Nadal would be finished long ago. Had djokovic kept it up Nadal would have been finished long ago

Secondly, no... to publicly say he is tanking everything bar clay would not work. For starters he is only 31. Secondly he needs more off clay an any surface really. Fed doesn't need clay to enhance his GOATness, Nadal needs non clay to even be in the discussion or get a seat at the table for GOAT talks

 

[Username_]

yes
he should only play clay since thats when he's never injured except during 2009 RG, no?

 

[Your Hero]

Absolutely he should. Anything that keeps him out of my life
for 9 months a year is alright with me. I can live with 15-23.

 

[Duncan Donuts]

I dont get it. Clay is the most physically taxing surface on tour. Injuries are the most likely to happen on this surface right? Everyone limps into grass season after it. Why is it better for Nadal, who is advancing and age AND injury prone, to focus his play on clay. Yes, he is good on it...but the same thing helping his career is also killing his body.

Guys like Nadal, Ferrer, Carreno Busta, Nishikori, Klizan always go full rugged on clay and are physically tapped out by the time Wimbledon rolls around.

 

[True Fanerer]

Nadal missing so much of the early season could be a plan for UO and WTF run .

 

[AlexanderTheGreat08]

yes
he should only play clay since thats when he's never injured except during 2009 RG, no?

2016 & 2004

 

[Raining hopes]

Both cap and Iron man die. Enjoy the movie

Why did you do that? Why?

Now I can't even ask if it isn't true, that would be spoiler in itself.

 

[George Turner]

Both cap and Iron man die. Enjoy the movie

Spoiler alert; Happy Hogan, Pepper Potts, Howard the Duck and Stan Lee all die aswell.

So does Wolverine. Ah wait, that was a different film. Never mind..

 

[PMChambers]

Probably makes a lot of sense to miss grass and get a little mid year break. It is the most dangerous surface and likely shorten his career for the less potential gain. But I still like all players who are able to attend all Majors and lesser extent masters.

 

[TheGhostOfAgassi]

Two more years full season, get some more slams. Then go for clay and maybe a short HC slam season to get even more slams.

 

[reaper]

Probably makes a lot of sense to miss grass and get a little mid year break. It is the most dangerous surface and likely shorten his career for the less potential gain. But I still like all players who are able to attend all Majors and lesser extent masters.

There's not a snowball's chance in hell he'd skip Wimbledon. He was favourite to win it at the end of the first week last year and I'm sure he still gives himself a chance there.

 

[zagor]

There's not a snowball's chance in hell he'd skip Wimbledon. He was favourite to win it at the end of the first week last year and I'm sure he still gives himself a chance there.

He was? Doubt that, maybe the 2nd favourite. USO is his for the taking though, high bouncing and slow, last stlam of the season which gives the edge to Nadal due to his durability.

 

[Otacon]

I think he still believes he can win majors on HC.

 

[Spider]

This is interesting and I can see this happening towards the tail-end of his career. I think we are few more years from that.

 

[MasturB]

Bump. Mods please do not delete. This isn't trolling. This is legit discussion with Rafa's injury concerns and frequent knee injuries.

 

[kishnabe]

He should, he only hurting himself.