So... Why do so many of you dislike Nadal?

[Shabazza]

JMDP?

JMDP= Juan Marcos DelPorto

 

[zampano]

He also yells and celebrates after his opponents mistakes. This is poor sportsmanship, plain and simple.

no it's not. he works a lot to provoke those errors.

it's just that when somebody becomes successful people want him badly to start losing.

 

[Duzza]

JMDP= Juan Marcos DelPorto

LOl you mean Juan MARTIN Del POTRO.
10 Things I Hate About You(Nadal)...
1. He wears shorts that aren't shorts nor pants
2. He used to be so much cooler, now he's all cocky
3. His muscles are too large
4. He has "vamos" and "rafa" embroidered on his shoes
5. He is a left hander
6. He is number 2 in the world and the biggest, if not only threat to Fed
7. He uses a Babolat
8. He takes too long to play tennis
9. He is a Spaniard
10. He grunts like he's having several babies

 

[zampano]

I dont like Nadal since he is ugly, arrogant, takes steroids, uses manipulative tactics to gain an edge, annoying, his game is ugly and boring, he is overrated and overhyped, and his fans suck. There you go.

you're subjective which is ok (we don't need reasons to like or dislike somebody) but you're also stupid and that's not ok.

 

[FiveO]

I don't care for Rafa's on court schtick.

I don't care for Hewitt's nor Roddick's either.

All three are by design and a reflection of true character. The oft offered excuse that any one of their behaviors are an indication that they "want it more" adds insult upon insult to the competitors each faces across the net from match to match.

Time violations, fist pumping and shouting aloud the equivalent of "C'mon" in whatever one's native tongue may be on an opponent's UE, playing to and inciting crowds against an opponent are and will always be gamesmanship.

Gamesmanship is the use of dubious (although not technically illegal) methods to win a game.

While time violations are in violation of the written rules and while it has become "common practice" that they go largely unenforced, "The Code" makes it incumbant on every competitor to adhere to the rule even if officials fear to intervene.

Outwardly, overtly and excessively celebrating an UE of an opponent is not only disrespectful to the opponent and "the game" it is tactical "gamesmanship" made more reprehensible by the fact that all these competitors have "shelved" their "acts" against opponents they "respect".

His (McEnroe's) one, gross drawback was that at any provocation, real or imagined, he was apt to have a tantrum, behaviour he justified by claiming that he put himself off more than his opponents. What was astonishing was that, at Wimbledon anyway, none of them ever walked off court. Not that Borg would have reason to. 'I never acted like a jerk against him,' McEnroe would admit. 'I had too much respect.'-Sunday June 5, 2005-Observer Sport Monthly

What does that say about the character of "like minds" regarding their "other" opponents when those questionable behaviors are on full display?

I appreciate all their games, like I did Nastase, Connors and McEnroe, but the latter three engage in on-court?in the opponent's face behavior all too often. And it is what it is, gamesmanship, just without the point penalties, suspensions and fines of their predecessors.

 

[Fedexeon]

I don't know why people hate Nadal, perhaps everyone has their very particular opinion. Nadal is a good thing for tennis, i like his spirit, his determination. Yes, sometimes(most of the time) he takes too long to serve a ball, but other than that he's ok. Maybe his style of play is one-dimensional or whatsoever, but it wins him games as Federer had said so before. And surely, he's a good player, if not how can the world he become the world no.2. And i also don't like the people who ignore Federer's achievement, if its so easy to dominate in a "weak era", or perhaps the "weakest era ever" in the tennis world, why i don't see those people dominating the field? If its so easy anyway?

 

[BigServer1]

no it's not. he works a lot to provoke those errors.

it's just that when somebody becomes successful people want him badly to start losing.

HAHAHAHA! are you kidding me??? He celebrates after an opponent hits a serve return into the net. Crap like that is poor sportsmanship. If you are in a twenty shot rally at break point in a return game and your opponent hits long, wide whatever, then celebrate winning the point/game. But there is a difference between that and fist pumping a missed serve return or simple volley.

By the way, it's still unsportsman like to take 35 seconds to serve/return serve when you are only alloted twenty. Didn't see you defend that one though...

 

[BigServer1]

I don't care for Rafa's on court schtick.

I don't care for Hewitt's nor Roddick's either.

All three are by design and a reflection of true character. The oft offered excuse that any one of their behaviors are an indication that they "want it more" adds insult upon insult to the competitors each faces across the net from match to match.

Time violations, fist pumping and shouting aloud the equivalent of "C'mon" in whatever one's native tongue may be on an opponent's UE, playing to and inciting crowds against an opponent are and will always be gamesmanship.

Gamesmanship is the use of dubious (although not technically illegal) methods to win a game.

While time violations are in violation of the written rules and while it has become "common practice" that they go largely unenforced, "The Code" makes it incumbant on every competitor to adhere to the rule even if officials fear to intervene.

Outwardly, overtly and excessively celebrating an UE of an opponent is not only disrespectful to the opponent and "the game" it is tactical "gamesmanship" made more reprehensible by the fact that all these competitors have "shelved" their "acts" against opponents they "respect".



What does that say about the character of "like minds" regarding their "other" opponents when those questionable behaviors are on full display?

I appreciate all their games, like I did Nastase, Connors and McEnroe, but the latter three engage in on-court?in the opponent's face behavior all too often. And it is what it is, gamesmanship, just without the point penalties, suspensions and fines of their predecessors.

Extremely well said.

 

[BigServer1]

I don't believe in preemptive dissing of another player and their fans

The snobby elitists (aka Federer fans)

Don't you forget? Swiss people have no souls.

Fed fans either.

This is a very interesting contradiction that you have made for yourself. I just thought it was interesting how you go on and on about how Fed fans make no sense, have no reasoning and are mean and attack people, saying things with no basis of being true.

Maybe now you will see that Fed and Nadal fans employ the same tactics in an argument.

 

[FedFan_2007]

I don't care for:

1. Time violations
2. Butt picking
3. OCD behavior with the socks and water bottles
4. The incessant fist-pumping(especially on unforced errors)

 

[rfprse]

Oh yeah, when Fedfans rip Susan (Vamos Rafa), perhaps the most politically correct and objective person on this board that's too much. But then again why would I ever hold such a high standard for Fedfans.

Really?

yeah and she's done with Nadal's homepage, too!

Might this be one of the reasons?
From an article from tennis.com; http://www.tennis.com/features/general/features.aspx?id=46234

Though a synergistic collaboration between official sites and fan sites makes sense, the proposition is more successful in theory than in practice. The prime example so far has been the case of the dueling Nadal websites, vamosrafael.com and rafaelnadal.com. Once the official Nadal site launched, the star player and his management team no longer cooperated with vamosrafael.com. The feuding caused a lawsuit and the ATP had to step in to maintain civility between the two parties. Around the U.S. Open the two sides decided to settle their differences and merge sites.

 

[steve d]

Five-O has expressed my feelings better than I could have hoped to do. I first saw Nadal at the US Open in 2003 and I really wanted to like him. But I just don't enjoy watching all the excessive celebrations and posturing.
But I don't hate him. I get the impression that he is probably not a bad kid once he gets away from the court and the need to maintain his schtick. But that just makes his act seem all the more contrived. So as much as I admire his skills, I don't like to watch his matches.

 

[edberg505]

Really?


Might this be one of the reasons?
From an article from tennis.com; http://www.tennis.com/features/general/features.aspx?id=46234

Dude, are you some kind of super s l u t h? How on earth did you find that?

 

[rfprse]

s l u th? you mean a sleuth?

Nah...I thought quite a few people might have read the article, and linked it just in case. I found it interesting that how making a FAN site ends up to a sort of business.

 

[Shabazza]

LOl you mean Juan MARTIN Del POTRO.
10 Things I Hate About You(Nadal)...
1. He wears shorts that aren't shorts nor pants
2. He used to be so much cooler, now he's all cocky
3. His muscles are too large
4. He has "vamos" and "rafa" embroidered on his shoes
5. He is a left hander
6. He is number 2 in the world and the biggest, if not only threat to Fed
7. He uses a Babolat
8. He takes too long to play tennis
9. He is a Spaniard
10. He grunts like he's having several babies

lol my bad - somehow I have his 2nd name as Marcos - maybe because it's a pretty common spanish name, more so than Martin.....and porto was a typo

 

[Duzza]

lol my bad - somehow I have his 2nd name as Marcos - maybe because it's a pretty common spanish name, more so than Martin.....and porto was a typo

I'll let you off this time

 

[plarazza]

Remember he is still young. If i was out there I would be excited and pumped all the time. Personnal i love him i reckon he is great and it really shows how the player is feeling. Who knows what the hell Roger is thinking

 

[pound cat]

I would bet that those who dislike Nadal most are teenage and 20-something males who are lousy tenniis players and are jealous as h*** over what Rafa has accomplished this far in his life. Sour grapes.

 

[TennezSport]

The Difference

Remember he is still young. If i was out there I would be excited and pumped all the time. Personnal i love him i reckon he is great and it really shows how the player is feeling. Who knows what the hell Roger is thinking

Therein lies the difference that you either love or hate about Rafa and Fed. One is the Big Cat, silent, fast and powerful. This was the style of Laver, Ashe, Borg and Pete; now Fed. The other is the Big Gorilla (not in looks so don't go there), in your face, pumping his chest and showing his power. This was the style of Nastase, Conners, McEnroe; now Nadal

This is what makes the two of them so controversial and exciting. Either you love their styles or you hate it.

TS

 

[sureshs]

Therein lies the difference that you either love or hate about Rafa and Fed. One is the Big Cat, silent, fast and powerful. This was the style of Laver, Ashe, Borg and Pete; now Fed. The other is the Big Gorilla (not in looks so don't go there), in your face, pumping his chest and showing his power. This was the style of Nastase, Conners, McEnroe; now Nadal

This is what makes the two of them so controversial and exciting. Either you love their styles or you hate it.

TS

McEnroe was a cheat. Don't insult Nadal by comparing him to McEnroe. Most of today's players have far better sportsmanship and character than that guy.

 

[Squall Leonheart]

McEnroe was a cheat. Don't insult Nadal by comparing him to McEnroe. Most of today's players have far better sportsmanship and character than that guy.

McEnroe never cheated. True he disputed line calls and such, but he truly believed that the call was incorrect. I'm not saying nadal cheats either, but 'don't insult McEnroe by comparing him to Nadal.'

 

[sureshs]

McEnroe never cheated. True he disputed line calls and such, but he truly believed that the call was incorrect. I'm not saying nadal cheats either, but 'don't insult McEnroe by comparing him to Nadal.'

He cheated by trying to distract the player and engage the crowd. He would also try to get into their heads before a match. Read about what his opponents thought about his behavior and how he humiliated them.

Even on the senior tour, one player said recently if McEnroe pulled the same kind of stuff, he would walk out of the court.

Whether he really believed the call was good we will never know. We only know that he tried to make the most of it and throw his opponent out of rhythm.

 

[Squall Leonheart]

McEnroe never cheated. True he disputed line calls and such, but he truly believed that the call was incorrect. I'm not saying nadal cheats either, but 'don't insult McEnroe by comparing him to Nadal.'

He cheated by trying to distract the player and engage the crowd. He would also try to get into their heads before a match. Read about what his opponents thought about his behavior and how he humiliated them.

Even on the senior tour, one player said recently if McEnroe pulled the same kind of stuff, he would walk out of the court.

Whether he really believed the call was good we will never know. We only know that he tried to make the most of it and throw his opponent out of rhythm.

Well, we'll never know if he did it to play mind games with the opponent either. His opponents can think whatever they want; some say Nadal wastes lots of time on purpose, but no one can say if it is intentional or not. Your argument can work both ways.

 

[sureshs]

Well, we'll never know if he did it to play mind games with the opponent either. His opponents can think whatever they want; some say Nadal wastes lots of time on purpose, but no one can say if it is intentional or not. Your argument can work both ways.

But the time wasted can be quantified. Nadal has been warned a couple of times already about the time taken. Pity that JMac got away with his umpire and linesmen abuse, and holding up the game, for years. Those can also be penalized, but they were afraid of him and the money-power he had (attracting a crowd).

 

[drakulie]

There's been an awful lot of Nadal hate on this board, especially after the match today which I can't spoil in this forum. Why? I mean, if you have a good reason, then I've got no problem with that, and I'd hope none of you would have a problem with me liking Nadal. But if it's "just because," that's kind of lame, isn't it?

Is it how he pumps himself up and celebrates after points? I can understand how that might not be so endearing. Although personally, that's one of the reasons I like him, that he gets so into the match. That's also one of the reasons I like Hewitt.

I don't like him because he has no respect for the rules of the game, and by violating those rules is in essence disrespecting his opponent.

Rules:

1. Coaching from the stands.
2. REPEATED time violations.

I also don't like seeing him pick his butt after every point.

 

[ShooterMcMarco]

I also don't like seeing him pick his butt after every point.

lol, i think butt picking will always be associated with Nadal from here on out

 

[Squall Leonheart]

But the time wasted can be quantified. Nadal has been warned a couple of times already about the time taken. Pity that JMac got away with his umpire and linesmen abuse, and holding up the game, for years. Those can also be penalized, but they were afraid of him and the money-power he had (attracting a crowd).

Nadal's time can be quantified, and I'm sure it will increase since he is showing no signs of change. He has been warned many times, but he has gotten away with it; he was never penalized. btw, Mcenroe was penalized quite often, he was even defaulted and fined a few times.

 

[TennezSport]

Tactics

But the time wasted can be quantified. Nadal has been warned a couple of times already about the time taken. Pity that JMac got away with his umpire and linesmen abuse, and holding up the game, for years. Those can also be penalized, but they were afraid of him and the money-power he had (attracting a crowd).

Rafa has been warned recently a couple of times, but he has been using the stall tactic since Fed beat him in Miami from 2 sets down. If you look at Rafa's game before that time he hardly ever stalled.

Uncle Tony figured that he needed more time to recover from all the running he does, so the stalling began. Then they added the sock picking (ala McEnroe's shirt picking. Then came the fixing the shoes (ala McEnroe's shoe lace tactic). The butt picking is all Rafa's own.

Rafa also uses the "in your face" tactic that Nastase made famous and McEnroe used, of celebrating the opponents unforced errors. Players have been complaining about this for some time now, that includes Agassi, Ljubicic, Federer and Baghdatis, among others.

These tactics are used by Rafa (and McEnroe) to thow the opponent off their rhythm an break their concentration. They were not the first to use it and won't be the last, but use it they both do. Call it what you will, but if the ATP will not support their own rules, then it will continue to be used until they do take charge. However, they may not want to as a lot of people pay to see this sort of behavior.

TS

 

[WhiteSox05CA]

Everyone would be jealous, tell my you wouldn't want to win the Fench Open! I'd rather have Fed's skills, but I like his intensity.
________
Avandia lawyer

 

[35ft6]

I've never disliked Nadal but I have to admit that after he acted like a little b$%#h after the Berdych match, I don't like him as much.