Suggest a playing schedule for Rafa in 2010

[JennyS]

We all talk about how he needs to cut back his tournaments, so I thought it might be interesting to come up with an actual tournament schedule for him.

Here's my suggested schedule

1. Sydney
2. Australian Open
3. Dubai
4. Indian Wells
5. Miami
6. Rome
7. Madrid
8. French Open
9. Wimbledon
10. Canada
11. Cincinatti
12. US Open
13. Paris
14. World Tour Finals

No Davis Cup, Rotterdam, Monte Carlo, Barcelona or Queen's.

 

[TheMusicLover]

Agree for a great deal.
I'd replace Madrid with Monte Carlo. Also, let him play Queens as preparation for Wimbledon.
Dump Dubai.

 

[joeri888]

If the calendar stays the same I'd go with:

1. Doha
2. Australian Open
3. Indian Wells
4. Miami
5. Monte Carlo
6. Rome
7. French Open
8. Queens
9. Wimbledon
10. Canada
11. Cincinnati
12. US Open
13. Paris
14. Masters Cup


No Davis Cup at all.

My schedule would not have Madrid (which he won't like), Barcelona (which he won't like), Dubai or Shanghai. It also doesn't have Rotterdam and Davis Cup. I'm going with this because I think a player of Nadal's calibre should focus on Grand Slams. He should have a warmup for AO, so Doha. Then IW and Miami are pretty normal, but no additional events that aren't necessary to play, take some rest, train. Then skip Madrid and Barcelona. MC and Rome are the most prestigious MS on clay, and Rafa has to be rested for the French, he doesn't need that much play on clay to be ready. For the transition to grass on the other hand, I think that surface doesn't come as natural to him as it does for Hewitt or Federer. I think he really needs a warmup tournament there, so I would go with Queens. After that, it's a pretty basic schedule with no unnnecessarities, no Asian trip in october.

 

[Bloodshed]

I mostly agree with your schedule selection. However I would replace Sydney with Doha just because Sydney is just before the AO so that would kill him.

No Monte Carlo? Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't there a span of weeks between MC and Rome? I don't think it will hurt him that bad so he should enter the event.

No Shanghaï MS? I think he could enter that event as well since it's a month after the US Open and 2 weeks before Paris.

Other than that, I agree with you.

He could also enter Dubaï if he feels 100% but that's a big IF.

 

[egn]

1. Doha
2. Australian Open
3. Rotterdam or Dubai (depends on schedule)
4. Indian Wells
5. Miami
6. Barcelona (I always forget what order this is but he will want to play barcelona and it is one of his favorites)
7. Monte Carlo
8. Rome
9. French Open
10. Queens
11. Wimbledon
12. Canada
13. Cincinnati
14. US Open
15. Paris or Shanghai
16. Masters Cup

Mine might look longer, but 14 tournaments Nadal can handle a bit more. I would say cut a summer master series but he wants that US Open so he needs prep, there is possibility for cutting Barcelona but I doubt he ever does that.

 

[ArrowSmith]

1. Doha
2. Australian Open
3. Dubai
4. Indian Wells
5. Monte Carlo
6. Rome
7. French Open
8. Queens
9. Wimbledon
10. Canada
11. US Open
12. Shanghai
13. Basel
14. TMC

 

[egn]

1. Doha
2. Australian Open
3. Dubai
4. Indian Wells
5. Monte Carlo
6. Rome
7. French Open
8. Queens
9. Wimbledon
10. Canada
11. US Open
12. Shanghai
13. Basel
14. TMC

huh why basel?

 

[joeri888]

1. Doha
2. Australian Open
3. Dubai
4. Indian Wells
5. Monte Carlo
6. Rome
7. French Open
8. Queens
9. Wimbledon
10. Canada
11. US Open
12. Shanghai
13. Basel
14. TMC

No Miami, Madrid, Cincinnati or Paris, but you do include Basel? Also, I'd take a warmup for the AO as well.

 

[GasquetGOAT]

Hi I'd strongly recommend Nadal to compete in a few challengers and futures tournaments in order get confidence back, as it obvious he has been completely shattered and demoralised by recent losses. So heres the recommended schedule for his 2010 season:


1.Szczecin, Poland Clay €106,500
2.Cali, Colombia Clay $75,000
3.Tulsa, OK, USA Hard $50,000
4.Banja Luka, Bosnia & Herzegovina Clay €42,500
5.Todi, Italy Clay €42,500
6.Bogota-3, Colombia Clay $75,000
7.Trnava, Slovakia Clay €64,000
8.Ljubljana, Slovenia Clay €42,500
9.Palermo, Italy Clay €30,000

As you can see these events actually pay well so Uncle Tony shouldn't be worried.

 

[joeri888]

I'd recommend Ljubljana and Palermo in that case. Sicilia is beautiful as well as Slovenia..

 

[Shaolin]

AO

Clay season

Queens and Wimbledon

Hospital


Repeat schedule 2011-2016

 

[BorisRogerFan]

Barcelona, Monaco, Rome, Madrid and RG

No options in the other tournaments anymore.

 

[theroleoftheunderdog]

everyone knows mr. nadal isn't going to cut back his schedule a whole lot. he still might play barcelona and madrid

 

[jwbarrientos]

1. Sydney (Preparation for AO)
2. Australian Open

3. Indian Wells (Masters + Money)
4. Miami (Masters + Money)

5. Madrid (Preparation for FO)
6. French Open

7. Queens (Preparation for Wimbledon)
8. Wimbledon

9. Cincinatti (Preparation for USO)
10. US Open

11. Paris (Masters + Money)
12. World Tour Finals

Drop the rest, invent injury :mrgreen:

His style of playing is so demanding, Rafa's body won't allow him to play more period.

 

[drakulie]

I would suggest he add many more tournaments to his schedule, and enter every doubles draw as well.

Also, rather than practcing for 2-4 hours every day in the morning, I think he should continue doing this, but double it up with the same session at night.

 

[namelessone]

I seriously LOL'ed at some of your schedules,makes me think you don't know Rafa at all. Nadal will never give up playing for his country unless he has physical problems. You think it was easy for him to be sidelined while Nando&Co got all the glory in Argentina,winning a tournament in which he helped them advance.

My schedule would go something like this:

1)Doha(05/01-12/01)
1 week off
2)AO(19/01-02/02)
20 days off(almost 3 weeks)
3)Dubai(23/02-02/03)
skip DC first round because matches are usually easy and others can take care of business at this stage for Spain.
4)IW(12/03-19/03)
1 week off
5)Miami(25/03-01/04)
11 days off
6)MC(12/04-19/04)
7)Barca (20/04-27/04)
8 ) Rome(27/04-04/05)
3 weeks off until RG so no Madrid in 2010.
9)RG(24/05-07/06)
10)Queens(08/06-14/06)
1 week off
11)Wimbledon(22/06-05/07)
12)DC quarters(10/07-13/07) preferably with Rafa playing one single tough match.
20 something days off(again basically 3 weeks)
13)Rogers Cup(08/08-16/08 )
14)Cincy(16/06-22/08 )
1 week off
15)USO(31/08-14/09)
16)DC semis (18/09-21/09),same as before,Rafa playing just the toughest match in the singles
1 week off
17)Bangkok(28/09-05/10)
1 week off
18 )Shanghai(12/10-19/10)
about 20 days off
19)Paris Masters(08/11-14/11)
1 week off
20)TMC or WTF(22/11-29/11)
1 week off
21)DC final(04/12-07/12)

End of season. I think this is a balanced season for Rafa. He has plenty of rest in all the seasons,regardless of surface and I didn't include small tournaments like Rotterdam or tournament with atypical clay which isn't good practice for RG,like in Madrid. And remember that the DC ties can be optional if Spain is knocked out early.
A schedule like these would be easier on his body and I think 20 or so tournaments is enough for a guy who will be 24 next year and who wants to be a contender for all Slams and all masters. He can't play every tournament because he usually goes deep and ends up playing a lot of matches.

 

[nikdom]

My suggested schedule for 2010: stay home!

 

[akv89]

Australian Open
Dubai
Indian Wells
Miami
Monte Carlo
Rome
Barcelona or Madrid (not both)
French Open
Queen's
Wimbledon
Montreal
Cincinnati
US Open
Paris
TMC

15 tournaments

 

[ArrowSmith]

Basel, he should meet Fed once on his home turf.

 

[Dutch-Guy]

Doha
AO
Indian Wells
Miami
Monte Carlo
Rome
FO
Wimbledon
Montreal/Toronto
Cincy
USO
Paris Masters
TMC

 

[ArrowSmith]

Maybe he should play Barcelona and rest the knees!