The greatest achievement of Rafael Nadal.

T

Thinker_145

Rookie
Think about all the biggest and most anticipated matches in the last 10 years of Tennis and then think about the ones Nadal has been involved in. He has won every single one of them. I am not talking about the quality of matches and neither matches where merely big history is at stake. But matches where the anticipation is through the roof regarding the rivalry and subsequent history at stake.

Wimbledon 2008
Can someone finally take out the invincible Federer at his own backyard? Those of you who are new to tennis truly don't know how dominant Federer was in that time. But it seemed like there is finally someone who is not satisfied with playing second fiddle. There was already talk of Federer being GOAT but after a historic thumping at FO 2008 the hype about this match was unreal.

And Nadal truly delivered the greatest match anyone could have hoped for. A battle for the ages this match will never be forgotten.

AO 2009
Is the great Roger Federer ready for revenge or is the new world no. 1 going to solidify his position as truly being no. 1? After solving the Federer puzzle on grass Nadal was ready to take him on at another of Federer's favourite surface. And once again Nadal came out victorious after an epic battle.

FO 2011
This was the first time these 2 will meet again at the FO after Federer won his maiden title. Playing the greatest clay court tennis of his career can the great Roger Federer finally solve the Nadal clay puzzle? Can he finally tell the world who really is the boss? A win here would mean the world to Roger Federer but Nadal wouldn't have any of it and came out victorious once again. This is where the Nadal vs Federer rivalry was pretty much over.

FO 2012
All eyes of the tennis world were on this match. The invincible Nadal has been demolished by Novak in 3 back to back slam finals. Suddenly this Novak guy has become a serious thing and it seems like history repeating itself. But what happens when this unstoppable new force in tennis meets the God of clay? Is Novak Djokovic so good that he will even destroy Nadal at RG? This was the big question. If Nadal is to truly be the clay GOAT he has to fend off this challenge not to mention the embarrassment of losing 4 slam finals in a row to the same guy.

What made this match even more enticing was the fact that Novak was aiming for 4 slam wins in a row a feat no one had achieved in many decades.

But Nadal once again showed that he is the man for the big occasion and solidified himself as the undisputed clay GOAT.

USO 2013
The big question here is that can Nadal really solve the Djokovic puzzle outside clay? Is there ever a situation that Nadal cannot overcome? Having lost the last 3 non clay slam finals the ball was certainly not in Nadal's court. Is Novak Djokovic truly a potential hardcourt GOAT? Does he have the ability to destroy everyone in sight? This is the big test for both guys to truly define history and their own personal rivalry at the absolute peak of their powers.

Once again Nadal comes out on top and proves that he can overcome any rivalry even on his non favourite surfaces.

As a Nadal fan I would not trade off these epic moments for anything. I don't watch sports so I can gloat over someone's statistics I watch for the epic moments and the historical emotional moments. Nadal has provided such crucial wins at such crucial times in his career that I really couldn't have asked anything more from him.
 
D

Deleted member 716271

Guest
Noleberic123 said:
Don't know if he would have turned the Djokovic rivalry around again if he didn't make that match close
Click to expand...

Absolutely, I think if he loses in the 4th, he may have lost at RG that year. Taking it to a 5th on Djoko's best slam made Rafa have the faith again despite the backbreaking loss.
 
vanioMan

vanioMan

Legend
NatF said:
His run from Monte Carlo 2008 to Rome 2009 was breathtaking tennis, he took the tennis world by storm.
Click to expand...

Damn right.

3 Slams + 1 SF
Olympic Gold
6 Masters
3 other titles (500/250)

Definetely the best period of his career.

I'll also add the 9 RG, his 70-2 record there and the 81-match winning streak on clay.
 
NatF

NatF

Bionic Poster
vanioMan said:
Damn right.

3 Slams + 1 SF
Olympic Gold
6 Masters
3 other titles (500/250)

Definetely the best period of his career.

I'll also add the 9 RG, his 70-2 record there and the 81-match winning streak on clay.
Click to expand...

Best time to be his fan as well?

Nadal was a conqueror then. His other dominant spells didn't have the same vibe.
 
MichaelNadal

MichaelNadal

Bionic Poster
vanioMan said:
MichaelNadal is the Shawn Michaels of TTW.
Click to expand...

TzKNv.gif
 
T

Thinker_145

Rookie
Noleberic123 said:
FO 13 semi is one too
Click to expand...
It was no doubt one of the greatest matches of his career but was anticipation really that high? Nadal had already shown last year that he can beat this new version of Djokovic at RG and the fact that it wasn't a final made it a little less compelling match compared to the rest.
 
T

Thinker_145

Rookie
125downthemiddle said:
He's totally Shawn :)

However, AO 2012 was insanely anticipated, so add that to the loss column
Click to expand...
Oh yes I missed that one sorry. Having lost 2 straight GS finals was unprecedented for Nadal let alone losing to the same guy. Nadal was being talked about as a potential GOAT at the end of 2010 but suddenly this Djokovic guy has upset the situation. Can Nadal finally respond? Is he up for this challenge? Is Novak truly going to become a historic player or has 2011 only been a one off run? Lot's of questions going into this match and Novak proved in the end that he truly belongs among the big boys. As a Nadal fan this was the toughest loss to take.
 
Uncle Ebeneezer

Uncle Ebeneezer

Rookie
Thinker_145 said:
Think about all the biggest and most anticipated matches in the last 10 years of Tennis and then think about the ones Nadal has been involved in. He has won every single one of them. I am not talking about the quality of matches and neither matches where merely big history is at stake. But matches where the anticipation is through the roof regarding the rivalry and subsequent history at stake.

Wimbledon 2008
Can someone finally take out the invincible Federer at his own backyard? Those of you who are new to tennis truly don't know how dominant Federer was in that time. But it seemed like there is finally someone who is not satisfied with playing second fiddle.
Click to expand...

That's what put me firmly into the Nadal camp. Federer was heads and shoulders above everyone for those few years and I stopped watching for a bit because you just knew that none of his "rivals" really had a chance. It was fun to see Federer's greatness, but boring because you always knew the result. Then Rafa came up and nearly beat him in 2007 Wimbledon in that awesome final. And it seemed clear that if he continued to improve, he would take Federer on grass and hardcourt and make it a real rivalry. And HOW!! The next 5 years gave us some of the most amazing, epic matches I have ever seen, especially with Nole coming into his own and joining the mix. But Nadal was the key ingredient that actually made Slam finals interesting again. And the level of play in Wimbledon 2008 was unbelievable.
 
mavsman149

mavsman149

Hall of Fame
Those are all amazing moments in recent tennis history but really as far as Nadal's greatest achievement, there is simply no touching 9 Roland Garros titles and the 81 match win streak on clay.
 
ibbi

ibbi

G.O.A.T.
Up until Djokovic downed him his best of 5 set clay court record for his career (2004-2015) was 94-1. Find anything comparable even across just a 10 year stretch, let alone a 12 year one, let alone for a whole career. What's more, on only 4 of those 94 occasions was he pushed to 5 sets (Coria, Federer, Isner, Djokovic), all which begs the question - What DID Robin Soderling eat for breakfast on the morning of May 31st 2009, and where can I get some?
 
Gary20

Gary20

Banned
GabeT said:
Yeah, 9 FOs is simply ridiculous
Click to expand...
You being serious for a moment!! If you are id say Djokovic's 2015 trumps 9 FO's if im honest.

For me Rafa's biggest achievement was beating a peak Federer at W in 2008. That was just unreal. It's the reason i think he is GOAT. He had no right to beat Federer really as on grass, talent wise, Federer is in a different universe to Nadal. Yet Nadal beat him and Federer was playing well .I still dont know how he did it.
 
Mainad

Mainad

Bionic Poster
Nadal has many great achievements but winning a staggering 9 titles at Roland Garros must be the jewel in the crown! It set a record for number of title wins at any Grand Slam for a male player and is equalled only by Navratilova's 9 Wimbledon titles for both men and women!
 
CYGS

CYGS

Legend
Gary20 said:
You being serious for a moment!! If you are id say Djokovic's 2015 trumps 9 FO's if im honest.

For me Rafa's biggest achievement was beating a peak Federer at W in 2008. That was just unreal. It's the reason i think he is GOAT. He had no right to beat Federer really as on grass, talent wise, Federer is in a different universe to Nadal. Yet Nadal beat him and Federer was playing well .I still dont know how he did it.
Click to expand...

From 564 to 511, you broke the record by having the most posts deleted. Congratulation!
 
BeatlesFan

BeatlesFan

Bionic Poster
His single greatest achievement was winning RG nine times. That is an epic achievement, and in most of those finals, he beat the GOAT, Fed, and another ATG in Nole. 2013 was out of this world in the semis, beating Novak.

I'd put Wimbledon 2008 very close, because he dethroned the king of grass and denied Roger the opportunity of winning 7 straight Wimbledon finals.

His CGS is also amazingly impressive.

But the one thing that impresses me the most about Nadal is his staggering mental strength. I know the question was really about a single match he played, but his mental fortitude is second to none in the game. Pete was equally mentally tough, but he always had the serve as an unbelievable weapon.

FInally, I would put Rome 2006 very high on his list of great achievements. It's one of the greatest matches of the open era with great ball striking from both Roger and Rafa. I suspect that had Roger converted one of his MP's, he would have gone on to beat Nadal more frequently instead of choking away countless matches he should have won.
 
GabeT

GabeT

G.O.A.T.
Gary20 said:
You being serious for a moment!! If you are id say Djokovic's 2015 trumps 9 FO's if im honest.

For me Rafa's biggest achievement was beating a peak Federer at W in 2008. That was just unreal. It's the reason i think he is GOAT. He had no right to beat Federer really as on grass, talent wise, Federer is in a different universe to Nadal. Yet Nadal beat him and Federer was playing well .I still dont know how he did it.
Click to expand...
Well, If you are going to defend Nole I will do the same for Nadal.

As great as 2015 is shaping up for Nole the nine FOs are simply incredible. As great as Federer's 7 Wimbys are, they are less then Nadal's FOs and he shares the record with another player. No one comes even close in the Open Era to Nadal's FO record.
 
GabeT

GabeT

G.O.A.T.
Thinker_145 said:
No because Djokovic wasn't really considered a threat to Nadal.
Click to expand...
By Wimby 2011 Nole had beaten Nadal in four straight finals, including twice in clay, something no one else had ever achieved. So I'm pretty sure he was a threat.

By the USO Nole was already the favorite according to the betting sites I've looked at.

By AO 2012 the question was whether Nadal was a threat to Nole, which is why the very close result was so important.
 
Gary20

Gary20

Banned
GabeT said:
Well, If you are going to defend Nole I will do the same for Nadal.

As great as 2015 is shaping up for Nole the nine FOs are simply incredible. As great as Federer's 7 Wimbys are, they are less then Nadal's FOs and he shares the record with another player. No one comes even close in the Open Era to Nadal's FO record.
Click to expand...
That is true it is astonishing what Nadal did. However what Djokovic is doing this year is simply amazing as well. He deserves world sportmen of the year and if Bolt gets it, i shall be a very angry person. The other amazing thing is Djokovic takes every tournament so seriously. Most players after a multi major winning season tail off after USO but Djokovic just keeps going and he deserves respect for that. On the GOAT argument (no such thing really but it is a good bit of banter) Rafa for me is GOAT right now but if Djokovic finally gets an FO, wins Cincinatti and gets Olympics next season, Djokovic would be my GOAT as he would have won every single tournament of note. Federer if he can win another Major at 35 would leapfrog Rafa in my eyes. 2016 should be great, lets hope all 3 are fit and in form. Shame we dont have Del Potro, the only guy in my opinion who could beat the Big 3 at their best.
 
BeatlesFan

BeatlesFan

Bionic Poster
As great as Federer's 7 Wimbys are, they are less then Nadal's FOs and he shares the record with another
Click to expand...

Epic fail, sorry.

Wimbledon is the cathedral of tennis. It trumps any other tournament by a hundred percent. Ask any player. ANY.

As John McEnroe said on ESPN last week, "Wimbledon is head and shoulders above anything else. One Wimbledon is worth like 10 Australian Opens. I mean it."

Wouldn't he be in the position to know this? And any casual fan would know it too.

Hey, let's slip your statement to a truthful and indisputable statement:

"As great as Nadal'ss 9 FO's are, they are less than Roger's 17 slams and guess what? He doesn't SHARE that record with anybody!"
 
Mainad

Mainad

Bionic Poster
BeatlesFan said:
Epic fail, sorry.

Wimbledon is the cathedral of tennis. It trumps any other tournament by a hundred percent. Ask any player. ANY.

As John McEnroe said on ESPN last week, "Wimbledon is head and shoulders above anything else. One Wimbledon is worth like 10 Australian Opens. I mean it."

Wouldn't he be in the position to know this? And any casual fan would know it too.
Click to expand...

I guess he'd be in an even better position to know this if he had actually won any Australian Opens! ;)
 
C

Chadillac

Guest
BeatlesFan said:
As John McEnroe said on ESPN last week, "Wimbledon is head and shoulders above anything else. One Wimbledon is worth like 10 Australian Opens. I mean it."
Click to expand...

He also thinks highly of davis cup. Imagine that :)
 
HewittAlwaysDisappoints

HewittAlwaysDisappoints

Professional
BeatlesFan said:
Epic fail, sorry.

Wimbledon is the cathedral of tennis. It trumps any other tournament by a hundred percent. Ask any player. ANY.

As John McEnroe said on ESPN last week, "Wimbledon is head and shoulders above anything else. One Wimbledon is worth like 10 Australian Opens. I mean it."

Wouldn't he be in the position to know this? And any casual fan would know it too.

Hey, let's slip your statement to a truthful and indisputable statement:

"As great as Nadal'ss 9 FO's are, they are less than Roger's 17 slams and guess what? He doesn't SHARE that record with anybody!"
Click to expand...
Fk off, all Grand Slams are worth the same, they all give 2000 points to the winner, and 9 >>> 7.
 
Kalin

Kalin

Legend
Thinker_145 said:
Think about all the biggest and most anticipated matches in the last 10 years of Tennis and then think about the ones Nadal has been involved in. He has won every single one of them. I am not talking about the quality of matches and neither matches where merely big history is at stake. But matches where the anticipation is through the roof regarding the rivalry and subsequent history at stake.

Wimbledon 2008
Can someone finally take out the invincible Federer at his own backyard? Those of you who are new to tennis truly don't know how dominant Federer was in that time. But it seemed like there is finally someone who is not satisfied with playing second fiddle. There was already talk of Federer being GOAT but after a historic thumping at FO 2008 the hype about this match was unreal.

And Nadal truly delivered the greatest match anyone could have hoped for. A battle for the ages this match will never be forgotten.

AO 2009
Is the great Roger Federer ready for revenge or is the new world no. 1 going to solidify his position as truly being no. 1? After solving the Federer puzzle on grass Nadal was ready to take him on at another of Federer's favourite surface. And once again Nadal came out victorious after an epic battle.

FO 2011
This was the first time these 2 will meet again at the FO after Federer won his maiden title. Playing the greatest clay court tennis of his career can the great Roger Federer finally solve the Nadal clay puzzle? Can he finally tell the world who really is the boss? A win here would mean the world to Roger Federer but Nadal wouldn't have any of it and came out victorious once again. This is where the Nadal vs Federer rivalry was pretty much over.

FO 2012
All eyes of the tennis world were on this match. The invincible Nadal has been demolished by Novak in 3 back to back slam finals. Suddenly this Novak guy has become a serious thing and it seems like history repeating itself. But what happens when this unstoppable new force in tennis meets the God of clay? Is Novak Djokovic so good that he will even destroy Nadal at RG? This was the big question. If Nadal is to truly be the clay GOAT he has to fend off this challenge not to mention the embarrassment of losing 4 slam finals in a row to the same guy.

What made this match even more enticing was the fact that Novak was aiming for 4 slam wins in a row a feat no one had achieved in many decades.

But Nadal once again showed that he is the man for the big occasion and solidified himself as the undisputed clay GOAT.

USO 2013
The big question here is that can Nadal really solve the Djokovic puzzle outside clay? Is there ever a situation that Nadal cannot overcome? Having lost the last 3 non clay slam finals the ball was certainly not in Nadal's court. Is Novak Djokovic truly a potential hardcourt GOAT? Does he have the ability to destroy everyone in sight? This is the big test for both guys to truly define history and their own personal rivalry at the absolute peak of their powers.

Once again Nadal comes out on top and proves that he can overcome any rivalry even on his non favourite surfaces.

As a Nadal fan I would not trade off these epic moments for anything. I don't watch sports so I can gloat over someone's statistics I watch for the epic moments and the historical emotional moments. Nadal has provided such crucial wins at such crucial times in his career that I really couldn't have asked anything more from him.
Click to expand...

I was about to say that his greatest achievement was passing all these drug tests but it would be petty and contrary to the spirit of this fine collection of poasts.

So I'll go with Rafa overcoming what is essentially a limited and very taxing baseline game with a one-dimensional defensive focus and turning into an all-surface fantastic champion and an all-time great :) Good enough?
 
C

Cenarius

Guest
Ser el amo y señor de RG.

Most overall singles titles
Most consecutive single titles

Both records in pre-open and open eras.In other words of All Time.

¡Lo dicho el puto amo!
 
Faker

Faker

Semi-Pro
BeatlesFan said:
Epic fail, sorry.

Wimbledon is the cathedral of tennis. It trumps any other tournament by a hundred percent. Ask any player. ANY.

As John McEnroe said on ESPN last week, "Wimbledon is head and shoulders above anything else. One Wimbledon is worth like 10 Australian Opens. I mean it."

Wouldn't he be in the position to know this? And any casual fan would know it too.

Hey, let's slip your statement to a truthful and indisputable statement:

"As great as Nadal'ss 9 FO's are, they are less than Roger's 17 slams and guess what? He doesn't SHARE that record with anybody!"
Click to expand...
More like just salty that he didn't win any Australian Opens. Only an idiot would take 1 Wimbledon for 10 Australian Opens, I don't care how prestigious it is but all grand slams are grand slams. If you won 1 Wimbledon you are a one time grand slam champion. If you won 10 Australian Opens you are a 10 time grand slam champion. Who do you think would be remembered more? If Wawrinka didn't win Roland Garros this year he would probably trade his Australian Open victory for a Wimbledon one if given the chance, but there is absolutely no chance he would trade his Roland Garros + Australian Open championships for just 1 Wimbledon.
 
duaneeo

duaneeo

Legend
Nadal's 2010 season is clearly his greatest achievement. He won the clay Masters triple-crown, and 3 consecutive slams. Winning the US Open was especially impressive. Few thought Nadal would ever win the US Open (more so after the beat down he received the year earlier in the semis), and Nadal adjusted his game--going for big first-serves and flattening out his groundstrokes.
 
vanioMan

vanioMan

Legend
NatF said:
Best time to be his fan as well?

Nadal was a conqueror then. His other dominant spells didn't have the same vibe.
Click to expand...

True. His other spells were MC '10 - Miami '11 and Sao Paulo '13 - AO '14, but, nothing quite like 08-09.
 
W

Whisper

Semi-Pro
Rafa's greatest feat is winning FO 9 times. No man has ever won more than 7 times at any slam, so 9 is pretty mindblowing domination. 2nd best achievement is winning the 3 biggest slams in 1 year in 2010 when he won Wim, USO and FO on grass, hardcourt and clay. Nobody has ever done that before or since in the men's game. He also has completely dominated Federer, the guy who won the most slams in history (much easier to do it in modern game, but that's another thread).
 
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