Toni Nadal reacts to Federer's victory

Hitman said:
Nadal is the victim of what Federer was a victim of his entire career, when he chased down Sampras record. It's not an easy burden to carry.
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True, but nobody thought that Federer was chasing Sampras's record because it was his particularly, it wouldn't have mattered who was holding it. The press is inevitably going to portray this as Nadal chasing down Federer personally.
 
Fedforever said:
True, but nobody thought that Federer was chasing Sampras's record because it was his particularly, it wouldn't have mattered who was holding it. The press is inevitably going to portray this as Nadal chasing down Federer personally.
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That is because Federer is still playing, and it can be said, he is playing to put the record so far out of reach, that Nadal chasing Federer is actually helping Roger in the long run.
 
cc0509 said:
It certainly has to be one of his biggest motivating factors IMO. Let's not kid ourselves.
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mike danny said:
Obviously. Otherwise he would have retired with 16 slams which a is a very high number.

When you only have one guy who is in front of you, you have every reason to still play.
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Yes obviously his aspirations is the slams, but I doubt that is the only thing driving him to still be playing tennis. I doubt Federer is on his mind everytime he steps out on court and competes on the circuit.
 
Hitman said:
The biggest thing is deciding the GOAT according to so many and the media? You can bet that is the biggest reason for someone who has been so driven his whole life, like Nadal.
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But I don't think he is that obsessed with Federer and the slam count.
 
Hitman said:
Nadal is the victim of what Federer was a victim of his entire career, when he chased down Sampras record. It's not an easy burden to carry.
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And you saw Fed get tenser and tenser as he started to get close to Sampras's record. I think when Fed was at 11 slams, he was seriously starting to think about it and it prevented him from playing freely.

That's why I don't understand why people always bring up that Nadal is 5 years younger than Fed, so he has time. They don't realize that it is inevitable that Nadal might get tense if he comes close and lose in the process.
 
Hitman said:
That is because Federer is still playing, and it can be said, he is playing to put the record so far out of reach, that Nadal chasing Federer is actually helping Roger in the long run.
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Yeah, in a way we have to thank Nadal: if he hadn't existed, Federer would have retired a long time ago. This way we still get to witness his brilliance on court. And most importantly we got to witness AO 2017.
 
mike danny said:
And you saw Fed get tenser and tenser as he started to get close to Sampras's record. I think when Fed was at 11 slams, he was seriously starting to think about it and it prevented him from playing freely.

That's why I don't understand why people always bring up that Nadal is 5 years younger than Fed, so he has time. They don't realize that it is inevitable that Nadal might get tense if he comes close and lose in the process.
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It only gets harder, and Federer was a lot younger, still in his prime when he completed the challenge. Nadal hasn't been in his prime since AO 2014 imo. That was four years ago.
 
Do none of the Nadal fans ever feel bad for the guy?

Here is his rival, Roger, happily married with 2 sets of twins, enjoying his profession and making the most of what's left of his career. He makes sacrifices but he seems happy with the choices he's making finding the right balance of family, tennis and business commitments.

On the other hand, poor Nadal is losing his hair trying to chase down his uncle's vicarious dreams, unable to be with his BF, injured often and unhappy in the sadomasochistic pursuit that seems to get farther away every time he gets closer.

That is no way to live a life. Nor play a sport.
 
mike danny said:
And you saw Fed get tenser and tenser as he started to get close to Sampras's record. I think when Fed was at 11 slams, he was seriously starting to think about it and it prevented him from playing freely.

That's why I don't understand why people always bring up that Nadal is 5 years younger than Fed, so he has time. They don't realize that it is inevitable that Nadal might get tense if he comes close and lose in the process.
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Yes, when Nadal gave his winner's speech in AO 09 he said "you will get the record, for sure" So he must have thought that what happened there was partly due to the stress of the record chase.
 
I’ve got nothing but respect for Rafa but Uncle Toni is a twat.
 
Why is there so much hate for Rafa on here? Fed and Rafa are good friends so why can’t the fans get along?
 
paranoidandroid said:
I think it’s more an obsession of Toni’s than Rafa’s.
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But Rafa the dutiful nephew is still following it though.

Simple question: Does it look like he's enjoying himself out there on tour? Does he have the demeanor of someone that has won 16 slams and needs nothing else to make him feel proud of his career if he were to hang up his racquet tomorrow?

The guy is constantly complaining and moaning about the tour and surfaces yet plays a long calendar because that's the only way he knows to win - with a lot of practice and constant competition. If he's indeed been as injured as his team claims, then that cannot have been fun either.
 
Tennisanity said:
Rafa and Toni are very close. Rafa is basically an extension of Toni, Toni made Rafa who he is. The apple won't fall far from the tree. Rafa's dad is clearly in on it too. See his slapping reaction at W2008. The Nadal's are anything but humble. It was always fake.
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Toni practically raised his nephew. Rafa has been his 'project' since he was a boy.

Don't know why, but tennis tends to get more than it's fair share of obsessive parents/guardians who are living their ambitions through their wards.

Now Rafa is talented and all the hard work paid off, but there are tons of instances where players have crashed out of tennis and been left scarred for life. Tomic is probably the latest example of that.

Even when successful, this kind of obsessive, driven parenting has led tennis players to a very difficult relationship with the sport - see Agassi.
 
Otacon said:
“Each victory of Federer complicates things more for my nephew but, if the injuries steer clear, I hope I won’t see him abandon the fight mentally or accept things as they are.”

“Today, as Roger has moved away a little more from him, I share with many people the great value of this man and the magnitude of his achievements, but also today more than ever Rafael should want to fight to overcome his current setback and find the necessary conviction in his own passion.”

“When Roger Federer understood that he had to evolve the concepts of his game, he did and waited.”

“Good example of intelligence, patience and commitment.

“I believe that his tennis is more relentless today, although the points also seem less colourful to me as the epic longer and more disputed exchanges get lost along the way.

“Only a character subjected precisely to something as irrational as excessive passion and obsession for what one does is able to withstand what such a long and fruitful career involves.”


https://www.express.co.uk/sport/tennis/912632/Rafael-Nadal-message-Roger-Federer-rivalry-uncle-Toni
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Feck me - it's like the entire plot of the Jedi and The Sith, but explained with a touch of Twin Peaks.
 
mike danny said:
And you saw Fed get tenser and tenser as he started to get close to Sampras's record. I think when Fed was at 11 slams, he was seriously starting to think about it and it prevented him from playing freely.

That's why I don't understand why people always bring up that Nadal is 5 years younger than Fed, so he has time. They don't realize that it is inevitable that Nadal might get tense if he comes close and lose in the process.
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That's why he broke down and cried after he lost to Nadal for the umpteenth time in a Slam final (AO'09). He probably thought the spaniard was going to shatter his dreams of GS glory.
 
Hitman said:
Well so much for saying the Nadal family are not focused on the slam count.

I have to admit, it is a fun story. One is doing everything to hold the record, the other is doing everything to take it away. I do feel this AO hurt Nadal's chances really badly.

They needed the win, or at worst, needed Federer to lose, so the slam count remains the same. Federer making the gap the same as it was after US 2013, means Nadal has lost four and half years of his career and made zero inroads from that point to this point in time. It is hard to catch someone, when they are winning slams at a faster rate than you. Federer has three of the last five, Nadal has won two of the last five. Nadal's body since USO 2013 has taken a beating, he skipped two slams, pulled out in one before the third round, and had to retire injured in another. Nadal's also got an issue in the sense that Federer is going very strong at Wimbledon too, and just like last year, his RG win could be cancelled out one month later.

RG has become almost a must win for Nadal now, we know historically Nadal plays bad everywhere when he is not the RG champion. And how often you think such a draw like USO 17 will fall into his lap? If Federer wins another slam, then it truly is game over...I simply cannot see a player who has won three slams in the last four and half years, much closer to his prime years, winning another six from this point on...remember he needs five to break the record as it is, but with Federer soaring at Wimbledon, I think the real target will need to be 22 at least.
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This. RG 2018 is really make or break for Nadal, and in the longer run, he has to keep hoping that Thiem doesn't evolve into a serious clay contender when Rafa himself loses another step. Otherwise, he'll have nowhere to go. And a possible #21 at Wimbledon would kill his last hopes anyway, even should he win RG. The last 13 months must have been pretty odd for Nadal--on the one hand, he's kind of cementing his #2 status in the eyes of the media etc. (many are now talking him up as #2 all-time, forgetting Laver and the other oldies, just like they do with Fed) while getting at last to the very top of ATG's (ie what we generally call "tier 1" here), and that's a very good thing for him... and on the other hand, #1 and GOAT looks they've never been further from him. The more it looks like he's closing in, the more Fed is pulling ahead (and he'll now add #1 at 36 (maybe 37) to his list of achievements, and even Connors' official record is not safe anymore since last year; ie more reasons to call him GOAT outside of the slams). Rafa wins a 10th RG? No problem, Federer takes the outright record at Wimby *and* ties Djokovic and Emerson at AO. H2H? Shot through the heart in 2017. Etc., etc.

Hitman said:
That is because Federer is still playing, and it can be said, he is playing to put the record so far out of reach, that Nadal chasing Federer is actually helping Roger in the long run.
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He definitely is. ;)
 
Ralph said:
Feck me - it's like the entire plot of the Jedi and The Sith, but explained with a touch of Twin Peaks.
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So you're saying this is Uncle Toni:

sith-lord.jpeg
 
Completely agree with @Hitman and @zagor here.

Both of them care about the slam count, deeply so.

Federer was already being called a possible GOAT by McEnroe during the USO2004. His 2004-07 stretch was to the best of my knowledge by far the most dominant stretch by any player over a comparable time period. Federer lived for years being almost expected to break Sampras' record and in '09 he finally managed it. The slam record, beyond anything else, is what allows Federer (and his fans) to feel that he is, statistically, at least, the greatest to ever play. There's nothing he can say to convince me that he would not mind losing this mantle to one of his contemporaries.

As for Nadal, the man has won 16 slams! That is two more than anybody to ever play the sport. Except for one guy. Because of which, Nadal might never hold the slam record despite leaving Sampras' mark in the dust. Because of which, instead of the greatest of all time, he may end up remembered as second best of his own era. Federer's massive popularity means that history will almost certainly be kind to him, so for Nadal to match his legacy absolutely necessitates overtaking his slam count. Again, despite claims to the contrary I cannot bring myself to believe that this means nothing to him.

Nadal's stupendous achievement in winning 16 slams has been talked about significantly less than Federer's in winning 15 back in 2009. Why? Because Federer won 16 first, years and years ago. I'm sure Nadal would like to be the first male player to win a certain number of slams.
 
zagor said:
Yeah, it's funny.

We're in a tennis era where you can win USO by returning serve from the VIP box and that features long rallies at Wimbledon but the game is apparently too fast and has lost it's creativity.

If Nadal was playing in the 90s Tio would have been whining about the tour conditions 24/7.
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Right like idc about the rest since nadal chasing the record and wanting to break it is not out of the ordinary for any professional player but I cannot at tony taking a dig at the surface and the way fed plays now all because it does not suit his nephew I really wish someone would serve underhanded to nadal just to throw him off
 
nikdom said:
Do none of the Nadal fans ever feel bad for the guy?

Here is his rival, Roger, happily married with 2 sets of twins, enjoying his profession and making the most of what's left of his career. He makes sacrifices but he seems happy with the choices he's making finding the right balance of family, tennis and business commitments.

On the other hand, poor Nadal is losing his hair trying to chase down his uncle's vicarious dreams, unable to be with his BF, injured often and unhappy in the sadomasochistic pursuit that seems to get farther away every time he gets closer.

That is no way to live a life. Nor play a sport.
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Nice;)
 
ZiggyStardust said:
Completely agree with @Hitman and @zagor here.

Both of them care about the slam count, deeply so.
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I disagree.

They care about it in different ways. Roger cared about winning at least one RG and he cares about winning Wimbledon for as long as he plays - but that's because he loves it. I don't think he's driven as much by the fact that he could get overtaken in the slam count by someone very focused on having that goal.

Nadal on the other hand doesn't seem happy to be playing this sport quite honestly. He's been raised primarily as a competitor for the spoils. He constantly talks about 'suffering' and putting himself through the wringer because that's the philosophy imparted to him by his uncle.
 
nikdom said:
Do none of the Nadal fans ever feel bad for the guy?

Here is his rival, Roger, happily married with 2 sets of twins, enjoying his profession and making the most of what's left of his career. He makes sacrifices but he seems happy with the choices he's making finding the right balance of family, tennis and business commitments.

On the other hand, poor Nadal is losing his hair trying to chase down his uncle's vicarious dreams, unable to be with his BF, injured often and unhappy in the sadomasochistic pursuit that seems to get farther away every time he gets closer.

That is no way to live a life. Nor play a sport.
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This is an extremely insightful post. Thumbs up Nikdom.
 
I know that in the past and in general nadal has down played the slam record topic or he would express that it was a goal but he had a long way to go or something like that. However, I wonder if he felt it was within his,reach during the 2013-14 period, especially by the end of 2013 where nadal had a pretty good year and I think was 4 away from fed and fed had a pretty rough year by his standards and some felt that maybe this was it for him. I think by the end of 2014 nadal was only 3 slams away and well outside of the reaching the Wimbledon final that year it looked like feds window to win another slam was getting smaller.
 
icedevil0289 said:
Right like idc about the rest since nadal chasing the record and wanting to break it is not out of the ordinary for any professional player but I cannot at tony taking a dig at the surface and the way fed plays now all because it does not suit his nephew I really wish someone would serve underhanded to nadal just to throw him off
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Oh nothing upsets people who'd do anything to win more than other people who'd try anything to win ;)
 
Nadal is going to ruin his personal life with injuries , delayed marriage going for the chase

It is also not good for Xisca to bear children when old as there are several medical research that says women conceiving after 35 run lot of risks, unless they have already gone with the sperm bank route
 
Hitman said:
The Fedal AO story is one of the biggest things that destroys H2H talk.
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Speaking of h2h it's really interesting kind of looking at the stats how federer has beaten nadal 5 times in a row and then nadal got the better of fed 5 times in a row before that. I guess it has been more than few years where one has not completely dominated the other. Obviously overall we know who the match up/h2h favors but it looking at the last few years it is interesting how much of an,extreme it has been on both sides
 
I'm curious as to how Nadal is going to perform in slam matches that go the distance.

In the past, Rafa was nearly unbeatable in 5-setters. I remember at one time, Rafa was 15-3 in 5 setters. He has let a few slip away lately, maybe because of nerves. I didn't expect Federer or Muller to take the 5th set off of him. I saw the match where Fognini came back from 2 sets down to win in 5. Nadal is maybe winning half of his 5-set matches since the days when he shut everybody down in the 5th set.

My guess is that his 4 slam deficit to Federer and his age will make it tougher winning the 5th set of major from this point on. And I'm not even counting the 5th set loss to Cilic, even though that technically counts.
 
Very direct, intelligent, and someone who truly understands Federer and how he has shaped Nadal's game.

I don't like the man, but I have a lot of respect for him. Nadal literally exists because of him.
 
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