weakera
Talk Tennis Guru
It's important to remember that a healthy Nadal has not lost at Roland Garros since his infamous 2015 season. That is a run of eight years.
Uncle Toni is confident that his nephew can win Roland Garros
- Thread starter weakera
- Start date
It's important to remember that a healthy Nadal has not lost at Roland Garros since his infamous 2015 season. That is a run of eight years.
MeatTornado
Talk Tennis Guru
FTFY
jm1980
Talk Tennis Guru
Rafa is not a tennis player, but an injured person who plays tennis
MichaelNadal
Bionic Poster
He better slay
mike danny
Bionic Poster
Well, he as 14 reasons to feel confident.
jm1980
Talk Tennis Guru
Par for the course, really. Nadal very very injured off clay but crushed red brick always heals whatever ails him
UnforcedTerror
Hall of Fame
He can but he's not beating Djokovic nor Alcaraz.
StrongRule
Talk Tennis Guru
I'm afraid winning another slam is too much for Nadal's body right now.
TomTennis495
Professional
I could see it happening. Could also see Djokovic winning.
WeekendTennisHack
Hall of Fame
You're saying he was healthy in 2015 and lost?
TearTheRoofOff
G.O.A.T.
Maybe, one day, he might finally win it.
Nadal_Django
Legend
Yep, healthy Nadal is a mythical creature at this point. Many claim that he actually exists, but no one really have seen him in person.
BeatlesFan
Bionic Poster
Well, in fairness, Toni said Rafa can win RG, not that he will.
Hope he's right!
Hope he's right!
Purestriker
Legend
Well, he hasn't been all that healthy. So maybe he will but more likely he might not.
OldschoolKIaus
Hall of Fame
FO is just a little tennis tournament on clay somewhere in Europe.
Federev
Legend
Until it isn't, a healthy Rafa losing RG is still the worse bet you can make in tennis.
tennis24x7
Professional
Oh he will beat Alcaraz alright.
Lauren_Girl'
Hall of Fame
Well, Nadal himself admitted he was healthy until the middle of the 4th set in 2021. He was moving and playing just fine in that epic 95 minutes third set. Djokovic was already up 2 sets to 1 and 3-2 in the 4th set when Nadal's decline popped up. Unless you accuse Nadal of lying, he was healthy until that 4th set. I'm not a Nadal fan but I doubt he would lie about something like that.
Just like Mcdonald was already up a set and a break when Nadal cracked his hip. The injury is very unfortunate but it doesn't change the fact that the world #65 was outplaying him before the injury.
Healthy Nadal has also lost to Alcaraz in Madrid. Tsitsipas had a match point in Barcelona. Shapovalov had a match point against a healthy Nadal in Rome 2021. He isn't untouchable anymore on clay.
Of course he is still the favorite in 2023. He will be as long as he wins. But it's not a lock like it was in years like 2007-2008, or 2012-2014.
3 players pushed him to the extreme limits last year. Felix (who wasn't even on his favorite surface) pushed him to 3-3 in the 5th set. Djokovic pushed him to a 4th set tie-break (missing several set points at 5-3) despite playing one of his worst matches of the season. IMO it's clear Djokovic can play much better than in this quarterfinal and I'm not sure Nadal will be able to fight back if that happens. Zverev was the better player on the court until his fall, he was making all the winners and UE. Djokovic just won the AO with much more margin in comparison.
Thedesertfox
Professional
I am pretty sure of that too, given the "strength" of the rest of the field
weakera
Talk Tennis Guru
Nadal was hurt badly for the entire tournament in 2021 and never said what you suggested. Why lie? Bjorn Borg knows Rafa was nowhere near himself:
“I watched most of the matches from Australia at home in Stockholm. The best news for Nadal is that he has regained his mobility from before. When I watched him last year at Roland Garros, he didn’t move like that and that could be one of the reasons why he lost to Djokovic. What I don’t know is whether he was injured. I saw the real Rafa in Australia,” Borg said.
Of course Nadal would have never lost to Djokovic at Roland Garros were he healthy. No one even debates that.
Nadal_Django
Legend
Nadal will be ready for RG. Yeah, no doubt about that one.
TheNachoMan
Legend
He’s favorite for RG until I see him down 2 sets 6-1 6-0 to a mug like Bernabe Zapata Miralles or something. Even then i’ll have doubts.
Djokovic_is_the_best#1
Bionic Poster
Nadal should win it! He’s the no1 fav like usual. If he’s healthy then it’s on his racquet again.
Poisoned Slice
Bionic Poster
Be rude not to be confident.
S'in-net
Semi-Pro
Normally that is correct, but the problem is, as of now, the other slams are becoming a problem.
What with the slam race an all, that is even more pressure at RG than what we have seen before.
Nadal was leading the slam race going into RG last year.
The real pressure is this year
Mustard
Bionic Poster
Nadal limping out of Rome last year suggested no chance.
Bartelby
Bionic Poster
platypus50
Rookie
Rafa Nadal is a 14 time RG champion, any one of his relatives should be confident whenever Rafa plays RG.
If he is healthy, has good confidence going on his FH (especially when hitting DTL), he will win his 15th RG and 23rd slam title on Sunday 11th June 2023.
If he is healthy, has good confidence going on his FH (especially when hitting DTL), he will win his 15th RG and 23rd slam title on Sunday 11th June 2023.
DSH
Talk Tennis Guru
This is such after-the-fact BS. Not one single person thought Nadal was injured during the match. Then suddenly afterwards, he’s mysteriously injured.
Nadal was taken down again and had to search for an excuse. Just like 2009. He was humiliated and had to go into hiding to regain his confidence.
weakera
Talk Tennis Guru
Everyone thought Nadal was injured during the entire tournament:
I watched most of the matches from Australia at home in Stockholm. The best news for Nadal is that he has regained his mobility from before. When I watched him last year at Roland Garros, he didn’t move like that and that could be one of the reasons why he lost to Djokovic. What I don’t know is whether he was injured. I saw the real Rafa in Australia,” Borg said
I said DURING the match. Not comments AFTER he lost. Did you listen to the match commentary? Did anyone mention an injury? Did anyone write DURING THE MATCH that Nadal was injured? Of course not. Because he wasn’t.
weakera
Talk Tennis Guru
He's literally describing his thoughts from during the tournament and EVERYONE was speculating that Rafa was badly injured during it and especially while he was struggling with Schwartzman in the 2nd and 3rd sets of the prior round. Check the match thread.
That’s a long way of saying “no.” Thanks.
I have the entire match on my hard drive. Not a single time was it ever speculated that Nadal was injured. If you have a video with commentary saying otherwise, show me.
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Tennfan123
Legend
Felix should fire this old uncle he's throwing money at. Guy spends too much time talking about the nephew.
D
Deleted member 791948
Guest
I think Nadal will win Roland Garros and Wimbledon this year (and was the best player at Wimbledon last year), and obviously no chance of retiring in the next couple of years, because winning 2 Slams (or 3 Slams) this year means he'll still be a contender in 2024, 2025 and 2026 most likely.
tennis_pro
Bionic Poster
No US Open? Or he's winning the Berrettini Open instead?
D
Deleted member 791948
Guest
Well I said "2 Slams (or 3 Slams)", so he may win the US Open, but health is an issue in the 2nd half of the year (and hardcourt) so wait and see.
Plus the most talented young star in the world, Rune, will destroy everyone on hardcourt, just a matter of which year that begins.
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