Uncle Toni on Medvedev

[marc45]

Tennis Head:

Toni Nadal says Daniil Medvedev lost in the final of the Australian Open because he was not strong enough mentally to deal with Novak Djokovic.


Medvedev was in brilliant form going into the final, with many predicting he would beat the world number one and win his maiden major.

However, he was comprehensively outclassed by Djokovic, but Nadal says it had much more to do with his mentality than his tennis.

“I’m sure Daniil came out to the Rod Laver Arena with all the information about Novak well analysed, but he was not able to retain his poise, to overcome the frustration of not winning the first set, or to keep up the fight in those difficult moments,” Toni Nadal told El Pais.

“It surprises me that, sometimes, athletes of this level have that little capacity to face the difficulty.

“A day before the final, he said that the pressure was higher for Djokovic, who cannot miss the opportunity to win titles if he wants to match Roger and Rafael.

“But the outcome of the match showed that the pressure was much greater for him.

“The difference between scoring a first Grand Slam or missing a new opportunity has an overwhelming weight, no matter how young you are.”

 

[Slowtwitcher]

Captain Toni

 

[Krish0608]

Toni is right.

 

[Tennisbg]

Perhaps Tio wants to coach Medvedev one day? I think he will be a good coach for him.

 

[Slowtwitcher]

Perhaps Tio wants to coach Medvedev one day? I think he will be a good coach for him.

Coaches that learn to coach by working with family members are useless with other athletes.

 

[Lew II]

 

[Bartelby]

It's a rather banal analysis. I'm switching to Gary Duane.

 

[Tennis_Freak99]

But Uncle Toni said Nadal is never fit

 

[octobrina10]

Tennis Head:

Toni Nadal says Daniil Medvedev lost in the final of the Australian Open because he was not strong enough mentally to deal with Novak Djokovic.


Medvedev was in brilliant form going into the final, with many predicting he would beat the world number one and win his maiden major.

However, he was comprehensively outclassed by Djokovic, but Nadal says it had much more to do with his mentality than his tennis.

“I’m sure Daniil came out to the Rod Laver Arena with all the information about Novak well analysed, but he was not able to retain his poise, to overcome the frustration of not winning the first set, or to keep up the fight in those difficult moments,” Toni Nadal told El Pais.

“It surprises me that, sometimes, athletes of this level have that little capacity to face the difficulty.

“A day before the final, he said that the pressure was higher for Djokovic, who cannot miss the opportunity to win titles if he wants to match Roger and Rafael.

“But the outcome of the match showed that the pressure was much greater for him.

“The difference between scoring a first Grand Slam or missing a new opportunity has an overwhelming weight, no matter how young you are.”

Just to make it clear, Toni Nadal wasn't interviewed by El Pais, he wrote an article. He regularly writes articles for El Pais (the second most circulated daily newspaper in Spain):

Artículos escritos por Toni Nadal | EL PAÍS

Todos los artículos y noticias escritas por Toni Nadal y publicadas en EL PAÍS. Últimos artículos, noticias y columnas de opinión con EL PAÍS.

elpais.com

El País - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Tennis_Freak99]

Just to make it clear, Toni Nadal wasn't interviewed by El Pais, he wrote an article. He regularly writes articles for El Pais (the second most circulated daily newspaper in Spain):

Artículos escritos por Toni Nadal | EL PAÍS

Todos los artículos y noticias escritas por Toni Nadal y publicadas en EL PAÍS. Últimos artículos, noticias y columnas de opinión con EL PAÍS.

elpais.com

El País - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

How do you know so much?

 

[octobrina10]

Perhaps Tio wants to coach Medvedev one day? I think he will be a good coach for him.

Toni is a tennis writer, that's why he wrote about Medvedev.

 

[zagor]

Perhaps Tio wants to coach Medvedev one day? I think he will be a good coach for him.

No way do I see Toni lasting more than a week with any of the next-genner, they'd start getting on his nerves pretty much straight away. It's a completely different mindset/mentality.

 

[Hitman]

Yeah, Toni stating the obvious there. Med just went under after Djokovic accelerated to take the first set.

 

[weakera]

GOAT coach.

 

[octobrina10]

How do you know so much?

I have Google's search engine.

 

[Tennis_Freak99]

I have Google's search engine.

*You are the Google Search engine

 

[Deleted member 22147]

“The difference between scoring a first Grand Slam or missing a new opportunity has an overwhelming weight, no matter how young you are.”

I agree with this.

You often hear "X player has nothing to lose"

You always have something to lose when you have something to gain, and when we are talking about the difference between a player who has not won a grand slam title and winning your first, taking that step into greatness, then there is a lot to lose and with that may come a lot of pressure depending on how you are wired.

 

[Bartelby]

The wisdom of hindsight. Around here, and elsewhere, the argument was that the pressure was on Djokovic. It proved to be the other way around ... with hindsight.

Tennis Head:

Toni Nadal says Daniil Medvedev lost in the final of the Australian Open because he was not strong enough mentally to deal with Novak Djokovic.
...
“A day before the final, he said that the pressure was higher for Djokovic, who cannot miss the opportunity to win titles if he wants to match Roger and Rafael.

“But the outcome of the match showed that the pressure was much greater for him.

“The difference between scoring a first Grand Slam or missing a new opportunity has an overwhelming weight, no matter how young you are.”

 

[TripleATeam]

Tough to disagree. I mean it's a shallow analysis, but even when watching the match it was clear that most of what was plaguing Med was mental. There were uncharacteristic misses even if his claim of Novak taking away his time is true. If he played like he seemed he was going to be, we would've seen a much closer final.

 

[aldeayeah]

How do you know so much?

Most new Toni content comes from there. He usually writes several entries during slams and other important tournaments, it's sort of a blog except it's hosted by that newspaper.

 

[Beckerserve]

Nothing of note here.

 

[Start da Game]

mugcle toni, worry about your own nephew.........he needs mental help and no one better than you to provide that........

 

[BeatlesFan]

Around here, and elsewhere, the argument was that the pressure was on Djokovic.

The only person on the planet who made that argument was Medvedev himself. Everyone else who has watched tennis for longer than 5 minutes knew Djokovic would feel minimal stress. Why would he be stressed when he’s playing on his favorite court against a known choker who has never won a slam?

He was supposed to be shaking in his boots facing this guy in a major final? Please.

 

[D.Nalby12]

Uncle as always spot on. I really enjoy reading/watching his interviews.

 

[D.Nalby12]

Toni is a tennis writer, that's why he wrote about Medvedev.

Of course he is intelligent enough to be a good writer. But I don't remember Rafael writing a single article before. Or has he?

 

[Backspin1183]

Tough to disagree. I mean it's a shallow analysis, but even when watching the match it was clear that most of what was plaguing Med was mental. There were uncharacteristic misses even if his claim of Novak taking away his time is true. If he played like he seemed he was going to be, we would've seen a much closer final.

The pressure got to him really. And sensing that Novak pounced even more on him like a hungry predator.

 

[uscwang]

Well, Novak did have pressure going into the final. But he has nerve of steel.
Question his temper, his ability to focus, his stamina, his strategy choice, but don't question his nerve. That's all.
He and Nadal are steel to iron. No one comes even close.

 

[Fabresque]

Novak has the experience of going into who knows how many slam finals and winning 17 of them. He knew what to do beforehand and did it. Medvedev was in one slam final before this where he had BP’s in the fifth. He had a lot of pressure on him because he felt like he missed out last time, and doesn’t wanna do it twice in a row.

No worries thought. Medvedev will win a slam soon anyways.

 

[octobrina10]

Of course he is intelligent enough to be a good writer. But I don't remember Rafael writing a single article before. Or has he?

Rafa wrote an emotional article about his friendly relationship with Carlos Moya, when the latter retired from pro tennis in Novmber 2010:

El amigo de todos

Ahora que Carlos ha dicho adiós al tenis siento emoción y tristeza. Lo valoro como tenista. Ha sido uno de los grandes que hemos tenido, alguien que a

elpais.com

 

[D.Nalby12]

Rafa wrote an emotional article about his friendly relationship with Carlos Moya, when the latter retired from pro tennis in Novmber 2010:

El amigo de todos

Ahora que Carlos ha dicho adiós al tenis siento emoción y tristeza. Lo valoro como tenista. Ha sido uno de los grandes que hemos tenido, alguien que a

elpais.com

How Comes you know everything about Rafael?

 

[Tshooter]

Meds actually went to Toni for advice after the match. Video leaked.

Spoiler

 

[octobrina10]

How Comes you know everything about Rafael?

I read that article in 2010.

 

[beard]

The only person on the planet who made that argument was Medvedev himself. Everyone else who has watched tennis for longer than 5 minutes knew Djokovic would feel minimal stress. Why would he be stressed when he’s playing on his favorite court against a known choker who has never won a slam?

He was supposed to be shaking in his boots facing this guy in a major final? Please.

Actually, Novak said himself after win that pressure for him was enormous, that he even decided to risk bigger injury to win, that relieve is enormous after he won, that this was psychologically one of the hardest slams for him...

So in few words he confirmed Meds words... And ttw was wrong, I was wrong too, thinking it's not that big pressure on Novak...

Off course, pressure was on Med too, and we can't compare who was under bigger pressure...

 

[beard]

About Toni statement... He was mostly right... But I haven't liked this part:
“It surprises me that, sometimes, athletes of this level have that little capacity to face the difficulty"
Have he forgot what happened two years ago with his nephew? It was even worst beat down...

 

[socallefty]

Did Tio Toni write an article about the 2019 AO final also after his nephew collapsed in straight sets and then was whining that he didn’t practice enough while he had blown through the six previous rounds? Maybe Tio should know that it is very tough to stay mentally calm when you are up against a rampaging Djokovic on Rod Laver Arena in an AO final where he is unbeaten. Just like facing his old student on Philippe Chartrier in the FO final.

 

[Raul_SJ]

Toni Nadal Medvedev lost in the final of the Australian Open because he was not strong enough mentally to deal with Novak Djokovic.

Mods, please sticky this on front page.

 

[swordtennis]

Pfffft who is this dude he knows nothing.
I am checking with TTW eye test and Fedal fans on this to get the professionals fact based.

 

[daphne]

The draw was rigged! Ask Toni!

 

[Red Rick]

The only person on the planet who made that argument was Medvedev himself. Everyone else who has watched tennis for longer than 5 minutes knew Djokovic would feel minimal stress. Why would he be stressed when he’s playing on his favorite court against a known choker who has never won a slam?

He was supposed to be shaking in his boots facing this guy in a major final? Please.

Who regarded Medvedev as a choker, apart from people in hindsight?

 

[octobrina10]

Did Tio Toni write an article about the 2019 AO final also after his nephew collapsed in straight sets and then was whining that he didn’t practice enough while he had blown through the six previous rounds? Maybe Tio should know that it is very tough to stay mentally calm when you are up against a rampaging Djokovic on Rod Laver Arena in an AO final where he is unbeaten. Just like facing his old student on Philippe Chartrier in the FO final.

Yes, Toni Nadal wrote an article for El Pais about the 2019 AO final, too:
https://elpais.com/deportes/2019/01/27/actualidad/1548576102_561562.html

 

[Rafa4LifeEver]

I agree