Some would say, why do you want Nadal to be healthy and give everything he's got to break the most important record in tennis? Well, because I want Roger to be able to say that he held off a fit and motivated Nadal and Djokovic from breaking his record. That would be an epic feeling for the Swiss Maestro and his fans to have!
I agree, though it's not going to be that simple with all of them aging. Fed and Nadal seem to be in the same spot, which is that they need to be very careful with their bodies/injuries, and they need the draw to cooperate. Djokovic is the only one who's just on autopilot right now. As weird as it sounds, Federer is still his greatest threat.
Nadal has proved over the last 5 years that he is no longer on Djokovic's level, and now it's clear he's not even on Fed's either.
His last victory over Fed was
5 years ago, how do you think that weighs on him? Especially with every commentator still thinking he owns Fed?
Nadal's longest unbeaten streak against Fed was Monte Carlo 08 through WTF '10. That is the basis for our current thinking on Nadal's mastery of Federer, and it is so wrong.
When he loses to them on clay then we are talking.... H hasn't met Fed in nearly 2 years and lost to Djokovic in his favourite slam and Nadal's worst after a 4 month layoff. He'll recover
I don't think you have to worry too much about Rafa mentally. He's come back from tough losses before. I would be more worried about his body holding up.
Rafa is too strong not to bounce back mentally; he always does. Thar doesn't guarantee results, but he should contend for at least two of the remaining three majors this year.
Think about it though. Rafa smashed everyone on the way to that Final and looked unstoppable. He didn't have the look of someone who wasn't in game shape yet. His new serve was clicking, his volleys looked amazing...and then all of a sudden he looked like crap.
The math for Rafa isn't good here. Think of it from his POV...
Since AO14 he is 0-5 against Roger, and hasn't even taken a set since AO17.
Since AO14 he is 3-11 against Djokovic, with all of his wins coming on clay.
What kind of a picture does that draw for him and his camp? What does that tell us?
Answer: Rafa
cannot beat Djokovic OR Fed off of clay...and in Nole's case, maybe not even on clay. Last time they met at RG, it was a straight-set beatdown with a breadstick in the 3rd for good measure.
You think there is some doubt creeping in there, after compiling a 4-16 record against them since 2013 ended?
Anyone who thinks these sobering stats don't scare him "because he's a warrior" is simply kidding him/herself. Rafa knows that if he meets either of those two on hard courts, he will be exposed badly, and that even on clay he is not safe from Novak. Not a good position for a guy who thrives on the aura of invincibility.