Topic: Clay Monster's Limitations

[falcon]

He's just straining himself way too much...he'll never learn

[Clay Death]

He's just straining himself way too much...he'll never learn

i am worried about him.

[Clay Death]

Thanks Herc and all the others for these thoughts.  On the subject of Rotterdam, I want to pitch in the following thoughts.

Rafa told Krajicek last year that he would come to Rotterdam again this year if he was #1; and that, if he wasn't number #1, he'd play the South American circuit.  I'd surmise from what we know of Rafa that it was less a quality of greed that bade him to the Netherlands, but two other things. 

First, he sticks to his word.  To himself and his tennis, first and foremost -- it's part of what makes him such a great champion and gives him such honest drive to play and to win as much as he can.  "I'm gonna try my best."  (Which is only the understatement of the century when you've seen him battle for break points.)  But I think he takes his word very seriously, if he's learned anything of Uncle Toni's philosophy, it's that.  Indeed, he keeps his word too seriously.  Kracijek would have been happy with two lackluster sets and a sound Murray win.  But not Rafa, he said he was gonna try his best this week.  And that's what makes him the freaking champion that he is.  Don't play too hard?  He's learning, but like playing on hardcourts, not playing too hard's not his natural style.

Second, and maybe more important, the Rotterdam tournament may have seemed logistically sound.  Rafa likes to stick close to home for as long as he can, and Rotterdam's a quick flight from Majorca, where he could stay for a week until Dubai (or, if he skips Dubai, three weeks at home before Indian Wells).  Otherwise he'd have to fly all over South America, go back to Europe(?) for a week, and fly to North America for another month.  Much easier to stay on the continent.  Additionally, it would have seemed to offer him some practise with US Open balls on a fast indoor court, keeping him motivated on the ultimate goal, the summer assault on the calendar slam.  Don't play at all?  Well, they have 4 500 events that are mandatory.  Play one now, then play 2 more at Monte-Carlo (though that one confuses me, does it count toward 500s?) and Barca and he can take it easy after the US Open.  Again, in retrospect it was probably a mistake, but he could not have anticipated the massive effort it took to win the Australian; but he was on a roll, and then, he had given his word.

Dubai is of course a ridiculous prospect, all the more so because of the new, apparently geopolitical ramifications.  The ATP needs balls, but I'm sure Roger's a vocal proponent of the Dubai tourney.

Murray was quoted after the win -- I like Andy's game quite a bit, he's quick and cunning -- as saying that knee pain was something Rafa said he experienced when he played a lot on hard courts. 

According to El Pais (and this is a very loose translation), Rafa said, "It was not my best day.  Effectively, I had problems, but I don't want to talk much on this.  Andy played very well and he beat me...my right knee has been hurting these last days and the pain was more alive during the final.  It hurt to lean on, especially on the service, although I don't think it is very grave.  We will see how it evolves, but I hope I can play in Dubai..."  El Pais then quotes Nadal's doctor, who says Nadal was controlling the pain during the week, and that this injury was an inflammation of a knee tendon, nothing like the sprain he had last fall.  They are treating it with ice and anti-inflammatories.

He was clearly in pain, but from all indications it doesn't seem like a major injury if it's just tendonitis and not a sprain.  Though he hits a nice backhand on one leg, he needs to relax.

Rafa dreams big and always wants to play and he doesn't know what's best for himself; yes, Hercules, he will figure that out one way or another.  Rotterdam, though seemingly a strange choice, made some sense for him if he rationalized it like that.  And finally, yeah, he's been hobbling around since Tsonga, but he'll live to play another day. 

He always wants to prove himself.  He is, in a sense, driven by the narrative we create for tennis players (win the grand slam, play on all surfaces, don't be a clay-court-only-pony); he is, that way, living our dreams.  If only Acapulco had more cachet, no?

Sorry I'm new here and have no avatar yet.  Oh yeah, and, hi tennis people!

welcome. good post. keep up the good work. you are always welcome here. post any and all news about the Clay Monster the ultimate doomsday stroking machine here.

let us know if you find out anything more on his knee injury. he said it had been hurting him all week.

[Redshale]

Thanks Herc and all the others for these thoughts.  On the subject of Rotterdam, I want to pitch in the following thoughts.

Rafa told Krajicek last year that he would come to Rotterdam again this year if he was #1; and that, if he wasn't number #1, he'd play the South American circuit.  I'd surmise from what we know of Rafa that it was less a quality of greed that bade him to the Netherlands, but two other things. 

First, he sticks to his word.  To himself and his tennis, first and foremost -- it's part of what makes him such a great champion and gives him such honest drive to play and to win as much as he can.  "I'm gonna try my best."  (Which is only the understatement of the century when you've seen him battle for break points.)  But I think he takes his word very seriously, if he's learned anything of Uncle Toni's philosophy, it's that.  Indeed, he keeps his word too seriously.  Kracijek would have been happy with two lackluster sets and a sound Murray win.  But not Rafa, he said he was gonna try his best this week.  And that's what makes him the freaking champion that he is.  Don't play too hard?  He's learning, but like playing on hardcourts, not playing too hard's not his natural style.

Second, and maybe more important, the Rotterdam tournament may have seemed logistically sound.  Rafa likes to stick close to home for as long as he can, and Rotterdam's a quick flight from Majorca, where he could stay for a week until Dubai (or, if he skips Dubai, three weeks at home before Indian Wells).  Otherwise he'd have to fly all over South America, go back to Europe(?) for a week, and fly to North America for another month.  Much easier to stay on the continent.  Additionally, it would have seemed to offer him some practise with US Open balls on a fast indoor court, keeping him motivated on the ultimate goal, the summer assault on the calendar slam.  Don't play at all?  Well, they have 4 500 events that are mandatory.  Play one now, then play 2 more at Monte-Carlo (though that one confuses me, does it count toward 500s?) and Barca and he can take it easy after the US Open.  Again, in retrospect it was probably a mistake, but he could not have anticipated the massive effort it took to win the Australian; but he was on a roll, and then, he had given his word.

Dubai is of course a ridiculous prospect, all the more so because of the new, apparently geopolitical ramifications.  The ATP needs balls, but I'm sure Roger's a vocal proponent of the Dubai tourney.

Murray was quoted after the win -- I like Andy's game quite a bit, he's quick and cunning -- as saying that knee pain was something Rafa said he experienced when he played a lot on hard courts. 

According to El Pais (and this is a very loose translation), Rafa said, "It was not my best day.  Effectively, I had problems, but I don't want to talk much on this.  Andy played very well and he beat me...my right knee has been hurting these last days and the pain was more alive during the final.  It hurt to lean on, especially on the service, although I don't think it is very grave.  We will see how it evolves, but I hope I can play in Dubai..."  El Pais then quotes Nadal's doctor, who says Nadal was controlling the pain during the week, and that this injury was an inflammation of a knee tendon, nothing like the sprain he had last fall.  They are treating it with ice and anti-inflammatories.

He was clearly in pain, but from all indications it doesn't seem like a major injury if it's just tendonitis and not a sprain.  Though he hits a nice backhand on one leg, he needs to relax.

Rafa dreams big and always wants to play and he doesn't know what's best for himself; yes, Hercules, he will figure that out one way or another.  Rotterdam, though seemingly a strange choice, made some sense for him if he rationalized it like that.  And finally, yeah, he's been hobbling around since Tsonga, but he'll live to play another day. 

He always wants to prove himself.  He is, in a sense, driven by the narrative we create for tennis players (win the grand slam, play on all surfaces, don't be a clay-court-only-pony); he is, that way, living our dreams.  If only Acapulco had more cachet, no?

Sorry I'm new here and have no avatar yet.  Oh yeah, and, hi tennis people!

good post, redshale........welcome to the forums.........i think he has reached the time when he needs to be wise in decision making because he is a responsible world no.1 now.........one can let go a tournament like this, but imagine him skipping wimbledon or us open.........he has a permanent case of knee tendonitis and that should not recur too many times.........the best thing to do for him is to make sure that he spaces his tournaments well enough during the hardcourt season august-april.........clay and grass are easier on his body and doesn't matter for him how close the events there are.........

i am pretty much sure that this early injure(though serious or not) will definitely caution even an idiot.........if still his thinking doesn't change, hell with him.........it's good to be nice, but he is killing himself by being too honest and humble.........this is how he should manage his 4 500 events.........and no montecarlo is a 1000 event but not mandatory..........he can play acapulco, barcelona, hamburg all on clay and the final 500 event can be somewhere on a hardcourt deep in the season, maybe china or japan after the us open..........a long flight to mexico is much better than killing his knees in rotterdam or dubai..........   

he says that he was very tired when he arrived in Rotterdam. he expended quite a bit of mental, physical, and emotional reserves in snagging the Australian Open title. he was truly worn out and nearly passed out in the locker room after his victory.

now was the time to replenish those reserves and rest and refresh. and he could have worked on his game a little as well.

So Rotterdam was a crucial miscalculation. each of these successive episodes will compound the chronic knee issue to a point where he will have to sit out for longer and longer periods of time.

that can cause a steep drop in ranking and loss of sponsors, let alone handing away slams to Federer.

i dont think he will learn until he has to pay a very steep price for his miscalculations which happen year after year.

just look at what he has to win in such a short period:

1. Monte Carlo
2. Barcelona
3. Rome Masters
4. Davis Cup against Serbia
5. Madrid
6. Roland Garros
7. Queens
8. Wimbledon
9. Toronto

this is madness. he can only do it if he is 100% healthy. it would kill most fit players to pull this off but that is what he is faced with if he wants to continue on this path to greatness and another year at #1.

You're right in that he was definitely worn out by the time he got to the Netherlands.  He does have a lot of points to defend, but not all those tournaments are equally important.  First is Davis Cup against Serbia on clay: 2 matches at home on clay, shouldn't be too tricky to beat Tipsarevic; Djokovic is the one he'll care about most there.  But not too much energy expended in time or travel.  Monte-Carlo he'll want to defend of course; since this is a non-mandatory tournament, we don't even know whether Federer, Murray, and Djokovic will all be there.  Barca is a tough one, scheduled right after Monte-Carlo and right before Roma.  Too bad he can't skip this, but it is a 500 level event and it's on clay, and it's his home field.  In Roma he has everything to gain and nothing to lose because of the blister last year: no pressure there.  Madrid might be the trickiest of all, but he'll have a week after Roma to prepare for this.  Roland Garros is really his first absolutely essential priority.  Queens is utterly irrelevant being only a 250 tournament this year; it's only useful for grass practice.   Then Wimbledon, which is always huge for Rafa.  Even without the Olympic break, Montreal he will have a tougher time with; but if he goes out early there he'll have a chance to make up some points in the fall with Paris and TMC.  So of those 9 tournaments Herc listed, I think only 4 are essential for Rafa to be at his best and healthiest: Monte-Carlo, Madrid, Roland Garros, and Wimbledon.  3 of those 4 are on clay.  His health is definitely a concern, but I wouldn't be unduly worried about him losing his top spot anytime too soon.  Like his topspin, he has a lot of margin in points over Federer and even more over Djokovic and Murray.

Today in El Pais, Rafa (again loosely translated) is quoted optimistically saying that "'I am not injured...It is not an injury, I arrived from Australia after those very long matches and little recuperation time and I did well.  I have played well all week.'  The world no. 1 was precise about what was bothering him.  'It is not the knee, it is more a theme of muscle fatigue affecting the area around the tibial tendon, it is not bothering me especially, I am well...I don't know if I will go to Dubai because it is very soon, I am carrying a lot of matches and it leaves not much time.  So I will see how it evolves, I will be in Benidorm (for the Davis Cup match) for sure.'"  Rafa says some nice things about Murray, saying he can make up ground on Djokovic during clay season.  He also adds that he was damaged by the lack of recovery time between matches at the end of the Australian Open and then the afternoon final at Rotterdam right after the night match, implying that if he had had some more hours to recover, he might have been in better shape.  He also cautions, realistically I might add, that "repeating last year's successes will be very difficult or almost impossible, and it is necessary to be honest [about that]."  And then, still my beating heart, he concludes that the Rotterdam final is just as important as the Australian Open, because: "It is necessary to know the valor of everything, not just the great triumphs."

That is our Rafa.

Thanks for the comments and the welcome to this forum!

[yellowball]

Here's the article from AP. Sounds pretty good to me. I'm glad it's not a knee.
*********************************

Nadal could skip Dubai, not Davis Cup
The Associated PressPublished: February 16, 2009


 
MADRID: A leg injury could force Rafael Nadal to skip the next ATP tournament in Dubai, but the top-ranked Spaniard said Monday he should be back in time to play for Spain next month in the first round of the Davis Cup.

Nadal received treatment on his right leg Sunday in the final of the ABN Amro, which he lost to Andy Murray. Although many believed the injury to be linked with the right knee injury that forced him to skip last year's Davis Cup final, Nadal said otherwise.

"It's not the knee, so there's no worry about that," Nadal said Monday. "I'm sure I will recover quickly. It's nothing similar to last year. It's a lot less worrisome, let's hope."

Nadal said he would play for defending champion Spain against Serbia in the Davis Cup from March 6-8 — barring injury — but couldn't confirm he would participate in the Dubai Tennis Championships, which start next Monday.

Angel Ruiz-Cotorro, Spain's team doctor, said Nadal strained a ligament below the knee against Murray but it was not severe and that he should recover quickly.

Nadal became the first Spaniard to win the Australian Open, beating Roger Federer in a gripping final last month.

Bjorn Bjorg is the only other player to have won six majors by his 22nd birthday, and Nadal can become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to complete a Grand Slam by sweeping all four majors in the same year.

"The season has started well, but it's a long year," said Nadal, who has also won four French Opens and one Wimbledon title. "It's still too early to evaluate anything."

[Clay Death]

Thanks Herc and all the others for these thoughts.  On the subject of Rotterdam, I want to pitch in the following thoughts.

Rafa told Krajicek last year that he would come to Rotterdam again this year if he was #1; and that, if he wasn't number #1, he'd play the South American circuit.  I'd surmise from what we know of Rafa that it was less a quality of greed that bade him to the Netherlands, but two other things. 

First, he sticks to his word.  To himself and his tennis, first and foremost -- it's part of what makes him such a great champion and gives him such honest drive to play and to win as much as he can.  "I'm gonna try my best."  (Which is only the understatement of the century when you've seen him battle for break points.)  But I think he takes his word very seriously, if he's learned anything of Uncle Toni's philosophy, it's that.  Indeed, he keeps his word too seriously.  Kracijek would have been happy with two lackluster sets and a sound Murray win.  But not Rafa, he said he was gonna try his best this week.  And that's what makes him the freaking champion that he is.  Don't play too hard?  He's learning, but like playing on hardcourts, not playing too hard's not his natural style.

Second, and maybe more important, the Rotterdam tournament may have seemed logistically sound.  Rafa likes to stick close to home for as long as he can, and Rotterdam's a quick flight from Majorca, where he could stay for a week until Dubai (or, if he skips Dubai, three weeks at home before Indian Wells).  Otherwise he'd have to fly all over South America, go back to Europe(?) for a week, and fly to North America for another month.  Much easier to stay on the continent.  Additionally, it would have seemed to offer him some practise with US Open balls on a fast indoor court, keeping him motivated on the ultimate goal, the summer assault on the calendar slam.  Don't play at all?  Well, they have 4 500 events that are mandatory.  Play one now, then play 2 more at Monte-Carlo (though that one confuses me, does it count toward 500s?) and Barca and he can take it easy after the US Open.  Again, in retrospect it was probably a mistake, but he could not have anticipated the massive effort it took to win the Australian; but he was on a roll, and then, he had given his word.

Dubai is of course a ridiculous prospect, all the more so because of the new, apparently geopolitical ramifications.  The ATP needs balls, but I'm sure Roger's a vocal proponent of the Dubai tourney.

Murray was quoted after the win -- I like Andy's game quite a bit, he's quick and cunning -- as saying that knee pain was something Rafa said he experienced when he played a lot on hard courts. 

According to El Pais (and this is a very loose translation), Rafa said, "It was not my best day.  Effectively, I had problems, but I don't want to talk much on this.  Andy played very well and he beat me...my right knee has been hurting these last days and the pain was more alive during the final.  It hurt to lean on, especially on the service, although I don't think it is very grave.  We will see how it evolves, but I hope I can play in Dubai..."  El Pais then quotes Nadal's doctor, who says Nadal was controlling the pain during the week, and that this injury was an inflammation of a knee tendon, nothing like the sprain he had last fall.  They are treating it with ice and anti-inflammatories.

He was clearly in pain, but from all indications it doesn't seem like a major injury if it's just tendonitis and not a sprain.  Though he hits a nice backhand on one leg, he needs to relax.

Rafa dreams big and always wants to play and he doesn't know what's best for himself; yes, Hercules, he will figure that out one way or another.  Rotterdam, though seemingly a strange choice, made some sense for him if he rationalized it like that.  And finally, yeah, he's been hobbling around since Tsonga, but he'll live to play another day. 

He always wants to prove himself.  He is, in a sense, driven by the narrative we create for tennis players (win the grand slam, play on all surfaces, don't be a clay-court-only-pony); he is, that way, living our dreams.  If only Acapulco had more cachet, no?

Sorry I'm new here and have no avatar yet.  Oh yeah, and, hi tennis people!

good post, redshale........welcome to the forums.........i think he has reached the time when he needs to be wise in decision making because he is a responsible world no.1 now.........one can let go a tournament like this, but imagine him skipping wimbledon or us open.........he has a permanent case of knee tendonitis and that should not recur too many times.........the best thing to do for him is to make sure that he spaces his tournaments well enough during the hardcourt season august-april.........clay and grass are easier on his body and doesn't matter for him how close the events there are.........

i am pretty much sure that this early injure(though serious or not) will definitely caution even an idiot.........if still his thinking doesn't change, hell with him.........it's good to be nice, but he is killing himself by being too honest and humble.........this is how he should manage his 4 500 events.........and no montecarlo is a 1000 event but not mandatory..........he can play acapulco, barcelona, hamburg all on clay and the final 500 event can be somewhere on a hardcourt deep in the season, maybe china or japan after the us open..........a long flight to mexico is much better than killing his knees in rotterdam or dubai..........   

he says that he was very tired when he arrived in Rotterdam. he expended quite a bit of mental, physical, and emotional reserves in snagging the Australian Open title. he was truly worn out and nearly passed out in the locker room after his victory.

now was the time to replenish those reserves and rest and refresh. and he could have worked on his game a little as well.

So Rotterdam was a crucial miscalculation. each of these successive episodes will compound the chronic knee issue to a point where he will have to sit out for longer and longer periods of time.

that can cause a steep drop in ranking and loss of sponsors, let alone handing away slams to Federer.

i dont think he will learn until he has to pay a very steep price for his miscalculations which happen year after year.

just look at what he has to win in such a short period:

1. Monte Carlo
2. Barcelona
3. Rome Masters
4. Davis Cup against Serbia
5. Madrid
6. Roland Garros
7. Queens
8. Wimbledon
9. Toronto

this is madness. he can only do it if he is 100% healthy. it would kill most fit players to pull this off but that is what he is faced with if he wants to continue on this path to greatness and another year at #1.

You're right in that he was definitely worn out by the time he got to the Netherlands.  He does have a lot of points to defend, but not all those tournaments are equally important.  First is Davis Cup against Serbia on clay: 2 matches at home on clay, shouldn't be too tricky to beat Tipsarevic; Djokovic is the one he'll care about most there.  But not too much energy expended in time or travel.  Monte-Carlo he'll want to defend of course; since this is a non-mandatory tournament, we don't even know whether Federer, Murray, and Djokovic will all be there.  Barca is a tough one, scheduled right after Monte-Carlo and right before Roma.  Too bad he can't skip this, but it is a 500 level event and it's on clay, and it's his home field.  In Roma he has everything to gain and nothing to lose because of the blister last year: no pressure there.  Madrid might be the trickiest of all, but he'll have a week after Roma to prepare for this.  Roland Garros is really his first absolutely essential priority.  Queens is utterly irrelevant being only a 250 tournament this year; it's only useful for grass practice.   Then Wimbledon, which is always huge for Rafa.  Even without the Olympic break, Montreal he will have a tougher time with; but if he goes out early there he'll have a chance to make up some points in the fall with Paris and TMC.  So of those 9 tournaments Herc listed, I think only 4 are essential for Rafa to be at his best and healthiest: Monte-Carlo, Madrid, Roland Garros, and Wimbledon.  3 of those 4 are on clay.  His health is definitely a concern, but I wouldn't be unduly worried about him losing his top spot anytime too soon.  Like his topspin, he has a lot of margin in points over Federer and even more over Djokovic and Murray.

Today in El Pais, Rafa (again loosely translated) is quoted optimistically saying that "'I am not injured...It is not an injury, I arrived from Australia after those very long matches and little recuperation time and I did well.  I have played well all week.'  The world no. 1 was precise about what was bothering him.  'It is not the knee, it is more a theme of muscle fatigue affecting the area around the tibial tendon, it is not bothering me especially, I am well...I don't know if I will go to Dubai because it is very soon, I am carrying a lot of matches and it leaves not much time.  So I will see how it evolves, I will be in Benidorm (for the Davis Cup match) for sure.'"  Rafa says some nice things about Murray, saying he can make up ground on Djokovic during clay season.  He also adds that he was damaged by the lack of recovery time between matches at the end of the Australian Open and then the afternoon final at Rotterdam right after the night match, implying that if he had had some more hours to recover, he might have been in better shape.  He also cautions, realistically I might add, that "repeating last year's successes will be very difficult or almost impossible, and it is necessary to be honest [about that]."  And then, still my beating heart, he concludes that the Rotterdam final is just as important as the Australian Open, because: "It is necessary to know the valor of everything, not just the great triumphs."

That is our Rafa.

Thanks for the comments and the welcome to this forum!

great post Redshale.

[Clay Death]

Here's the article from AP. Sounds pretty good to me. I'm glad it's not a knee.
*********************************

Nadal could skip Dubai, not Davis Cup
The Associated PressPublished: February 16, 2009


 
MADRID: A leg injury could force Rafael Nadal to skip the next ATP tournament in Dubai, but the top-ranked Spaniard said Monday he should be back in time to play for Spain next month in the first round of the Davis Cup.

Nadal received treatment on his right leg Sunday in the final of the ABN Amro, which he lost to Andy Murray. Although many believed the injury to be linked with the right knee injury that forced him to skip last year's Davis Cup final, Nadal said otherwise.

"It's not the knee, so there's no worry about that," Nadal said Monday. "I'm sure I will recover quickly. It's nothing similar to last year. It's a lot less worrisome, let's hope."

Nadal said he would play for defending champion Spain against Serbia in the Davis Cup from March 6-8 — barring injury — but couldn't confirm he would participate in the Dubai Tennis Championships, which start next Monday.

Angel Ruiz-Cotorro, Spain's team doctor, said Nadal strained a ligament below the knee against Murray but it was not severe and that he should recover quickly.

Nadal became the first Spaniard to win the Australian Open, beating Roger Federer in a gripping final last month.

Bjorn Bjorg is the only other player to have won six majors by his 22nd birthday, and Nadal can become the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to complete a Grand Slam by sweeping all four majors in the same year.

"The season has started well, but it's a long year," said Nadal, who has also won four French Opens and one Wimbledon title. "It's still too early to evaluate anything."

still a lesson to be learned. there was no need to be in Rotterdam. also ligament damage or strain can be serious if it happens again or repeatedly.

remember that he could not put any weight on his leg at all around the middle of the 2nd set.

i was not going to watch the final as usual but decided to take a look. the second i saw him hit the ball, i knew someting was wrong.

and the expression on his face said it all.

[falcon]

Thanks Herc and all the others for these thoughts.  On the subject of Rotterdam, I want to pitch in the following thoughts.

Rafa told Krajicek last year that he would come to Rotterdam again this year if he was #1; and that, if he wasn't number #1, he'd play the South American circuit.  I'd surmise from what we know of Rafa that it was less a quality of greed that bade him to the Netherlands, but two other things. 

First, he sticks to his word.  To himself and his tennis, first and foremost -- it's part of what makes him such a great champion and gives him such honest drive to play and to win as much as he can.  "I'm gonna try my best."  (Which is only the understatement of the century when you've seen him battle for break points.)  But I think he takes his word very seriously, if he's learned anything of Uncle Toni's philosophy, it's that.  Indeed, he keeps his word too seriously.  Kracijek would have been happy with two lackluster sets and a sound Murray win.  But not Rafa, he said he was gonna try his best this week.  And that's what makes him the freaking champion that he is.  Don't play too hard?  He's learning, but like playing on hardcourts, not playing too hard's not his natural style.

Second, and maybe more important, the Rotterdam tournament may have seemed logistically sound.  Rafa likes to stick close to home for as long as he can, and Rotterdam's a quick flight from Majorca, where he could stay for a week until Dubai (or, if he skips Dubai, three weeks at home before Indian Wells).  Otherwise he'd have to fly all over South America, go back to Europe(?) for a week, and fly to North America for another month.  Much easier to stay on the continent.  Additionally, it would have seemed to offer him some practise with US Open balls on a fast indoor court, keeping him motivated on the ultimate goal, the summer assault on the calendar slam.  Don't play at all?  Well, they have 4 500 events that are mandatory.  Play one now, then play 2 more at Monte-Carlo (though that one confuses me, does it count toward 500s?) and Barca and he can take it easy after the US Open.  Again, in retrospect it was probably a mistake, but he could not have anticipated the massive effort it took to win the Australian; but he was on a roll, and then, he had given his word.

Dubai is of course a ridiculous prospect, all the more so because of the new, apparently geopolitical ramifications.  The ATP needs balls, but I'm sure Roger's a vocal proponent of the Dubai tourney.

Murray was quoted after the win -- I like Andy's game quite a bit, he's quick and cunning -- as saying that knee pain was something Rafa said he experienced when he played a lot on hard courts. 

According to El Pais (and this is a very loose translation), Rafa said, "It was not my best day.  Effectively, I had problems, but I don't want to talk much on this.  Andy played very well and he beat me...my right knee has been hurting these last days and the pain was more alive during the final.  It hurt to lean on, especially on the service, although I don't think it is very grave.  We will see how it evolves, but I hope I can play in Dubai..."  El Pais then quotes Nadal's doctor, who says Nadal was controlling the pain during the week, and that this injury was an inflammation of a knee tendon, nothing like the sprain he had last fall.  They are treating it with ice and anti-inflammatories.

He was clearly in pain, but from all indications it doesn't seem like a major injury if it's just tendonitis and not a sprain.  Though he hits a nice backhand on one leg, he needs to relax.

Rafa dreams big and always wants to play and he doesn't know what's best for himself; yes, Hercules, he will figure that out one way or another.  Rotterdam, though seemingly a strange choice, made some sense for him if he rationalized it like that.  And finally, yeah, he's been hobbling around since Tsonga, but he'll live to play another day. 

He always wants to prove himself.  He is, in a sense, driven by the narrative we create for tennis players (win the grand slam, play on all surfaces, don't be a clay-court-only-pony); he is, that way, living our dreams.  If only Acapulco had more cachet, no?

Sorry I'm new here and have no avatar yet.  Oh yeah, and, hi tennis people!

Hello fellow Rafan...good to see you around....have fun here     And for starters...that's an awesome post 

[Clay Death]

Clay Monster is fast becoming a top global personality. that is in addition to being a top global draw in all of sports.

17th of February



Rafa Nadal, current world No.1, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, Australian Open  and Olympic champion has been chosen as one of most influential personalities of the year by the internationally recognized Magazine, Hello!

The ‘Personality of the year’ has been chosen by a group of editors from their 13 publishers around the world, who count with a staggering 12 million readers in 100 countries. Between them, they were looking for the top 100 most ‘influential, inspirational and well know” public figures internationally.

In order to put this list together, their editorial teams had to design last January a list of names of those people who had excelled in 2008 and give them a score from 1 to 15.

The results will be published today in Spain, UK, Mexico, Russia, Turkey, United Emirates, Greece, Thailand, Canada, Malaysia, India, Serbia, and Ukraine, and it’s a real honour for us to share with you that Rafa is not only part of that incredible group of politicians, royalty, actors, models, athletes and musicians, but also, he was voted as  the No.11 most admired and followed personality internationally.

You can check out the full list here!

 

Barack Obama
Angelina Jolie
Brad Pitt
Madonna
Príncipe Harry
Michelle Obama
Rania de Jordania
David Beckham
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy
Príncipe Guillermo
Rafael Nadal
Kate Winslet
Michael Phelps
Britney SpearsHillary ClintonGeorge Clooney
Tom Cruise
Princesa Mary de Dinamarca
Princesa LetiziaPenélope Cruz
Nicole Kidman
Nicolás Sarkozy
Hugh Jackman

incidentally, Anna Ivanovic was #25 and Nole was #26.

[Dallas]

Herc, I'd like to see the entire list.  Can you provide a link?

[lizbeth]

Rafa's problem must be the tendonitis again.  At first, I heard it was a ligament, but then I saw that it was described as a "ligament below the knee", which makes no sense since, as far as I know, there is no such thing!  Tendon, yes, but not a ligament below the knee.  Probably a mistranslation from a doctor for whom English is a second language. 
Anyway, I think Rafa will continue to suffer from tendonitis from time to time, just as the Williams sisters do. 
I hope he and Roger both get healthy and have many more battles.

[Clay Death]

Herc, I'd like to see the entire list.  Can you provide a link?

go to RafaelNadal.com

***Fed is not on the list anywhere Dallas unless i missed it.

[Redshale]

Rafa's problem must be the tendonitis again.  At first, I heard it was a ligament, but then I saw that it was described as a "ligament below the knee", which makes no sense since, as far as I know, there is no such thing!  Tendon, yes, but not a ligament below the knee.  Probably a mistranslation from a doctor for whom English is a second language. 
Anyway, I think Rafa will continue to suffer from tendonitis from time to time, just as the Williams sisters do. 
I hope he and Roger both get healthy and have many more battles.

Howdy Lizbeth!  Thank you for the nice words and for your clarifying post here.  I think statements from Rafa and his doctor have been mistranslated into a ligament strain, which doesn't fit with their statements.  From what I've read in the Spanish papers, Rafa and his doctor have independently cited stress on his tendon, not his ligaments.  There are two tendons attached to the knee: the quadriceps femoral tendon, attaching the thigh muscle to the kneecap; and the patellar tendon, attaching the kneecap to the tibial bone.  Rafa stated that it was the patellar tendon (he called it the "tendon tibial" while his doctor used the correct term "tendon rotuliano") that was bothering him in Rotterdam, and primarily a case of muscle fatigue in that area causing the issues.  His camp has been very consistent on this, which is either his usual hard-court tendonitis or a slight variation of it.  It's painful and restricts one's movement, but rest usually resolves it.  Any talk of a ligament strain is doubtless the English-speaking press being typically sloppy with their clinical and lingual translations.  Don't blame Dr. Angel Ruiz-Cortorro, he's got enough to worry about!  Take care and thanks for catching that and making that distinction between annoying tendonitis and much scarier ligament damage. 

[Clay Death]

there may still be some minor damage to the ligament or it is slightly strained.

that may have been the reason why he could not put any weight on his leg at all. each subsequent episode could lead to a more serious situation which may force him to sit out for longer and longer periods of time.

[Clay Death]

Nadal's gracefulness: Rafael Nadal was "raised right" by parents who aren't stage parents
 
Rafael Nadal has perfected the differentiation between power on the court and grace off it.
Jon Wertheim will answer questions from SI.com users in his mailbag every Wednesday.
 
Does Nadal have the best PR person, or does this all come naturally to him? The guy seems to handle himself in a way that I don't think we've seen from some of these younger players. The respect he continues to show to Federer seems genuine. How does he do it?
-- Erin, Sudbury, Mass.

• A good first question on the day Jelena Jankovic (?) bashes Roger Federer but claims to admire Nadal for his modesty. For the record, Nadal does have a PR rep on the payroll, who does right by him. But clearly this "comes naturally" to him as well. As we discussed last week: anyone can spew a few slick talking points into a microphone. Yet when your rival unexpectedly breaks down in tears and you have the wherewithal to step up and console him, you're revealing much more about your nature.

What's the source of this authentic good-guy-ness? Nadal was clearly "raised right" by a mom and dad who don't exactly cut the figure of stage parents. While Nadal's island of Majorca has a reputation as a trendy Euro-destination, Nadal's hometown of Manacors is an unassuming, close-knit place where class distinctions are fuzzy and folks go to great lengths to conceal their wealth. Nadal's uncle, Miguel Angel, the former pro soccer player, was the proverbial "role model," who offered an example of how a pro athlete ought to conduct himself.

But I think the biggest influence is Uncle Nadal, or "Uncle Hard Ass," as Pete Bodo and I have taken to calling him. I think the Republic of Tennis has grown skeptical of the relative/coach. But in this case, the player's uncle not only possesses a first rate tennis cortex, but also is one of the coaches who shapes lives. At an early age, he impressed upon Nadal that "just because you can hit a tennis ball well doesn't mean you're better than anyone else."

As Nadal ascended the org chart, there was uncle to make sure the kid stayed humble. A promoter offers to fly Nadal and his camp to a tournament. No thanks, says Toni, we already bought train tickets. Nadal goes to the practice courts at the 2008 U.S. Open and realizes he's forgotten his water bottles in the locker room. Never mind the eager volunteer happy to assist the tournament's top seed; Uncle T. (Raffa = Christopher Moltisanti?) makes his nephew run back and get it. A doctor offers to see Nadal immediately; no, says uncle, he'll take a seat in the waiting room like every one else.

You could write an entire chapter about Nadal's pleasant off-court personality and how jarringly at odds it is with on-court ferocity. But give the kid his due. He not only challenges Federer's skill but also gives him a run in the mensch department.

 

[yellowball]

Clay Monster is fast becoming a top global personality. that is in addition to being a top global draw in all of sports.

17th of February



Rafa Nadal, current world No.1, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, Australian Open  and Olympic champion has been chosen as one of most influential personalities of the year by the internationally recognized Magazine, Hello!

The ‘Personality of the year’ has been chosen by a group of editors from their 13 publishers around the world, who count with a staggering 12 million readers in 100 countries. Between them, they were looking for the top 100 most ‘influential, inspirational and well know” public figures internationally.

In order to put this list together, their editorial teams had to design last January a list of names of those people who had excelled in 2008 and give them a score from 1 to 15.

The results will be published today in Spain, UK, Mexico, Russia, Turkey, United Emirates, Greece, Thailand, Canada, Malaysia, India, Serbia, and Ukraine, and it’s a real honour for us to share with you that Rafa is not only part of that incredible group of politicians, royalty, actors, models, athletes and musicians, but also, he was voted as  the No.11 most admired and followed personality internationally.

You can check out the full list here!

 

Barack Obama
Angelina Jolie
Brad Pitt
Madonna
Príncipe Harry
Michelle Obama
Rania de Jordania
David Beckham
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy
Príncipe Guillermo
Rafael Nadal
Kate Winslet
Michael Phelps
Britney SpearsHillary ClintonGeorge Clooney
Tom Cruise
Princesa Mary de Dinamarca
Princesa LetiziaPenélope Cruz
Nicole Kidman
Nicolás Sarkozy
Hugh Jackman

incidentally, Anna Ivanovic was #25 and Nole was #26.

I like Rafa, no mistake, but I believe unless people KNOW the character, personality, etc., of these people it's absolutely ridiculous that any of them are on any sort of influential list. Just crazy.

Suppose Michael Phelps will win...

Everyone probably has someone in their own families more worthy of praise and exemplary status that these people.

I vote no... 

[Clay Death]

Clay Monster is fast becoming a top global personality. that is in addition to being a top global draw in all of sports.

17th of February



Rafa Nadal, current world No.1, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, Australian Open  and Olympic champion has been chosen as one of most influential personalities of the year by the internationally recognized Magazine, Hello!

The ‘Personality of the year’ has been chosen by a group of editors from their 13 publishers around the world, who count with a staggering 12 million readers in 100 countries. Between them, they were looking for the top 100 most ‘influential, inspirational and well know” public figures internationally.

In order to put this list together, their editorial teams had to design last January a list of names of those people who had excelled in 2008 and give them a score from 1 to 15.

The results will be published today in Spain, UK, Mexico, Russia, Turkey, United Emirates, Greece, Thailand, Canada, Malaysia, India, Serbia, and Ukraine, and it’s a real honour for us to share with you that Rafa is not only part of that incredible group of politicians, royalty, actors, models, athletes and musicians, but also, he was voted as  the No.11 most admired and followed personality internationally.

You can check out the full list here!

 

Barack Obama
Angelina Jolie
Brad Pitt
Madonna
Príncipe Harry
Michelle Obama
Rania de Jordania
David Beckham
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy
Príncipe Guillermo
Rafael Nadal
Kate Winslet
Michael Phelps
Britney SpearsHillary ClintonGeorge Clooney
Tom Cruise
Princesa Mary de Dinamarca
Princesa LetiziaPenélope Cruz
Nicole Kidman
Nicolás Sarkozy
Hugh Jackman

incidentally, Anna Ivanovic was #25 and Nole was #26.

I like Rafa, no mistake, but I believe unless people KNOW the character, personality, etc., of these people it's absolutely ridiculous that any of them are on any sort of influential list. Just crazy.

Suppose Michael Phelps will win...

Everyone probably has someone in their own families more worthy of praise and exemplary status that these people.

I vote no... 

well the world knows about the Clay Monster now. he has let the world in on his kindness and his thoughtfulness. aside from being a global monster athlete of a major sport, he is a real person who was raised and reared right by his parents.

he is a bit too damn kind for my money.

[Clay Death]

February 19th, 2009

Nadal Pulls from ATP Dubai, Focuses on Davis Cup

by Richard Vach
World No. 1 Rafael Nadal further underlined his dedication to representing Spain in Davis Cup today, announcing he will skip the near-$1 million appearance fee to play next week’s Dubai Tennis Championships in order to rest a knee injury ahead of Spain’s upcoming Davis Cup tie.



Nadal was hobbled last week during the final at Rotterdam where he could hardly put up a fight in the third set against eventual champion Andy Murray.

“I am very disappointed not to be able to compete in Dubai, but the doctor has advised me to stay home and rest after the pain in my knee in Rotterdam last week,” Nadal wrote on his website Thursday. “Nothing to be worried about but it needs some rest.”

Tendinitis below the right knee is believed to be the culprit.

“I expect to be back in competition the following week for the Davis Cup tie in Benidorm against Serbia and then traveling to Indian Wells and Miami after,” Nadal wrote.

The injury now puts the top two players in the world on the sideline, as earlier this week Roger Federer announced he would be skipping Dubai with a back injury.

Federer was penciled-in for the Davis Cup week in early March to represent Switzerland against the U.S. in what would have been an all-star clash, but the Swiss says he will also be skipping the trip to Birmingham, Ala., leaving Top 20-ranked Stan Wawrinka with a mighty weight on his shoulders.

The withdrawal stretches Federer’s streak to five years since he has represented Switzerland in a World Group main draw tie. From 2005-2008 Federer has represented Switzerland after they’ve lost first round and fallen into the World Group Qualifying round, rescuing his nation from falling into zonal play.

After capturing the gold medal in men’s doubles with Wawrinka at the 2008 Olympics, Federer was subsequently fired-up to represent Switzerland in Davis Cup play through 2009. The current back injury is blamed by some for his poor serving during the Australian Open final loss to Nadal.

The ATP Masters events at Indian Wells and Miami in March, injuries willing, will be the next stages for the world No. 1 and No. 2 to resume their rivalry, which is rapidly becoming a one-sided affair. Nadal has won their last five meetings on three different surfaces.

[tennisfan78]

Hey Herc, excellent decision by Rafa.

[Clay Death]

Hey Herc, excellent decision by Rafa.

whaaaaaaaaaz up tennisfan. i agree. for once, he will let go of the greed and will rest those knees.

i cannot believe that the appearance fee is close to a $1 mill for top guns like Fed and the Clay Monster. just too good to be true.

i guess we missed our calling tannisfan. this is money for just showing up. and that is not all of it. sponsors also agree to fly him and his team there for free.