god bless you Rafa, stay fit and to hell with the rankings for now, they will sort them selves out when the victories come.
Tennis isn’t the same without you! xxx

February 10th, 2010 at 3:45 pm

absolutely,great, great news! fae, i echo your sentiments, “tennis is not the same without rafa!”

forget the ranking! it’s only a change in numbers! who cares! just want rafa back!

we miss you rafa more than you could possibly know! “we’re holding out for a hero” and that is you! eagerly awaiting your return! wishing you the best always!

February 10th, 2010 at 4:07 pm

Wow. Either Rafa is surrounded by idiots, or this has been less serious than we all thought. Perhaps he was just being overly cautious in his retirement (which still doesn’t bode well for other reasons, but is a heck of a lot better than what we thought).

February 10th, 2010 at 4:07 pm

I hope it’s not too soon, but I wish Rafa well either way. He’s great for the sport.

February 10th, 2010 at 4:47 pm

I reckon the longer he rests the better!

February 10th, 2010 at 5:29 pm

Agree with Tennis Vagabond, maybe he wasn’t injured that badly but overly cautious. Otherwise he should really rest longer…

Hilarious video if you guys haven’t seen it yet, at Fed-Murray:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nTsaoYGlqY

February 10th, 2010 at 5:32 pm

So when is he back? Dubai or IW?

February 10th, 2010 at 6:12 pm

I totally agree FAE. Stuff the rankings and yes they will take care of themselves further down the track. It seems to worry other punters more than Rafa fans. We just want our favourite player fit and well. Tennis is so boring without him in the mix. Rafa, take as long as is necessary before you return. We love you champion. xxxxx

February 10th, 2010 at 6:58 pm

We will be waiting for you, Rafa…no rush..we want you fully recovered for the clay season…tennis is simply not the same without you…
take care, Rafa

VAMOS!!!!

February 10th, 2010 at 7:07 pm

This is not as good of news as you guys think it is. He tore a tendon in the right knee and is rushing his comeback. He should not come back until April when the claycourt season starts. He is worried about the Indian Wells tournament and wants to come back and try to defend that title which is not going to go as planned. He than goes to Miami and by the end of that tournament I will not be surprised to see the tendonitis inflame again. I think a lot of the Nadal fans including myself are hoping that some refuge will be taken and all of the sudden he will just dominate on clay like he used to do, but Nadal fans it is not going to turn out like that at all. I really have a feeling that Federer is going to win Rolland Garros again and Nadal is going to come up lame once again in a couple of months. His knees are toast folks and the days of winning slams are gone. I am sorry, but this is the truth. Please keep your positive attitude and belief though, but my intention is just to be realistic.

February 10th, 2010 at 9:10 pm

Rafa, yes it’s true that tennis is not nearly as exciting as it is when you are playing…fed is such a bore to watch…robotic. i wish you all the best in your recovery and hope you can start winning again. all my love, tina

February 10th, 2010 at 10:24 pm

It’s obvious that the doctors have no reliable way of determining whether Nadal’s knees will hold up under the stress of competition. And neither does Nadal or anyone on his team.

At AO he said after every round that his knees were fine, 100%, and he was playing close to his best level. Then out of the blue his knees are not fine while playing Murray and he has to withdraw with a new injury that is claimed to be unrelated to all his previous injuries. No one predicted that. The doctors had all cleared him for competition. Nadal didn’t have any idea beforehand.

So in the future we must assume that Nadal can be stricken in the middle of matches against top opponents, completely without warning, regardless of what the doctors and Uncle Toni and Nadal himself say about his health and fitness to play.

Clay will be easier on his knees, but the competition is getting tougher. Del Potro, Djokovic, and perhaps Soderling will be in the hunt. These players can overpower Nadal and break through his defenses. Davydenko will be a threat at the smaller clay-court tournaments, if perhaps not in the best-of-five at RG. And let’s not omit to mention a certain gentleman from Basel.

I think he will play very well on clay, but it will be harder than ever to win.

February 10th, 2010 at 10:27 pm

are you serious? just 4 weeks’ rest? I am a fan of Rafa but is he surrounded by fools or what? he should not be playing any hard court torunaments and should only focus on clay and grass for the time being. he should try to win as many French open as possible before he retires.. he is no longer a hard court material and can never be again.

February 10th, 2010 at 10:41 pm

steve,

Golly gee, whem did you become a specialist in the treatment of knee problems? You talk as though you really have some expertise in this area. Your logic is suspect, too. Maybe you could contact Rafa and give him your sage advice, because according to you, his doctors are incompetent and don’t know what they are doing. What makes you such a genius? I think it takes a lot of gall to suggest that going forward Rafa can expect to fall at any moment, given the state of his knees. Thanks for the warning!

All I can say is thank God that Rafa doesn’t live his life thinking the way you do. Why we have to endure comments from pseudo-experts like yourself, I have no idea.

Do you perhaps have a crystal ball, so that you can tell us when the next catastrophe will occur? Please do let us know. Now that you have told us all that Rafa’s doctors essentially don’t know anything, why stop there?

I know you think that you are the voice of reality, but it would seem that Rafa hasn’t gotten your memo. I wish you would spare us this type of miserable speculation about Rafa’s knee. When you have studied the mri’s and other tests his supposedly know-nothing doctors have done, then maybe you could provide us with a follow-up prognosis.

February 10th, 2010 at 10:47 pm

To follow up on this post, Nadal will return to the courts on Monday.

EFE Story:
“He’s doing fine (after) his latest injury, in his knee. He’s had some tests and everything’s going as planned, so he’ll begin training this coming Monday,” Toni Nadal said.

“He’ll return to play at Indian Wells (which starts March 8), although the issue of the Davis Cup (the week before) is up in the air. It will depend on how his injury situation evolves and what the doctors say,” the coach said.

February 10th, 2010 at 10:52 pm

Also from a Eurosport chat session, Uncle Toni said:
“It’s obvious that having had more injuries than normal (over the past eight months) has affected his training and therefore his game, because if you are able to train normally things go much better, like in 2008,” the coach said.

February 10th, 2010 at 10:58 pm

If this news is reliable then Rafa’s injury is not serious as projected to be by the Media. It is not even four weeks since the Australian Open and Rafa is again fit to play. This sounds a bit suspicious especially when we consider his default against Murray in the Australian Open after two sets down and a break down in the third. Was the injury all a mere drama conceived by Nadal and his team to fool the media and public by anchoring a psychological game that Nadal was invincible and he lost to Murray just due to his injury.

February 10th, 2010 at 11:02 pm

Michael: I tend to agree with you there. It is very unfortunate for Murray! From Rafa fans he has never had a legitimate win against Rafa.

February 10th, 2010 at 11:06 pm

kennedy,this is great news, but thanks for the concern! personally, i prefer to wait and see how it goes! i’m not a doctor or a prophet; i can’t control the future, i just try to live in the present! i’m sure rafa does the same!

it’s not what people say or write about you that determines your future; it’s what you actually believe about yourself!

i’m totally elated that our rafa will be back soon!

February 10th, 2010 at 11:09 pm

Fedster,

That video link was friggin hilarious! lol…tx!

February 10th, 2010 at 11:11 pm

soo happy RAFA is going to be back,he will be back to num #1,vamos RAFA,v all luv u

February 10th, 2010 at 11:17 pm

Michael,

It doesn’t matter what Rafa’s intentions were he left Australia without the title. He and his team can play all the games they want and I for one really believe his knees are toast for good, but even if they are not he is still done winning slams. Kennedy is right Federer is going to win the French Open again whether he plays Rafa or not. Roger totally turned the mentality around in that rivalry when he beat Nadal in Madrid. Federer will be your 2010 French Open Champion.

February 10th, 2010 at 11:23 pm

I think Rafa should become Serena – QUICK. Serena and Venus only play one of the two big hard courts (Miami, not Indian Wells), primarily out of the sense of feeling slighted by fans at Indian Wells.

Rafa should do it for strategic reasons, but the ATP wont let him. In a perfect world though, he would skip one of them – forever.

February 10th, 2010 at 11:24 pm

Where is Ben and Skorocel?

this is good stuff…lol

February 10th, 2010 at 11:27 pm

I love the video Fedster!

February 10th, 2010 at 11:28 pm

Mindy: The experts obviously gave him a clean bill of health. Either that, or Nadal played despite doctors’ orders. In which case, he’s being stupid and endangering his career.

I didn’t say the doctors were incompetent. I said they didn’t have a reliable way of assessing his fitness.

Top athletes put so much stress on their bodies that even specialists in sports medicine are hard-pressed to keep up with all the new pathologies that result. How can they possibly predict with certainty what will happen to a particular individual on a particular day against a particular opponent? It’s entirely possible that Nadal’s case is something that even the best experts haven’t seen before, that stretches the limits of modern sports medicine to understand.

They try their best, but they’re going to be wrong sometimes. No matter how many MRIs they take or tests they run or doctors they consult.

But doctors are human too, and they’re not all-knowing. If Nadal’s case is something new to medicine, then there’s not much they can do except make an educated guess on the basis of what’s known.

I’m just stating the facts. The doctors cleared Nadal and then he developed an injury out of nowhere, one that’s apparently unrelated to his previous injuries. None of the experts predicted that despite their best efforts. That’s the “reality” that you seem unwilling to face.

It’s not like this is the first time Nadal has been hurt. I’m sure they very carefully ran every test possible to determine whether he was good to go. Clearly they missed something, because this new injury appeared.

So don’t go shooting the messenger here. I’m just saying what happened. And if it happened once it could happen again.

February 10th, 2010 at 11:37 pm

mindy, you go girl!

i would guess that steve, rafafan and michael are members of rafa’s medical team; oooh! michael might be an FBI agent, he’a going to arrest rafa’s team because what they did sound suspicious! had my laugh for today!

February 10th, 2010 at 11:40 pm

wouldn’t be a good plan for rafa and his team to sorta nudge him in the direction playing it more cautious during winter hc season and clay season and try something different, as in a new plan, a strategy so he can aim to be at his fittest by the end of the summer and have a realistic chance at winning the us open?

not saying he can’t also win back FO and/or wimbledon as well. but he does have to take care the knees, people.

February 11th, 2010 at 12:10 am

tennisfan#1, don’t be so melodramatic darling! you’re driving yourself crazy with worry, it’s much too soon to discuss the french open. rafa is not even back yet! the french open will take care of itself when the time comes! i’m sure federer will win, after all, he won it last year. with the way he was able to beat nadal in madrid, how can he not win! i’m sure he will win the calendar slam too. be cool! time will tell!

February 11th, 2010 at 12:27 am

Tennisfan, What i wanted to convey is that Rafa and his team are well equipped to play mind games and if this news is true then the default drama was perfectly scripted and played to perfection. Poor Murray cannot cherish his comprehensive win against Rafa as it will always be remembered that Rafa defaulted due to injury. As far as Kennedy’s prediction about Roger retaining the French, it will be very good if he does that feat and also defeats Rafa in his own den to blow out the constant nagging of Rafa’s fans H2H theory against Roger once and for all. That will close out the argument.

February 11th, 2010 at 12:59 am

If a Soderling can defeat Nadal at the French, why can’t the greatest tennis player do that ? I think Federer mainly lost Rafa due to the psychological war played often by the Media that Rafa was invincible on clay and can never be beaten. And now the unexpected upset by Soderling has thrown open the doors and every good player will now fancy their chances against Rafa, leave alone Roger. This French Open will be very interesting and we need to wait and watch as to whether Rafa can retain his dominance atleast on clay. If the default drama is once again played after being 100% fit then one can do nothing about that.

February 11th, 2010 at 1:05 am

contador

I agree, Rafa the Tennis world needs u! Take it easy on those knees! Ur young, have a whole lifetime of tennis in front of u, take it eeeassy ( Eagles ).

“Get back, get back…..
Get back to where you once belonged”

Rafa…call Paul, Mr. Beatles!

And don’t forget to call for “Help” “Help”…I need somebooody, “Help”!

All in fun of course,,,,, get well Rafa and Kick ass…. as soon as you can :)

February 11th, 2010 at 1:21 am

Michael,

I agree this FO, above all others in the last 4-5 years…is veeeeeeryyyy interestinnnnnnng. :) Murray, Verdasco, Del Potro, Joke, among others, I tink…. pose a more interesting threat than other years to Nadal and Fed…bring it on I am excited!

February 11th, 2010 at 1:25 am

So are the prophets done with their predictions, timelines and all round good advice, with regard to Rafa’s knees? Irrespective of what the doubters believe or want to believe, the self confessed experts who “are only saying how it is, being realistic and don’t shoot the messenger”, we can only hope wait and pray for a healthy and competitive Rafa. Tennis needs him badly.
Hey Kennedy, assume away with your nonsense and so called realism about his knees being toast. I hope you get to eat your words. We Rafa fans are sick and tired of reading this type of drivel.
Steve – thanks for the laugh and you can’t be serious!!
Michael – again you cannot be serious. Apart from discussing Rafa’s knees this kind of talk is just outrageous. Suspicious…did you see the final at Rotterdam last year that Murray won. Rafa was playing on one leg but did not retire to give Murray the win not by default. Murray even said in his post speech that Rafa nearly beat him on one leg. To suggest that his retirement at the AO was somehow to fool the media and public for psychological reasons is just ludicrous.
The H2H dominance of Federer is fact no theory.

February 11th, 2010 at 1:35 am

all in due time michael! all in due time!

February 11th, 2010 at 1:47 am

Hey good news Rafa. leave aside the rankings, we just wnat you back, We want you to be long lasting in TEnnis, with your fist closed and being pumped. Vamos Rafa, just dont worry about rankings, just after all numbers, We love you dear and get well soon. You are the best.God bless you and things will all be fine very soon.

February 11th, 2010 at 1:50 am

“I think Federer mainly lost Rafa due to the psychological war played often by the Media that Rafa was invincible on clay and can never be beaten.”

Are we talking conspiracy theories here: “Psychological war”?

Michael – Nadal had an EIGHTY-ONE MATCH winning streak on clay! If the “Media” called him virtually “invincible on clay”, there was surely a little bit, just a wee bit of evidence there to support such a claim. The same has been said re: Fed on grass and his winning streak on that surface. They weren’t saying what they said to foil Fed’s chances of winning the FO! LOL.

Moreover, why would Nadal’s team “play mind games” when his defense of the title is on the line. I watched the match versus Murray and it was very well contested. I think Murray deserved the win, and pretty much every article I read concurred. No one was saying Murray only won due to Rafa’s retirement. Rafa himself said that the pull up happened in the second set, so he was obviously feeling fine -admittedly so – in the first set and a half, but he was still losing. No shame in that. Rafa totally respects Murray’s talents, as does Uncle Toni, who has gone on record saying Murray will win slams, as has Rafa. No “mind games” were “scripted”. I am sure that, like always, Rafa went on the court to try and win. It’s unfortunate that his knee was torn. But clearly this is a vulnerability he has struggled with off and on for years.

February 11th, 2010 at 1:54 am

careful skeezerweezer, i enjoy your lively, irreverent humor but these are sensitive rafa people here. sometimes it’s like walking on eggshells or easing yourself slowly down onto a bed of nails..

help, i need somebody, oh.. not just anybody, wooo-hoo-oo.

he can get back, get back, get back to where his knees belonged…jojo was a lala….i dunno the words, skeezer but i droool, (skorocel likes that word, i could tell) i droool thinking about another ‘fedal.’ fed+rafa can’t be over! shirley, they can’t ‘quit’ each other so soon, frankly speaking.

and i missed LOST tonight- an episode featuring kate and claire-that’s all i will say. the one last week was about__________mum is the word.

season 3, my fave season after season 1, the initial flight 805 crash…..”man from tennesseee” have you seen it yet? verry creepy. ‘course anything with ‘Ben,’ is creepy. talking about the ben from LOST, (not the lost ben from tennis-x) just teasing, m-kay. you must be west coast or something skeezer, it’s midnight here and i have turned into a pumpkin. good-bye tennis fans.

February 11th, 2010 at 2:03 am

contador,

Thanks for the heads up :)..I will be wery sensitive,,,,,,,, :)

Rafa Vamos! GOAT! Fed is but a insect on clay that Rafa stamps on at his leisure. Go Rafa! You are so much way better than Fed. You own him on H2h and fedtards think he is GOAT, OMG! hA! Us Rafa fans think that is laughable. Just wait until Rafa prepares his return to crush Fed and his hopes of GoAT! Why? Because Rafa with his 6 (7?) GS titles is but a whisper of the 30 Gs titles he will get, making Fed look like but an infant in the tennis world…

Re:Lost

…. Haven’t seen tennesseee yet…I am at Desmond trying to save Charley’s a$$ from certain death like 3 times……:)

This show is terrible but so good…hope there is a lot of answers in the last season lol

February 11th, 2010 at 2:20 am

contador,

Inside joke…
Both Ben’s are really creepy…do u believe anything they say???? J/k ha!

February 11th, 2010 at 2:23 am

Sharee, You have come precisely to where I wanted when you raised that Roterdam match where Rafa played with one leg against Murray. You know at that time he was dominating the Tennis World and put up a fight against Murray even when he was injured because he very well knew that one defeat was not going to matter. But now the situation is quite different when Rafa is struggling against the Top 10 players of late and this Australian Open match with Murray was tipped as a virtual blockbuster and an important one for both the players that will test their real strength. The implications of a defeat were a bit more serious for Rafa because he had to prove that he can beat Top players. But when that did not happen and he was dominated by Murray and in danger of losing in straight sets, he played this injury drama to wriggle himself out which also is now evident considering the differing voices that are coming out after his supposed injury. His Medical advisors say the injury is serious, while Tony and Nadal maintain it is not so and now he is back within two weeks after claiming earlier that he will rest for a month. What this all indicate to you ? Mere drama and nothing else.

February 11th, 2010 at 2:27 am

sharee, you made some very good points!

rafa is something special!

February 11th, 2010 at 2:44 am

Roger Federer= 16 slams
Rafael Nadal= 6 slams

Roger Federer= 270 weeks #1
Rafael Nadal= 46 weeks #1

Roger Federer= career slam
Rafael Nadal= no career slam

Roger Federer= 4 ATP World Championships
Rafael Nadal= zero

Roger Federer= GOAT
Rafael Nadal= has been

February 11th, 2010 at 2:51 am

Roger Federer= tough when down and out
Rafael Nadal= nothing but a spanish puss

February 11th, 2010 at 2:53 am

Nadal and Djokovic are the only two players in the last 20 years who have defaulted or withdrawn as a defending Champion of a Slam. Well, now Nadal has done it twice in the last 8 months. What a joke this guy is. I am sure Spain is proud.

February 11th, 2010 at 2:55 am

I look for him to pull out of the French Open when he realizes he is not going to win. He is just mentally weak when it comes to playing with adversity. The only reason Nadal has a h2h lead on Federer (which means absolutely nothing) is because Federer had mono and a bad back. Come on people everybody knows that. The h2h at the end of 2007 was 8-6 after Federer annialated Nadal in Shanghai, and than the mono hit which gave Nadal the chance to dethrown him for just a little while. What a joke this guy is because he could only hold the #1 ranking for 46 weeks. That is less time than Hewitt. What a spanish joke.

February 11th, 2010 at 2:59 am

Federer is the GOAT and when he wins 18-20 slams you guys will be getting salt poured into your wounds. How did you Nadal fans enjoy watching Federer hold the sweet 16 in Melbourne. Well, get ready for sexy seventeen coming in June. Don’t miss it. What is funny about all this is that Federer is as close to 20 slams as Nadal is 10 slams. Wow!!!!

February 11th, 2010 at 3:02 am

tennisfan#, you feel better now! thanks for bringing that to our attention! we’re keep what you said in mind! we appreciate the stats! thanks!

vamos rafa!

February 11th, 2010 at 3:11 am

Rafael NadAL, I may not know him too well, but i know him atleast a little, that i know he’s not going to give up. VAMOS RAFA!!

A bit of advice to him though :- rest longer, that way you’ll come back bigger and better. Maybe waiting until the clay season will help. Don’t loose faith anyone coz soon he’s gonna bounce back into the draw and WIN.

February 11th, 2010 at 3:52 am

Sharee, When Nadal can play with one leg in Rotterdam with such a severe injury, why can’t he have continued for three more games to provide Murray with a complete victory and it is now known that the injury too is not that serious with Nadal getting ready within two weeks to play. Think over and you will find merit in my argument.

February 11th, 2010 at 4:01 am

Nadal seems afraid to be seen to have lost on merit. Always with the medical drama. Always back training two weeks later. I think everyone knows though on this occassion: Murray beat him fair and square. It’s just a pity he couldn’t stay out there for 3 more games so history will remember.

February 11th, 2010 at 5:05 am

the last few comments dissing Nadal are pretty disgusting. Where is the respect? honestly.

Nadal and Pussy do not co exist in the same sentence. So many guys are so Jealous of rafa, get over it !

Both Federer and Nadal are great.

February 11th, 2010 at 5:39 am

No, for now Nadal is not great. He has many more achievements to make to hog that credit. He has won just 6 grand slams and out of that 4 have been French which is pretty unevenly distributed and showcase him as predominantly a one court player. To compare Federer and Nadal is akin to comparing a Mountain and a small Hill. There is honestly no comparison at this point in time when Nadal’s consistency factor has come into a big question. All that I can say is that he is a very good player who has the potential to deliver the goods. But that is for the future. The Present tells us that he has more steps to climb the peak of greatness.

February 11th, 2010 at 6:01 am

Clare, I never crossed the line. I only wanted to stress that Nadal could have finished his match against Murray to provide him with a complete victory. Instead Nadal chose to withdraw at the Nth moment spoiling Murray’s party and that too when the injury does not appear to be very serious given the current piece of news that has just come in. I always respect Nadal as a good player but I will never compare him to the GOAT Federer because he is not fit for comparison at this stage of his career.

February 11th, 2010 at 6:04 am

Absolutely hilarious video, thanks Fedster

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nTsaoYGlqY

February 11th, 2010 at 6:06 am

It’s funny to see the rafatards ask for respect when moronic fans like tina insult the game’s greatest champ. Not one rafatard tried preaching their “pearls of wisdom” to such dumbasses first.

Here’s wishing delpotro, djokovic, murray and federer pound him into the hard courts.

February 11th, 2010 at 7:47 am

Knees,

They are going to pound him into the claycourts as well. I am telling you guys he will not win the French Open or any other slam for that matter. He has lost his cojones and that is a fact. The knees are a problem and the mental strain from dealing with these injuries is really going to take a toll on him through the clay season. Federer, Djokovic, Delpotro, Davydenko, Cilic, Verdasco, Sodering, and others are going to beat him into submission once again on his favorite surface. Oh yeah, Murray as well. Sexy seventeen is on its way for Federer. Come on Federer!

February 11th, 2010 at 8:12 am

Hmm.. little bit offtopic, but it to mee seems a little bit worrying that nobody acknowledges the fact that the video, which actually is funny, could also be seen as a joke on a certain group of individuals.

A group that have had to endure a massing set of jokes through modern history.

Just sayin..

February 11th, 2010 at 8:14 am

Roger Federer= 28 years old
Rafa Nadal= 23 years old.
Wait fou us

February 11th, 2010 at 8:35 am

Michael: „If a Soderling can defeat Nadal at the French, why can’t the greatest tennis player do that ?“

If the greatest tennis player can’t defeat Nadal at the French, why is he called the greatest? ;-)

=============

„When Nadal can play with one leg in Rotterdam with such a severe injury, why can’t he have continued for three more games to provide Murray with a complete victory“

Good question.

February 11th, 2010 at 10:32 am

Sharee: „The H2H dominance of Federer is fact no theory.“

Let’s tell that to all those Fedtards who are drooling over his private life being in stark contrast to that of Tiger Woods… LOL :-)

February 11th, 2010 at 10:33 am

Quote of the month from tennisfan#1: „He (Nadal) is just mentally weak when it comes to playing with adversity.“

Way to go, dude!

February 11th, 2010 at 10:34 am

At least when Rafa has lost a match he doesn’t cry like a baby in front of everyone and takes the thrill of victory away from his opponent like Roger did last year in Australia.

I wish Rafa a Long and Healthy career. I am sure the team around him will do the best for him. He needs to take care and believe in himself and the titles will come.

February 11th, 2010 at 10:48 am

I concur with tennisfan. Rafael Nadal is going to be humiliated in every imaginable way come the French Open. Last year was nothing in comparison to what awaits him next June. The French spectators hate and despise him, and there’s a whole bunch of hungry, able tennis players ready to pounce, Del Potro, Cilic, Soderling, and of course Federer. With his surhuman physique faltering and unable to compensate, Nadal’s raw technical deficiencies will be laid bare. It will be painful for his fans. It will be joyful for us. And, most importantly, Bjorn Borg’s record of 6 FO remains unassailed. Borg is definitely the true GOAT of clay.

February 11th, 2010 at 11:12 am

Let’s tell that to all those Fedtards who are drooling over his private life being in stark contrast to that of Tiger Woods… LOL :-)

Is it just me or is this butt-picker the only guy to bring up tiger woods, in this blog.

February 11th, 2010 at 11:35 am

Watch out “Skorocel” has infiltrated this blog.

Are you going to bring the ridiculous argument over to this blog about H2H BS? FED is not GOAT because he has a losing H2H against Rafa? Here we go again……

Knees,

Yes he is the only guy….

February 11th, 2010 at 11:59 am

u go Mindy! Tell it like it is to all of those “experts” out there who know the condition of Nadal’s knees! Vamos Rafa!

February 11th, 2010 at 12:47 pm

Nadal since rome 2009

0-10 against the top 8 winning only one set along the way. He has now defaulted from two slams in the past eight months. What a player this chump is. What a joke! Let us not feel bad for the spanish puss.

February 11th, 2010 at 12:50 pm

Give respect where respect is due. Rafael Nadal is the only player to consistently beat Federer the baby in the big matches. How quickly everyone forgets what the beginnig of 2009 was like for Federer. He was losing to everyone including Rafa, Murray, Roddick, Djokovic, Wawrinka. He should be forever ashamed of his crying and Rafa having to be so subdued when he won the Australian Open in 2009. Trust many tennis fans are not crying when he loses we are greatful others including Rafa are winning. You want to talk about a big puss look at Federer he’s the biggest puss in the world!!!!!! :)

February 11th, 2010 at 1:05 pm

go rafa! im your no.1 fan here in the Philippines. VAMOS beat them all………………….!

February 11th, 2010 at 1:28 pm

“Watch out “Skorocel” has infiltrated this blog. Are you going to bring the ridiculous argument over to this blog about H2H BS? FED is not GOAT because he has a losing H2H against Rafa? Here we go again……”

I know skeezerweezer, truth sometimes hurts…

February 11th, 2010 at 2:57 pm

Thanks to those who supported my comments. I should know better than to come here, but I do lurk and read from time to time. The anti-Rafa bias here is positively scary. It’s like some actually want Rafa to retire so that they don’t have to worry about him beating Fed anymore. But they would still hate him even after he leaves the sport.

This hatred is not based on rational thought and reason. It’s pure venomous garbage. It’s appalling and disrespectful. The Fed fans who refuse to acknowledge Rafa’s greatness are actually insulting Fed. Do they really want to admit that a has-been or a nobody or a one or two dimensional player has beaten their man in their last three grand slam finals on three different surfaces? Whenever the Fed fans demean Rafa, they are in effect demeaning Fed. That’s why so many of their arguments are ludicrous.

steve,

As for you, the attempt to justify your comments was pathetic. My point is that Rafa’s doctors would never allow him to resume competitive play if they knew that the knee was so irreparably damaged that he might well destroy it completely. Medicine is not a science, but at least they have the ability to conduct sophisticated tests that will reveal the exact nature of the problem. It’s not like they are witch doctors, for heaven’s sake! They aren’t guessing in the dark. What’s nice is that we now have an array of technologically advanced tests that can provide doctors with more knowledge than ever.

The simple fact is that you implied that Rafa’s doctors are incompetent and clueless. Unless you have access to the tests and all the information as to the state of Rafa’s knee injury, you would do well to refrain from any predictions or declarations as to when/if he will again be injured. For now, I have complete confidence in Rafa’s doctors.

To those here who have trashed Rafa in such a callous and despicable manner, all I can say is that I feel pity for you. To live with that kind of hate and anger is a terrible burden.

February 11th, 2010 at 3:50 pm

“To those here who have trashed Rafa in such a callous and despicable manner, all I can say is that I feel pity for you. To live with that kind of hate and anger is a terrible burden.”

Mindy, Please keep your preaching to Rafa fans who spout unnecessary trash. Clean up your house before you advise others to clean up theirs!

Also, I am sure you had confidence in Rafa’s doctors before his QF match with murray. Yet he pooped on the court, didn’t he? What makes you think, the same thing will not unfold again?

February 11th, 2010 at 4:04 pm

I believe that most Federer fans do not hate Nadal. However, Federer detractors have been dragging Nadal’s head to head record against Federer because they could not accept that Federer is the best who has played the game so far. Because of that Federer supporterss have to defend him and state their arguments which are quite reasonable, that although Nadal has a better head to head record against Federer, it should not detract from the fact that nobody has played and succeeded in tennis as well as Federer, Nadal included. So don’t blame Federer fans but rather blame those who keep dragging Nadal’s name in this debate for the GOAT.

February 11th, 2010 at 4:27 pm

Polo February 11th, 2010 at 4:27 pm post

Well said!

February 11th, 2010 at 5:20 pm

Skorocel,

Good one! Haha :), see you on the other blog

February 11th, 2010 at 5:22 pm

good day to you skeezerweezer!

skorocel, really, must you take all this so seriously?

true i’m a fedtard, a drooler, a worshipper, whatever your negative fancy. i have my reasons why i admire roger federer so much but i also admire rafa. and who knows, in a few years i might be a rafatard or a marin cillic fanatic.

and that h2h thing is uninspiring, worn-out, and as currently damaging to federer’s legend, as skeezer put it: “a paper-cut.” rafa gets more kudos to his legacy for the h2h but in the context of roger federer’s accomplishments in the big picture? to roger’s legacy? it may be a paper cut now but to be sure, i repeat, over time, i’d bet you something, i dunno what, that their h2h will be lost and forgotten. rafa is the truest rival to roger when rafa was healthy is memorable, but that’s it. fed’s legacy stands on it’s own, mmmmkay?

let’s try this skorocel: i respect your opinion and you do whatever you like to mine, lol…since that’s how it already is. :-)

February 11th, 2010 at 6:07 pm

Skorocel,
If the greatest tennis player can’t defeat Nadal at the French, why is he called the greatest? ;-)

By this, do you imply that Soderling is the Greatest, since it was he alone who defeated Nadal. Doesn’t forwarding such an argument sound a bit ludicrous for you.

What I mean to say that Nadal is not all that invincible on clay and Soderling proved that. Ofcourse Soderling is also a good player and capable of staging upsets and he destroyed Nadal on that day. As they say, every dog has its day. Alas the outcome of any match depends on the form of the player on that particular day. It so happened that whenever Federer faced Nadal at the French, he was at his best and Nadal too had the luck in bagging the big points.

February 11th, 2010 at 11:04 pm

Skorocel, Honestly I would say bringing again and again the H2H statistics will never work. Federer has a stagerring record under his belt and he has passed the stage in his career where all these H2H statistics will never count for sure. All that matters is the number of Grand slams he goes on to win further. Never mind it is against Nadal or anybody. It doesn’t matter. It is Nadal or somebody’s to get there and challenge Federer. Even if he doesn’t win any more Grand slams, he already has attained enough to project and showcase his prowess as the Greatest Champion the Tennis World has seen. Argument ends there.

February 11th, 2010 at 11:11 pm

I’m a fed fan, but some of the comments posted above regarding Nadal are utterly disrespectful. These losers have nothing else to do but to make fun of a 6 time grand slam champion.
Shame on your dumbos for your comments.I’m sure Fed will dislike you if he comes to know how you talk in public about his colleagues.

February 12th, 2010 at 1:17 am

The Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal rivalry: The myth of the asterisk
By Douglas Perry, The Oregonian
February 12, 2010, 9:44AM

The Associated PressOne thing I quickly learned on this fledgling blog is that there’s no better way to get tennis fans talking than to bring up the Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal rivalry. This, needless to say, is something that many other tennis scribes figured out long ago. The attitude seems to be, I’ll just shovel a half-baked opinion out there and watch the two sides kick it back and forth like a load of smelly doggie do while I reap the web-page hits. I get it, and I’m not averse to playing that game. It’s fun.

The problem is that it leads to a lot of ridiculous smack talk. The latest comes from the venerable Peter Bodo. Don’t get me wrong: Mr. Bodo is deservedly one of the journalistic icons in tennis, the analytical Abbott to Bud Collins’ goofball Costello. But Pete can get as squirrely as the rest of us at times. Here’s what he had to say on the Federer-Nadal debate this week:

One of my big takeaways from the Australian Open and the performance Roger Federer put on was that no matter what he or anyone else said, Rafa was in his head — as deeply embedded as a piece of shrapnel — until the unexpected events of last spring, starting at Madrid. For as Rafa has appeared to become vulnerable and suddenly less than picador perfect, Federer seems to have flourished. It’s almost like the guy can breath deeply and freely again, or like a judge has just thrown out a legal action that had been brought against him. Since Federer won the French Open last June, he’s looked like a man with a new lease on life.

What a load of malarkey, which Bodo acknowledged by spending a fair amount of the rest of his post hedging and herrumphing about his own opinion. But there was also more silliness when he came to the subject of Nadal’s clay-court record against Fed:

That [head-to-head] advantage had enormous repercussions — among them, Federer’s failure to secure a clay-court Grand Slam title until 2009. If tennis history stopped right now, this much could be said: the only man who was able to win a title at Roland Garros during the Nadal era was Federer, but he was only able to do it with Nadal absent from the draw. That was a good effort by Federer. The guy can play on clay, but let’s face it, he’s no Adriano Panatta. You may recall that Panatta was the only man ever to beat Bjorn Borg at Roland Garros, and he did it twice — including a quarterfinal in 1976, after which Panatta went on to take the title. There’s no real or imagined asterisk alongside that one, as there is beside Federer’s Roland Garros triumph.

Hold it! Put the brakes on. First of all, Adriano Panatta? Really? The guy had one very good year on clay before he tucked on a feedbag and spent the rest of his career rubbing his belly and waving at the fans in Rome. (Watch Panatta, in the dark shirt, in the ’76 French final below.) Federer has had five very good seasons on clay — and he’s going on great season number eight on all the other surfaces. Federer’s no Adriano Panatta: See what I mean about ridiculous smack talk? Bodo is just having fun with us here. He can’t even take his own premise seriously.

Secondly, and more importantly, Nadal wasn’t absent from the draw. This is a key point that way too many people miss. Nadal showed up at the 2009 French Open, he played and he got beat. That the loss wasn’t to Federer does not speak poorly of Federer; it reflects only on Nadal. Same goes for all those U.S. Opens in which Rafa failed to reach the final. If Nadal had made, say, three finals in New York (as Federer has done in Paris against Nadal), how many would he have won? Best guess: Maybe one, when he was playing science-fiction-quality tennis in 2008. More likely none. The Flushing Meadow cement works even better for Federer’s game, and worse for Nadal’s, than Wimbledon’s slowed-down grass or the Australian Open’s bouncy rubberized surface. When there’s so little separating two players, court surface really does matter.

But I’m falling into Bodo’s trap. Let’s face it, this kind of thinking is lazy and gets us nowhere. Do we put an asterisk next to Andre Agassi’s two U.S. Open titles and his Wimbledon victory? After all, Andre didn’t have to beat Pete Sampras in any of those tournaments. If you go down that road, then Rod Laver gets an asterisk for his 1962 calendar-year Grand Slam (Ken Rosewall, Lew Hoad, Pancho Gonzales, etc. were all in the pro ranks) and again in 1969 (Rosewall and Gonzales were old men by then, Hoad long gone). Do we take away Jimmy Connors’ great 1982 season and John McEnroe’s untouchable 1984 season because Bjorn Borg retired early? This way lies madness.

One last point. Bodo states: “It’s too bad that Nadal had to come up lame just when things were getting interesting.” Ah, one more fallacy in a post chock full of them. As I’ve argued before, it’s quite possible that Nadal coming up lame wasn’t simply bad luck for Rafa. It took supreme effort for Nadal to reach Federer’s level on surfaces other than clay. He had to push himself beyond his limits. This caused Nadal to break down. So in my book, Federer’s 2009 Roland Garros and Wimbledon triumphs count as wins over Nadal.

To be clear, none of this is meant as a knock on Nadal. I wish him a speedy and complete recovery. He’s a great player and a good guy. Professional tennis needs him. But even an all-time great like Nadal must pay the price of playing in Federer’s era. As long as Roger Federer is at the top of his game, expect to see Rafa on the sidelines as often as not.

– Douglas Perry

February 12th, 2010 at 4:19 pm

Long Live the King,

Let me make this clear – if you cannot make an argument, then please refrain from attacking or misrepresenting my comments! Speak for yourself and not for me.

IF I decide to preach, then you will be the first to know. Did you somehow manage to skip over some of the repugnant comments about Rafa? You will never hear that kind of talk from me about Fed. I don’t hate him or anyone else. At least when I heap scorn on those who spew venom and hate at Rafa, I can say that I am not one who does the same.

Put up or shut up! Come up with an intelligent, reasonable response and then we can engage in some kind of dialogue. Until then, save your condescending comments. They are boorish in the extreme.

Also, I must say that I love your logic. So the fact that Rafa injured his knee means that his doctors don’t know anything! Wouldn’t it be great if doctors could guarantee that a player would never be injured again in his career? The doctors based their decision to let Rafa return to competition on sophisticated tests that indicated the acute tendinitis inflammation was resolved. Are you saying they are quacks? So six months later Rafa has a slight tear in his knee! Well, then I assume we can blame the doctors for their negligence. What garbage. If it was the tendinitis, then I would have some questions or issues with the doctors. But this is an entirely different, and not as serious, an injury.

Why do I bother responding to the likes of a Fed fan who is blinded by pure venomous hatred. I stand by what I said – I feel sorry for anyone who has to hate someone they don’t even know. When are you Fed fans going to get over the victories Rafa earned over your guy? Or should I say, will it be before hell freezes over.

February 12th, 2010 at 4:40 pm

Mindy :

“So the fact that Rafa injured his knee means that his doctors don’t know anything!”

Can you quote where I said that? I am filled with hatred for Nadal? Why? because I asked you to hold your preachings for rafa fans? Right – you are so full of sense mindy – so full that its not even funny.

Cant expect more from rafa fan-girl. Please continue in your world where Rafa and his team are angels sent from God’s Kingdom. Just spare us the nonsense and keep it to yourself and dont ask for logic when you obviously cant understand it/get it. More so when you want to talk with your Rafa glasses on.

We can only hope Rafa wont retire or default if and when he happens to defend another slam outside clay. As for the victories Rafa earned over Roger, I believe they are easier to get over than the 2 2 2 thrashings that delpo, tsonga gonzalez and other hardcourt pros seem to give Rafa on a regular basis.

February 12th, 2010 at 4:56 pm

“So in my book, Federer’s 2009 Roland Garros and Wimbledon triumphs count as wins over Nadal.”

Durrr – Mr. Perry, speaking of logical fallacies. Ha! How can they count as wins over Nadal when the two didn’t even play in either event.

And also, who says Nadal “pushed himself beyond his limits”? He’s still playing; we’ll see what his limits are after he retires. For now, four FOs, one AO, one Wimbledon, one Olympic gold singles, 2 Davis cups, tied with Agassi for most Masters Series.

Sheesh.

February 12th, 2010 at 5:09 pm

Jane,

You miss the point of the article. It was in response to a heavily criticized Bodo article, where he claimed Roger’s 2009 FO win has an asterisk because he did not beat Nadal.

Also by pushing beyond the limits the author means “physical limits” which is why he broke down. He doesn’t mean tennis achievement limits.

February 12th, 2010 at 5:25 pm

jane: ” ….tied with Agassi for most Masters Series”

Not trying to nitpicking but I thought Rafa had 15 MS trophies and agassi 17. Not that I want to bring federer into this but he has 16.

February 12th, 2010 at 5:41 pm

OK Kimmi – I wasn’t sure on that one. I still that Perry dude is wrong about FO09 and Wimby 09 being victories over Rafa, like I say, since Fed did not play Rafa! : )

February 12th, 2010 at 5:43 pm

Jane:

Let me make it clearer. The author is talking about “Championship” win and not a match win. The Champion, after all, wins over a 127 field and not just the 7guys he has played.

February 12th, 2010 at 6:36 pm

“When Nadal can play with one leg in Rotterdam with such a severe injury, why can’t he have continued for three more games to provide Murray with a complete victory”

To do what? Exacerbate an injury like he has done so many times in the past to give his opponents a complete victory?

Andy Murray has immense respect for Rafa for a reason. The humility and kind words and belief and encouragement that Rafa exhibited in his presser after his withdraw was nothing short of outstanding. Rafa exhibited a level of maturity and sense when he withdrew with a heavy heart. How many times have we seen him play through pain and discomfort and injury? Have you forgotten so quickly? I just love how haters demand of Rafa to sacrifice his health and well-being…why? To get your apporval? He doesn’t need your approval because even when he DID play through pain haters STILL don’t have respect for him. (once contesting a match when his feet were covered with the most painful blisters I have ever seen- it looked as though his feet were slashed with a knife)

You learn from your mistakes. Why risk the ENTIRE tennis season? Why risk further injury when you have already suffered numerous times? Most especially when you don’t even know what is going on inside and how bad the injury? For once he retired when it was most sensible to do so. Last year he played through the US Open tourney with a ruptured abdomen and refused to utter a word about the injury! He endured a straight-sets domolition by Del Potro and STILL fought to the best of his ability!

Rafael Nadal has NOTHING to prove when it comes to his heart and courage. Everyone knows what a fight he is and how much it hurts him to retire. You are talking about a guy who has come through matches that he had no business winning (snatching victory out of the jaws of defeat – coming back after being match points down).

That is something haters are trying so hard to take from him, haters are trying so hard to diminish him. Well guess what? It won’t work.

Rafael Nadal is regarded as one of the greatest competitors in whole of sport – period. For good reason. To count Rafa out of any tournament…well, go ahead. Enjoy basking in his current struggle. But like Rafa Nadal said, the past is not eternal. HE is a champion and he is a fighter. His heart, courage, and determination and will to win is so strong. His character is that of a dignified man, you will never tear him down.

Vamos Rafa! Get well! All of your fans love you very much and we support you 100%! You can do it! <3

Don’t be jealous of the dignity Rafael Nadal is able to exhibit in victory AND defeat because so many other players fail to even approach that level of character.

February 13th, 2010 at 1:43 pm

“So in my book, Federer’s 2009 Roland Garros and Wimbledon triumphs count as wins over Nadal.”

One of the most ridiculous and illogical statements I have read in a long time.

February 13th, 2010 at 1:45 pm

“I believe they are easier to get over than the 2 2 2 thrashings that delpo, tsonga gonzalez and other hard court pros seem to give Rafa on a regular basis.”

When was the last time Tsonga beat Rafa? In 2008 I believe, he has not gone on to win another match against him since. (4-1 Rafa)

Gonzalez? Hasn’t beat Rafa since 2007. Their H2H currently stands at (7-3 Rafa)

Del Po? Rafael Nadal did great to hang in there and try to complete the match despite a ruptured abdomion (that nobody knew about). But really? Is there any shame in losing to the eventual US Open champion? :D (4-3 Rafa) He did after all defeat a healthy, rested Federer. And Del Po even said he barely slept and didn’t eat before the match! Great win for the young Argentine!

February 13th, 2010 at 1:51 pm

“Poor Murray cannot cherish his comprehensive win against Rafa as it will always be remembered that Rafa defaulted due to injury.”

Andy Murray has no problems cherishing a victory he knows he earned and one Rafa himself said he earned. I think that if your so concerned about Murray’s well being, you should worry about the constant nit-picking and remarks that he has to endure from Federer. Rafa has always showed Murray respect and that is one of the reasons Andy has always called Rafa his ultimate favorite player. Federer on the other hand has under minded Murray, criticized him, and dismissed him in his comments. What about the wins Murray has had over Federer, only to have Federer dismiss them and say that they don’t count because they are not GS wins and that he (Federer) wasn’t at his best when he lost to Murray. How do you think that makes Murray feel, seeing as your so concerned?

February 13th, 2010 at 1:55 pm

“Cant expect more from rafa fan-girl.”

With an online moniker like “long live the king”, I don’t think you are in any position to accuse anybody of blind hero-worship.

February 13th, 2010 at 2:00 pm

“Nadal’s consistency factor has come into a big question.”

Rafael Nadal will go down as one of the greatest tennis players ever.

This notion that Rafa is not a consistent player is a myth. He is an *extremely* consistent player. In light of his recent struggles, people have quickly forgotten.

He is the *youngest* player in tennis history to reach the 400 match win milestone. He is the *first* tennis player ever to do so in under 500 matches played. Those statistics, along with his streaks, domination of the top of the rankings, titles and accomplishments that are NOT that of a 23 year old, speaks volumes about (not only his outstanding talent and remarkable play), but also his consistency.

Yes he has endured injuries throughout his career and is currently going through a bad patch, but that does not take away from what he has already accomplished and what he is still capable of accomplishing.

He won 6 Grand Slam titles, and with each victory earned, he has defeated one of the greatest players to ever play the game -Roger Federer. Who else can claim such a feat?

February 13th, 2010 at 2:08 pm

“It so happened that whenever Federer faced Nadal at the French, he was at his best and Nadal too had the luck in bagging the big points.”

I would say! Didn’t Rafa serve Federer a break stick and a bagel the last time they met in the FO final? ;)
************

Soderling did not go on to win the FO title. So he cannot be hailed as anything yet because he has only ever reached one GS final. He only has 4 career titles. All of this and he turned pro the same year as Rafael Nadal and is a year older.

Like you say, every dog has his day. There is a difference between sprining an upset now and again and consistently defeating one of the greatest players of all time in a GS final.

The Rafa/Roger H2H speaks volumes about the greatness of BOTH players. On one hand, Federer proved that he is nearly impossible to beat (his win versus Murray – albeit boring – was straight forward and proved that nobody can “bother” Federer in a GS final) That is where the great Rafael Nadal comes in. His H2H record versus Federer speaks VOLUMES of his champion caliber. It is the repsonsibility of a champion to defeat their opponent WHEN they meet. Rafa and Roger have met 20 times (not counting exhos). Rafa defeated him 13 times. Out of the 7 times they have met in a GS final, Rafa has defeated him 5 times (Roger’s GS final victory versus Rafa came in 2007).

It is what it is. The Rafa/Roger rivalry will go down as one of the greatest rivalries of sport. And their H2H counts for so much more than a H2H record versus say..Roger/Simon for example. There’s a difference between a H2H record of two of the greatest players against each other. And the H2H of one of the greatest players versus a very good player on tour.

I for one, as I’m sure most fans, am looking forward to yet another Fedal epic match. Who knows, maybe their next meeting will be at the FO! I sure hope so! How poetic would it be to have Roger face Rafa as he’s trying to defend his title? :D

February 13th, 2010 at 2:24 pm

“I’m a fed fan, but some of the comments posted above regarding Nadal are utterly disrespectful. These losers have nothing else to do but to make fun of a 6 time grand slam champion.
Shame on your dumbos for your comments.I’m sure Fed will dislike you if he comes to know how you talk in public about his colleagues.”

Dc, well said. I am sure Federer would very much dislike the attitudes of some of his fans.

February 13th, 2010 at 2:29 pm

Long Live the King,

You know what? I will say what I want to say, when and how I want to say it and you have precisely nothing to say about it! Period! Attacks on me will not change the facts. Your screen name really says it all. Rafa challenged your King and actually got some phenomenal grand slam wins against him, on all three surfaces yet! Then he had the unmitigated gall to take the number one ranking away from Fed! My goodness gracious, that is a capital offense to the likes of you.

Your attitude reveals your pathological hatred of Rafa and any who are his fans. But Rafa isn’t going anywhere, unfortunately for you, and neither are we. So deal with it!

I said it before, but maybe you didn’t get the message – either make an argument or don’t bother to respond to me at all. I am fed up with this constant attempt to reduce a discussion to cheap shots and taunts at anyone who dares to disagree with someone who has confused himself with Fed and anointed himself the King.

You disrespect Fed when you trot out the same old tired insults. Take some time, think of some new and more interesting ones, or how about trying to make an argument for once? Uh oh, I forgot! You don’t know HOW to make an argument. Stupid and lame jabs at me will not get the job done. Too bad. It seems you have nothing else to offer.

February 13th, 2010 at 8:49 pm

What a pity it is when people like you Michael, tennisfan take such an opportunity to put down a great champ.
With regards to Nadals loss last year at the F/0, he was ailing and he had been for some time, his match in Madrid made things worse. Donot compare his match form against soderling to that of previous years against Federer at the French, this is proposterous.
We all know how great Federer is and I admire Federer and his tennis, I just prefer to watch Nadal and have always been fascinated by his mindset his intensity that he brings to the sport like no other, he isn’t the kind of sportsman to withdraw from a match under force protences, last year in rotterdam he played on regardless but this was before things got really serious come Miami 2009, he knew things were bad you could see it from his tennis that things were not right. I have never seen him play so bad. I understand that everyone has a right to choose who they like in sport but it is a sport and unsporting like to put other players down. Nadal is a remarkable man for his age and deserves alot better, its a pity you cannot appreciate someone who has given so much to tennis and made prehaps federer the better player he is today, infact Federer has said himself that Nadal had made him stronger. You only had to watch the Australian open final to see what Nadal brings to the sport, Federer beat Murray in straight sets! Sport is about competition its not an exhibition! Nadal brought that back and I for one would like to see him competing again there is and there never will be anyone like him.

February 20th, 2010 at 5:37 pm

Nadal has learn’t that if he pushes himself beyond his limits then he will suffer, he’s career will suffer, and for us fans of competitive tennis, then tennis will suffer too. Enough with the Nadalbashing folks.

February 20th, 2010 at 5:39 pm