Rafael Nadal: “Thankfully the Tests Don’t Show an Injury”

by Staff | June 28th, 2011, 8:08 am
  • 147 Comments

Rafael Nadal’s foot injury is not as bad as first thought. Nadal, who injured his left foot in the first set of his four set win yesterday over Juan Martin Del Potro, posted on his facebook page that the MRI san was negative:

“Good morning everybody. Yesterday after the match I went to take an MRI at a London hospital. During the match I thought I had something serious but as the match went through the pain got better and thankfully the tests don’t show an injury. Today I will practice at 4.30 pm and I’ll play tomorrow. Thanks all for the support.”

Nadal will play Mardy Fish tomorrow in the quarterfinals. The World No. 1 has never lost to Fish in five matches.


Rafa has been plagued by injury issues in his last four Grand Slam losses.

Prior to the injury, Nadal said he will not be part of the upcoming USA-Spain Davis Cup tie in Austin, Texas.


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147 Comments for Rafael Nadal: “Thankfully the Tests Don’t Show an Injury”

ckr Says:

oh really!!!what a surprise?


Kimberly Says:

vamos rafa, your in it!


Humble Rafa Says:

Come on! You didn’t fall for the old joke, did you?

The MRI thing was just to keep the players off my back. Now, I expect to be running like a rabbit in the next match: :)


Humble Rafa Says:

“Rafa has been plagued by injury issues in his last four Grand Slam losses.”

No need to state the obvious. I don’t lose unless I am injured.


Maso Says:

What a surprise, it’s nothing! Who would have thought?


Gabsvamos Says:

Aaaw shucks guys, Rafa plays such a physical game so it’s natural that he gets injuries from time to time….give the very hard-working number 1 a break please….


Daniel Says:

Humble Rafa,

“I don’t lose unless I’m injured.”
You forgot: “or tired”!! Lol:)


Skeezerweezer Says:

So the MRI shows he has no injury, but they allowed him an injury time out?

Wait…he wasn’t injured. Errrrr…wait..he was. Wasn’t he…seriously? He was thinking of retiring?
8 + minutes..and a 2 hour runnin beat down….Delpo must be fumin….it’s all so old already. Delpo needs to spend quality time practicing dishin out gamesmenship. Next time he’ll be ready, within the rules of course.


Zman Says:

Rafa’s injury timeouts at critical times in matches are becoming a habit. Remember his timeout at the FO just before Fed was going to serve for the first set to fix tape on his foot. And now here, just before the 1st set tie-breaker, only to come back on court playing better as if he was never injured. Couple this with the blatant coaching from Uncle and his time between points, is he the King of Gamesmanship?


DH Says:

So, it’s okay that Delpo took an injury time out and continued to play at a high level afterwards?……..but not Nadal…..Oh I see…


Ben Pronin Says:

What an absolute joke. Nadal was so worried about having a broken foot that he continued to partake in arguably the best match of the tournament so far that saw him produce 61 winners to only 16 errors. Where Del Potro played what I’d deem the best grass court match he’s played thus far and was still outplayed by a supposedly injured Nadal who had a potentially broken foot that didn’t hinder him from covering every centimeter of the court and then some.

Del Potro fell on a previously injured hip that saw him pull out of Madrid and Rome. And he certainly milked his MTO and why not? If world number 1, winner of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award, and overall great ambassador to the sport can FAKE an injury and take a 9 minute MTO plus a bathroom break, why can’t Del Potro?

At the Australian Open last year he had no problem retiring to Murray when he was about to lose because of some other injury since he didn’t want to make the same mistake as before and potentially hurt himself more. But apparently thinking he had a broken foot wasn’t a big enough deal to retire. He thought about it, but I guess he decided that some tape and wrapping was more than enough to protect a broken foot.

Seriously, I thought I broke my finger last week and didn’t go to the gym for a week until I figured out it was just jammed. That’s a precaution. Oh wait, I forgot, Nadal is a super warrior who can fight through all types of pain and problems and come out on top playing out of this world tennis. Damn.


someone Says:

Nadal what a two-faced a-hole. I hope karma strikes back at him and he ends up with a real injury that forces him to retire him from the rest of the sport.


JF Says:

A true warrior indeed. Well said.


Kimberly Says:

why would a broken finger stop you from going to the gym? You could still do squats, deadlifts, run on the treadmill, in fact you could even lift if you just left that finger out. It seems like extremely poor work ethic on your part. I guess your commitment to fitness is sorely lacking.


JF Says:

LOL- Kimberly


someone Says:

WHO WANTS TO BET THAT RAFA WILL CALL ANOTHER MTO FOR THE NEXT MATCH?


gonzalowski Says:

“Canal +” tv cameras demonstrated that in the warning received by time waste, Nadal took 26 secs, but in the same way, JMDP was taking 26, too, in other times.

As many times, bad treatment for the nº1


JF Says:

To say that Nadal’s timing was in bad faith does not hold any truth. The timeout occured before tie-breaker. Del Potro had to wait like 10 minutes but Nadal wasn’t playing either.. Delpo went up 3-0 and couldn’t hold. Whatever happened in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th set had nothing to do with the timeout in the first set. Nadal outplayed Delpo, that’s all.
Furthermore, had Nadal not called timeout and continued onto TB and lost and then called for MTO you guys would be bitchin that the only reason the called MTO was cause he lost 1st set.
Can’t win….


gonzalowski Says:

I’m starting to think that you guys are racist people against a latin – champion like Nadal.

A spaniard rules in tennis! HAHAHA


Queen Mirka2 Says:

FEDERINA IS A SMUG, ARROGANT AND PATHETIC LOSER. HE IS A CRYBABY AND MAKES ALL SORTS OF RIDICULUOUS EXCUSES AFTER LOSING. FEDERINA IS A DISGRACE TO TENNIS AND MANKIND. I HOPE FEDERINA GETS STRUCK BY A THUNDERSTORM SO THAT WE WON’T HAVE TO SEE HIM EVER AGAIN ON THE TENNIS COURT.

NADAL IS THE GOAT — A TRUE CHAMPION AND THE BEST THING ABOUT HIM IS HE WHIPS FEDERINA’S ASS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

17-8! LOLLLLLLLLLLLLL!


someone Says:

yes true champions need to call medical time outs for ‘a foot injury’ when it turns out he doesn’t have an injury.

A true champion needs to call the trainer to fix some taping on his fingers because he’s too stupid.

A true champion needs to violate the rules and waste time between points to frustrate his opponents.

A true champion PICKS HIS ASS ALL THE TIME!


JF Says:

Well Gonzalowski thats not fair to say…
It’s a golden age for Spain in sports in general!

Oh well Gonzal, haters will always find a reason..


JF Says:

Someone:

It seems you don’t know much about sports, have you played any ? Applying tape to one owns hand could be tricky. It is much better having someone else apply it with the proper amount of pressure and form. Why not have someone do it, that’s what they are there for.


Ben Pronin Says:

JF, that’s my whole beef, though. He DID outplay Del Potro. He played a fantastic match (both did). And yet we’re to believe he thinks he had a broken foot?

Kimberly, I thought about doing legs while my finger was wrapped, but I decided a few days off wouldn’t hurt. My finger still hurts and, well squats didn’t bother my finger, but deadlifts did. I had to grip the bar and holding it up means all the pressure of the weight is on my fingers which, obviously, hurt my finger. And it’s my middle finger so I don’t know how you expect me to leave it out. It’s all connected you know so putting any kind of pressure on my hand was hurting my finger. I’m not paid to go to the gym so it’s not really necessary for me to risk further injury.

And I hate the treadmill.


someone Says:

JF, do we ever see Fed or other players call the trainer that much to readjust taping? If you say yes, then you are clearly just delusional


Kimberly Says:

i guess no inner warrior in ben!


Colleen Says:

Ridiculous.
Even the trainer was caught on mic saying “injuries don’t usually happen in that spot” with a confused look on his face during the mto. How can the pain of a non injury be so bad that one would suspect a break? These mtos when behind go way back for Rafa. He did this to Fed in the final of MC; Fed was in great form, Rafa takes a long massage, comes back running like crazy and throws ice on a hot opponent.

Nadal’s camp likes to portray him as a sweet humble country boy, Toni once wouldn’t let him drive a car he was given for winning a tournament b/c it was too flashy, but they sure like to throw there weight around; complaining to the media, demanding to speak to the tourament ref if nadal is warned for coaching or time wasting. Where is the humility in thinking Nadal being above the rules should be the status qou?


Ben Pronin Says:

If only I was more like Nadal…


JF Says:

Nadal is meticulous. Do you ever see anyone else placing so much attention to their water bottles on the court..


JF Says:

I love these little arguments we are having back and forth lol.
It’s all in good fun.


JF Says:

I love these little arguments we are having back and forth lol.
It’s all in good fun.


gonzalowski Says:

I’m sure you haters didn’t complain when Fed had a day more of rest for AO 09 final against Rafa.
I haven`t never seen rules in benefit of Nadal like that.
And the boy went bravely, played, and won; that’s a champion


Queen Says:

Queen Mirka2 OMG! HAHAHAHA!! WOW and I though I get pumped up. LOL

Seriously all Nadal haters back off. He has worked so hard for his success. If only all of us had such a work ethic and passion in our lives as he does. Shame on you for speculating his dishonesty. I hope he takes MTO every match now on!


Ben Pronin Says:

1) What does yesterday’s match have to do with Federer?

2) Federer can’t control the schedule anymore than Nadal can. Nadal can control faking injuries, I assume.


Queen Says:

Ben Pronin you full of sh.t as usual. Nothing ever has to do with Federer. He is a f….n perfection. Federer can cry when he gets his a.s wooped that is what he can. Does not know how to lose with DIGNITY.


didi Says:

I agree that Nadal MTO seems suspicous. The problem I have with Nadal is that he frequently takes times outs and it appears to always be in highly competitive matches and the worst time for his opponents. I also agree other players should expect this from him and be prepared to deal with it and not let it upset their own rhythm. The shame and sadness of it all is that we have a top player that resorts to this and whether or not he is doing it on purpose the “perception” is he is. I ask how many times do you see Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, or others take MTO. I remember Roger Federer one time in all these years. Nadal is given excuses by the media and commentators but the real tennis fan knows that Nadal is not truly as humble as they want us to think. He is a cheat in my opinion and will do whatever it takes to win. For all the fans who thinks he is the greatest for the rest of us it justs gets old and it is like almost everytime the match is tight and you are sitting on the edge of your seat and then its oh no another timeout. The pattern is obvious.


someone Says:

And Nadal knows how to lose with dignity???pfffft….. everytime he loses there is always a stupid injury excuse.

And Nadal did cry at Wimbledon 07.


Anna Says:

Hey Ben – What does Rafa’s mto have to do with Delpo losing? NOTHING. You guys salivate at the very idea that Rafa may take a mto so you can all pack up like a bunch of hyenas for the kill. For haters every time he takes a mto the sole purpose is to put the other guy off their game. You just can’t stand that Rafa is “the other goat”, and more than likely will soon be the goat. There’s nothing rational about all your boo hooing. When Rafa took the injury time out, it was legit, and at a fair time in the match at 1st set, 6 all, before a ball was struck in the tie break. If anybody’s momentum was lost it was Rafa’s. Rafa has always been fair in his use of injury time-outs, and the only time he’s retired or withdrawn from grandslams is due to injury. If anyone is fake or dramatic it’s you and your cohorts.


Queen Says:

Are you people seroius? MTO is a legal practice. Everybody can take it. For god sakes what a buch of irrational hypocrits.


Colleen Says:

Gonzalowski, did Fed have anything to do with the aussie schedule? Totally different. Anyway, had the Andy Rafa semi gone any longer than 3 sets than the winner of the following semi would have had to play 3 days in a row b/c of fading light.
Ironically, Rafa inadvertantly would have had something to do with that b/c of his slow play during that match. And yes I know that this was NOT his intention, but there are many reason to keep play at a steady pace.


JF Says:

Exactly what I said a little while ago Anna.


someone Says:

Hey Anna – What does Rafa’s mto have to do with Delpo losing? THE FIRST TIEBREAK!!! Delpo had the momentum because he saved set pts, until Rafa called the MTO. Who knows what could have happened if Delpo wont he first tiebreak!

Lol and u said his MTO was legit. Have you read the thread of the title? Rafael Nadal: “Thankfully the Tests Don’t Show an Injury” So he obviously faked it!


jamie Says:

Wimbledon final will be Nole vs Murray with Nole winning in straight sets.

http://i51.tinypic.com/1zch3xy.jpg

***********************************************

USO final will be Federer vs Del Potro with Federer winning in 4 sets.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/mediafile/200809/09/P200809090954433164625986.jpg

Book it.


Zman Says:

Rafa’s an unbelievable player, arguably the GOAT, but nothing upsets me more in sports than gamesmanship. It takes away from the sport and is one of the biggest reasons why I can’t stand watching soccer. It’s hard to respect players that attempt to get an EDGE by pushing the limits of the rules – or breaking the rules as long as they don’t get caught. And “everybody does it” is not an excuse. It’s a shame, because he doesn’t need it 99% of the time.


Colleen Says:

Queen, How are we hypocritical, because our heads are not in the sand? Why did Rafa go from saying he felt like he broke is foot to having no injury?
As Didi said above, he has a pattern of timeouts when his opponents have momentum in big matches.


Queen Says:

Someone, and you OBVIOUSLY are delusional. Were you thre with him? How do you know he faked it? By watching him on TV? WOW you r an idiot.


andrea Says:

some serious outrage here this morning…i guess justifiably so.

who knows what is going on with nadal. he has seemed testy for the past few months…no doubt his losses, advancing age, creaky body, complaints of not enough time off and now questions of his decline making things worse.

for years commentators have said that his style of play will wear him down prematurely..physically. sounds like there is lots of wearing down mentally which is clearly manifesting in other ways.

makes you scratch your head at how roger has managed to keep his body and mind intact for all these years…he still has competitive fire and doens’t grouse about time, even being the father of twins!


someone Says:

Queen,how do I know he faked it? YOU TOTAL IDIOT! Have you read the title of this thread? Rafael Nadal: “Thankfully the Tests Don’t Show an Injury.” NO GODDAMN INJURY! read the title before you post u stupid idiot


Colleen Says:

Queen, he may have felt something sure, but I doubt
it felt like a break when it was nothing. All the players have niggling injuries that they carry.
Rest assured I’m not going to take offence at being called an idiot by someone who writes like a nine year old.


Zman Says:

We don’t know exactly what’s going on in Rafa’s head (whether he’s faking or not), but his history doesn’t support him. My guess is that he does have some pain or tweak during these moments, but his timing IS strategic….but how many players play 100% painfree?? All we can do (as outsiders) is compare him to his peers, and the problem is he takes many more timeouts than any other top player out there. How do you explain that? Does he simply have more injuries than anyone else, but is just so damn good that they don’t slow him down one bit??


Queen Says:

The problem is that everybody believes what they want to believe and they see what they want to see. Nobody knows the truth and will never find out so all your crying is for nothing. Nadal is an unbelivable player, even the haters can’t deny it. Vamos Nada win the 3rd Wimbledon crown. Play dirty!!!!!


madmax Says:

Long live Roger Federer is all I can say. He truly is the GOAT in so many ways. Utter, utter class.


Queen Says:

You are all idiots so take the offence LOL


someone Says:

Actually it’s Nadal taht looks the most idiotic out of all this


Dan Martin Says:

I am not sure how those thinking Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina was wronged constitutes an anti-Latin bias.


Jimbo Jones Says:

All of the Nadal fans who complain he is held to a different standard. He’s #1. He’s the Standard Bearer! Of course, he is held to a different standard. What do we see from him? He admitted to receiving coaching during matches. He takes too long between points. Phillip P. and JMDP both complained about his stoppages of play at Wimbledon. Throw in the constant picking of his nether regions and you have an ugly situation for a lot of tennis fans. He’s great, but why pick, why stall, why get coaching, why take MTOs and bathroom breaks at key moments?

As the Aussies used to say, “If you’re hurt, you don’t play and if you’re playing, you’re not hurt.” The Aussie Pantheon was not taking MTO’s after failing to convert set points. They did not take coaching. They did not stall. They did not pick their crevices. He’s no Laver, Newcombe, Rosewall, or Emo.


newman Says:

^^ it’s nadal who looks idiotic??? NO ITS YOU and the likes of you…none of you idiots have or will achieve all the things that rafa has and you are just bitter because of the ass-whooping rafael has given to federer….


Ben Pronin Says:

So all of you guys defending Nadal are acknowledging that Nadal really thought he had a broken foot but that didn’t stop him from playing amazing tennis for the entire match, before and after the MTO.

The MTO was gamesmanship, plain and simple. It wasn’t at a justified time and it killed any momentum Del Potro had mustered. If Nadal was worried about killing his own momentum he wouldn’t have taken the MTO in the first place, therefore that can’t be used as any kind of argument.

Did it really affect Del Potro? Yes. Did it affect Nadal? Yes. Would the result of the match have been the same without the MTO? Probably, but we’ll never know. Just because it didn’t have a super dramatic visible effect on the match doesn’t mean it wasn’t gamesmanship. You want to say it was a failed attempt? Fine, but still gamesmanship.

I don’t mind that Nadal won. The match was unbelievable. Like I said, probably the best match of the tournament so far. Both hit a ridiculous number of winners and both had under 20 UEs. That’s just great tennis.

But the world number 1, 10-time grand slam champion, winner of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award last year, resorted to gamesmanship because he felt like he needed to in order to win the match.


JF Says:

Nothing to do with Federer…Some of you Nadal fans are ridiculous. Trust me, I’m a huge Nadal fan. He is the reason I got into tennis.
Some of comments here are just plain dumb.
I like a good argument where both sides respect each others points, as long as they hold merit lol.


JF Says:

Hey just a though. If Nadal was lying, why would he say he thought he broke his foot. Obviously the mri wil conclude that is totally not the case. So why would Nadal say that instead of just saying it hurts or something is not right.
It might have felt like it broke, who knows.. who cares..


JF Says:

Ben, I think you are reasonable so I ask this. Do you really think that Nadals said let me take this timeout in the first set as to throw of Delpo… You have to win 3 sets, if he did it in the 3rd 4th or 5th set at a pivotal moment then it might be a different story.
Nadal wasn’t down in the first set.. So I really don’t think he did it with malise.


Ben Pronin Says:

How else is he going to justify the timing? He needs to make it sound like it was just so severe that he had to take the MTO, especially at that time.

Think of it this way, 2008 US Open 4th round Djokovic vs Robredo. Djokovic was flat out getting massages during MTOs. That’s as extreme of an abuse as possible. He was sore and tired so he decided to get some R&R during the match. Ridiculous. And when Roddick called him out, everyone laughed and agreed because Djokovic was abusing the rules like a little girl.

Obviously Nadal doesn’t want that. He can’t just get a massage at 6-6 in the first set for the sake of getting a massage. There has to be a legitimate reason behind it. And, I mean cmon, how much more serious does it get than a broken bone? Remember Davydenko’s broken wrist and how well playing with it has served him?


Orange Says:

someone:

love your logic!

So if someone has chest pains and they go to the emergency room and are declared to not have any issue then they are faking the pain?


jane Says:

andrea @11:35 – I agree with a lot of your post. Nadal does seem different lately. He’s unusually outspoken in interviews, almost cantankerous at times. Perhaps he feels the pressure of defending so much. He is angry about missing the DC, but he said he needs to do the same treatment on his knees that he did last year in order to arrive at the USO equally or even better prepared than last year. In other words, the chronic physical problems he deals with add to the mental stress. And maybe even vice versa? A foot niggle, and he fears the worst. That is understandable, perhaps, given how often Nadal has been derailed by injury.

As for the timing of Rafa’s MTOs, it is really up to the umps isn’t it? If they allow it, and if it is within the rules, then Nadal has technically done nothing wrong. Same with time between points. Nothing is going to change unless the rule enforcers crack down. Otherwise, some players (not just Nadal – Delpo plays slowly, too, Nole bounces the ball a lot on tense points, many guys towel off between every point, etc.) will take 26 seconds or more.


Orange Says:

jane @12:43 – great comment!


Ben Pronin Says:

Gamesmanship is the use of dubious (although not technically illegal) methods to win a game, such as golf, tennis or snooker. “Pushing the rules to the limit without getting caught, using whatever dubious methods possible to achieve the desired end.”


Kimberly Says:

this MTO wouldn’t even be discussed if it was another player than Nadal.

If it was Murray people would be worried “oh no, is Andy ok! Andy certainly can’t win against Rafa because of his ankle” Ditto for any other player.

As Rafa is the villian of this site everything he does is turned around and used against him.


Thangs Says:

Crying babies all over…Oh no…Until this bull is on the court, my goat Fed will not be able to add another title.. Isn’t Ben Pronin?? Aren’t you the one who wrote biased article about Rafa when he won the sportmenship award last year?? I really wonder how come the forum can allow such biased article writers??

Fans are fighting with biased comments.. Thats entirely different. Shame on this forum…I visit here only to see some crying babies..

Vamos Rafa!


JF Says:

Well put Jane. It’s easy to sit here and critic the players but none of us are in any of their shoes you know…
Nadal and Fed for this matter, have been number 1 and 2 for many many years…
Nadal does have health issues more so than most, but he plays such a physical game and he does play alot, even in practice he goes all out for hours people say.
The body can only take so much and thus affects his mental state.
Let’s jut all enjoy the greatness they bring. I am a Nadal first and foremost, I love his atitude and mental stability on big points.. but I never attack any other player unless I feel strongly about something I saw from them.


Kimberly Says:

Jeremy Davis wrote the biased article after nadal won the edberg award. Most of his articles are cr-p.


Ben Pronin Says:

Thangs, I don’t think I wrote an article about it but I certainly voiced my disagreement.

Why can’t I be biased? Show me a tennis writer who’s objective. We all have our favorites. I’m sorry I don’t sugar coat my outrage when the world number 1, winner of the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award resorts to gamesmanship.

Kimberly, I can’t disagree. But pointing out the double standard doesn’t change the events that took place. But I’ve also never seen Murray pull a stunt like that so I don’t even think it matters.


Colleen Says:

Kimberly
people are discussing it because it is a repeated pattern with nadal.


Ben Pronin Says:

So basically, the rumors are true, Nadal is unbeatable unless he’s injured.


Ben Wade Says:

Why cant Rafa be as good as Roddick.
Roddick is well respected everywhere eventhough he is a JERK.

Rafa should learn from Roddick how to play like a pussy when playing Federer.


Ben Wade Says:

Colleen,
People are discussing about it bcos they are worried about Federer’s legacy.


skeezerweezer Says:

Thangs,

If you want a love fest you know where to go with Rafa, he has a sexy love fest forum. This is not a love fest forum, for anyone. You may have more Fed admirers here, but there are also plenty of talk of other players, both men and women. Rafa is #1, like Fed was, so discussion about him more than others is natural and relevant. He is the current leader and top role model of the game.

This subject is relevant, and the amount of comments reflect it. Think if ALL the tour players applied the “full monty” of gamesmenship within the rules. Instead of a 2 hour match it would turn into 6 hours. This stuff goes beyond Rafa, yes the blame does not fully rest on Rafa.

IMO it’s the ATP’s pitiful rule enforcing that is getting us into this era. This talk would never come to fruition if the ATP had there act together. They are afraid cause if they ever disqualify a player for an on court infraction there would be hell to pay. There handling of “time”, on court coaching and MTO’s is a joke, wishy washy at best. The players run the tour, not the ATP. Maybe someday there will be “Balance” in the force, and I don’t have to spend all day watching a tennis match…hey I can actually have time to fool around with my significant other.


gonzalowski Says:

Murray stopped when losing against Nadal in Montecarlo 2011, and days after it was clear it wasn’t an injury (fortunately).
So he stopped because a a pain, wasn´t he? and I recognize he is a sportmanship player


Kimberly Says:

Vegas has Fed as the clear favorite at this moment. So if Nadal relishes the underdog role he sure has it. It will be interesting to see how Rafa plays. I have not watched the match and have heard nothing about the actual play, just the MTO so I have no idea where his game was at. Certainly couldn’t glean anything from the Mueller match and the first two matches don’t count, as the opponents were not very difficult.

Right now Rafa and Fed have the harder QFs. Both opponents have the goods to pull the upset.

Djokovic has a qualifier, no disrespect to Tomic. Even better than the no-show Fognini at the French. And Murray has Lopez, a step above Chela but really a third round match at best.


gonzalowski Says:

In RG 2011 final, Federer was moreless one minute arguing with the referee about a decision from him. That’s gameshihp?

And Federer never recognizes an error from referees/tourney that helps him.
That’s not sportmanship IMO.

Finally, I think Nadal knows losing, without having to use tricks. Nole, Delpo or Federer have passed over him sometimes and he accepts and finishes the match without complaints like the ones from some people here


xmike Says:

it’s relief to read all the comments and find out that i’m not the only one alone in the way i feel towarda nadals game and antics; for years i’ve have tried, really really hard to “get” into nadals style of tennis and “personality” but after almost 10 years, i’ve simply stopped watching any of his matches,

Why? Here is a list of reasons that some of you might idenify with (feel free to use any of these comments in your own discussions)

1 – his game is ugly; like a BBC comentator said, it’s like whatching a factory worker do the same boring repetetive movement over and over again; no expression, no creativuty, nothing, just grinding and more grinding

2 – there is no sense of artistic creation in his game, he hardly does something diferent, something beautiful, anything that would make the crown feel priveliged to be watching; once again, it’s just grinding and grinding and grinding until you get fed up with it or fall asleep

3 – most of his wins come by playing negative/destrutive tennis, just waiting for errors, and trying to make the opponent play both mentally and physicly as bad as possible; once again that doesn’t make for a good show; other players use these tactic also, but nadal uses it almost exclusivly

3 – his matches take ages to finish; between the time he takes to arrive for the flip of the coin at he begining (i really hate that, am i the only one???), the line cleaning, the but picking, the shoe pounding, the ocd bottle positioning, the putting the hair behind the ears, the amount of “concentration” time before serving (, it’s not brain surgery, it’s just a ball, just put it up there and whack it), the delays between games, etc, etc, etc it becomes so extremely boring to watch, you can almost finish a couple of books during a match

4 – people are always talking about how humble he is; for starters, a humble person respects the rules and the other people who spent half their lifes waiting for him by simply not making people wait; in a couple of examples, when he lost at the FO 2009 to Soderling, both his and his uncles comments have had nothing of humble in them; during the 2010 ATP WC in London in december he actually threathned to quit during the match against Berdych!! Hardly the behavious of the number one player in the world AND the recepient (a faw days before) of the Edberg sportmanship award…

5 – for someone supposedly so humble he gives no praise whatsoever to his ooponents when he loses; he always had an injury excuse to justify not wiining; and when he is loosing and there is no injury, he always makes one up to brake the flow of play by calling a MTO

i could go on and on (feel free to add other items i might have missed out) the it would become a very long post

Just to finsih, let me say that one my happiest moments in my life, teenis-wise, was watching (even though i’m not a big fan) Djokovic pound nadal into submission four times in row this year !!! nadals answer to this? moonbaling…how ridiculous can you get…and getting colder and colder as the losses piled up…yes, mr humble, but just as long as he keeps winning…i’m begging to miss tennis of the 90s, beeter to watch serving contests at 340 kph than this kind of shit all the time…FAST COURTS AND FAST TENNIS, PLEASE COME BACK, YOU ARE FORGIVEN!!!


van orten Says:

tele novela at its best!!! i really dont give a damn anymore who wins this ..i only know that if nadal does not win wimby this year he will blame injury for his loss…mark my words !!!


jane Says:

Tomic is a future top ten talent; I wouldn’t underestimate him. I don’t think Nole will, either.


marrisv Says:

Kimberly – From the parts of the match i saw, it was a very high quality match, the best match IMO of this tournament so far. Both were clubbing winners and it was aggressive tennis all round.

Rafa’s USO 2010 serve came out i though in this match after a long time. He fired his fastest serve of the tournament at 130 mph and his average serve speed was high too. He had 16 aces to go with it.


marrisv Says:

Yes i agree, Tomic is good. Tomic did say though he got destroyed in a practice set with Nole earlier last week.

Tomic made Nadal play a crappy match at the AO this year even though it was a straight set affair.


Colleen Says:

Ben I have to disagree with you there. What does this match have to do with Federer? People should be able to have a discussion without bringing something else unrelated into. I don’t always think Nadal is very sporting but that has nothing to do with Roger. Why does he get upset when he’s called for a time warning? He expects to be treated as if he’s above the rules and his team enforces this.

Quoting Stephanie Myles twitter on her Open Court blog “nadal’s pr guy just tweeted ‘all of us’ were
upset with his time violation warning. Again. Why How?”

This isn’t the first time that Nadal’s camp have complained when he is expected to follow the rules of the game. The rules should either be enforced more readily or scrapped altogether.


gonzalowski Says:

xmike

for me can be beautiful see to play Gasquet, or Federer,
bur is more beautiful to see Nadal getting to find the way to go over that. And that learning is something Federer has not known to get with him.
Colleen,
JMDP passed the 24 secs too sometimes, and the referee did nothing to him.


margot Says:

In fact BBC put times on screen when Rafa got the warning and it was 26 secs for both of them.
Time warnings are a waste of space. If refs are concerned they should first, have a quiet word at changeover, second if that’s not heed a verbal warning, third if that’s not heeded a penalty point.
And that folks, just ain’t gonna happen.


xmike Says:

gonzalowski

in the 90s, teenis was getting boring because everything was so fast and over so quickly, so they changed and tweated a couple of things to make it more interesting, now its getting to other extreme, serve and volley is dead, volley in general in dead, skill is dead, its just grinding and pounding, whats the fun of that? the reward for being boring, unsportsmanlike and onedimensional: become number one 1 in the world…


skeezerweezer Says:

margot

Exactly. The rules and enforcing quite frankly, sucks. Why 3 strikes, then pain? Why dance around the rules? The players fully well know what they are. You have all the time in the world to practice your time between serves on the practice court. You have all the time in the world to talk to your coach on the practice court. When it comes to MTO’s imo they just look like the Keystone Cops( umps ), most of the time don’t know what clock is going for what and why and are they injured or need a rest? Wait, he says “ow”, no he just has a “blister”, wait…”is that nail clippers and a brush?” Time! ( I think )

If one ump disqualified a top player in a tourney for a rule infraction, sure the fans would be pissed. But what is a game without clear rules and the enforcement of them? You can bet on it that the player won’t get close to causing an infraction again. The ruling decision belongs with the Referees, but they’re too chicken cause a player might say “I won’t play then, screw you”.

So why do we even need umps? Players really rule the rules, don’t let them fool ya.


Colleen Says:

Gonzalowski
I think the time violation rule should be enforced evenly and there should be a clock. In this match though Rafa probably got warned bc he is generally the worst offender and perhaps even bc of his rep. Getting a warning is no big deal though, I would like to see umps deducting points for the repeated offenders.

Yes Xmike I share your view that a humble person has respect for others peoples time and find the double delays before the match starts where he takes a bb as players are called to the court, and then holds everyone up waiting for the coin toss are annoying and rude. Obviously his MO is to slow everything down where ever possible, and if you are a player who has waited over and over to enter the court while he’s using the bathroom, then yes, you might also be suspicious when he takes an opportunely timed mto, regardless of whether it is legit or not. I’m not saying his time outs are never justified but his behavior sometimes casts doubts re his trustworthiness. And its not just this site, but any tennis related website I read. Comments like “is anyone else shocked that the patient is fit to play his quarter final?” is pretty standard reaction to this whole situation.


skeezerweezer Says:

gonzalowski,

For you ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYPxuJaV9pk


Dan Martin Says:

In retrospect, Nadal did call for a trainer after the running forehand. Had he converted the set point he wins the set 7-5 and has a 9 minute break then. He looked worried and to be in pain. Grabbing the towel earlier in the first set after the umpire gave a time warning seemed to be baiting the umpire into either being quiet on the matter or giving him a point penalty. It was a head game with the ump at that point. He;s #1, he’s the defending champion, and the umpire never gave a further warning to either player on the matter.

The bathroom break after the first set ended did rub me the wrong way especially when JMDP complained. He does not strike me as a whiner. JMDP did greet Nadal warmly at the net after the match ended so my guess is the bathroom break did not ruin his chances or anything (he did win the 2nd set). I have not seen any interviews with Delpo so I can’t say much more. I guess I need to dust off my Spanish skills and seek out an interview in an Argentine website/newspaper. Then again fait accompli as the French say. I am a huge JMDP fan and probably got angrier than he did over the way that 15-20 minutes played out from 6-6 to the delayed start of the 2nd set.


Colleen Says:

Skeezer
good points


jane Says:

Sampras thinks Nadal will surpass his mark of 14 slams, and maybe pass Fed’s total by the time Nadal stops playing. But Pete thinks Fed will win this Wimbledon.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-28/sampras-sees-no-1-nadal-eclipsing-his-mark-of-14-grand-slam-tennis-titles.html


Kimberly Says:

Jane, tomic is good but he is still a qualifer. I’m sure Fed and Rafa would trade their QF opponents for him. He’s tricky though with sort of a junky throw off mix of pace game. He plays to make his opponents lose rather than to win. He even says his stregnth is finding his opponents weakeness and exploit it. Problem for him with Djokovic, is NOVAK HAS NO WEAKNESS to exploit. If tomic can find it he is doing something the world number 1 cannot and i for one will eat crowe.


Colleen Says:

Dan
For some reason delpo’s interview is not posted on the wimby website even though the others are up.


Eric Says:

Jesus christ guys, if Rafa’s MTO kept Del Potro from winning it’s his own damn fault. End of story…


Eric Says:

Kimberly, I’m not sure Rafa would rather play Tomic than Fish. I certainly wouldn’t – Fish is old, and a known quantity; Tomic is young, energetic, and apparently suddenly very mature. Yes, unexperienced, but…

Now, Tsonga, who is the only really dangerous QF opponent for the top 4, is a different story.


jane Says:

Tomic has absolutely nothing to lose. As a result he may swing freely and play loosely. Fish, on the other hand, is 29 and this is the deepest he has been here. He may realize that this could be one of his last chances to go deeper. He could (?) be tight as a result. Of course, you could argue the opposite: Fish has more experience on big stages whereas Tomic could get nervous. But one could counter that there is utterly no sign of Bernard getting nervous so far. I don’t agree that Tomic is the easier that Fognini, that is for sure. He has been through quallies and has lots of grass matches behind him. He has taken out some quality guys to get to the QFs.


Eric Says:

Wonderful quote from Roger about Hewitt:

Q. Do you welcome the Australians having a tennis player for a change after their great heritage?

ROGER FEDERER: You talk like Lleyton isn’t around anymore. Be careful.

Q. He’s around, but fragile.

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, but still around. Could have beaten Soderling. We’d be talking differently.


DaveH Says:

There are some seriously crazy people leaving comments here.


jane Says:

He’s right! 5 sets. Leyton could still be around.


Humble Rafa Says:

I want to thank all those on this site who support my MTOs. Without your help, I wouldn’t have made it. Fight the good war on my behalf. The enemies will lose and our mission will be accomplished (to win Wimbledon with less than 10 unforced errors).

Note to Roger’s followers: You may look elegant, act nice, kiss up, etc. But I will win more grandslams.


andrea Says:

on a different topic, nice to see a couple of good competitive women’s matches today. the sharapova blowout and now possibly azarenka blowout counter those, but i like the 3 setters.


Dan Martin Says:

Colleen, I noticed as well. I just figure it is a new day. As a fan I think JMDP was a bit wronged and a bit wrongheaded to let it get to him all the same. The two guys were cordial after the match. A match with only 2 service breaks over 4 sets and 45 games is pretty solid stuff.


dari Says:

As a fan of JMdP, I just hope that he improves in mental toughness to be able to keep his edge even if such disruptions come along. I believe before injury he was known as quite tough, it will take more confidence and steadiness in big matches to get back there.
But Congrats to him for the tournament overall. He was literally taking baby steps on grass in the beginning and by the end was going toe to toe with raf.
Anybody see that around the post shot from Azarenka?!


Little Wing Says:

Rafa had a pinched tendon in the foot which led to swelling(http://bit.ly/l3n3gt).


dari Says:

And play tie breaks better!


a bit of logic Says:

WOOOOOWWWW, he is fine??? He look so injured in the match, I never saw Nadal take a MTO in a crucial moment of a match!! WOOWWW thank god he is finee!!!

LOL!!!


jamie Says:

Nadal is not winning Wimbledon.

He has NEVER defended a title outside of clay plus he has like 5 different injuries going on right now.

He is incapable of defending titles on HC or grass, never has and never will.

My money is on Nole winning Wimbledon this year.

Ajde!


grendel Says:

I don’t take the Sampras remarks seriously (jane @2.27 p.m.) Notice he said Federer would win Wimbledon – thereby matching HIS record, and that Nadal would pass HIS 14 slam total. It’s all defensive, pre-emptive talk, centred on HIS achievements. That’s not to say he isn’t right, just that he’s not being truly candid.

Ben Pronin, you have more than once alluded admiringly to Nadal’s standard of play in the del Potro match. I know you have a justified aversion to circles and circular talk – but can I probe you: do you regard Nadal as the favourite to win? I can’t see beyond him myself, I must say, but my opinion is strictly based on magic, not tennis expertise. I am interested to know the opinion of one with your knowledge, and also I’d love to know what the players generally think. It’s a sensitive issue for them, actually – feelings can be ruffled. Even Tracy Austin – a bit of a coward, admittedly – was very reluctant to suggest a winner. But when pushed, she admitted to Nadal. I wonder if any tennis expert seriously thinks otherwise – on tennis grounds, I mean, not wishful thinking. And tennis grounds, where Fedal is concerned, absolutely entails a spot of psychobabble – can’t be avoided, I’ve never seen anything like the way a great player like Federer allows another great player to get right into his head. It’s extraordinary. Thank god for Djokovic, he seems immune from this nonsense and I still have hopes of Murray – but jury still there.


grendel Says:

“jury still out”, I meant.


Dan Martin Says:

Dari he played two awesome tie breakers at the 2009 USO final. He even recovered from double faulting a set away. JMDP is close.

I do agree Nadal is in Fed’s head, but you know if the tour had more indoor stops maybe it would be somewhat reversed. Fed is 3-0 and 6-1 in sets won vs. Nadal on an indoor surface. I think losing to the same player a number of times has an impact and the clay court record is what like 11-2 in favor of Rafa? That has had a carry over. I do think some of his adjustments made in Paris in terms of return positioning etc. would be profitable on faster surfaces than clay, but Rafa’s lefty forehand to the one handed backhand along withe the favorable head-to-head give him a psychological edge on most surfaces vs. Roger.


scoreboard66 Says:

@Dan Martin, I’m a huge Delpo fan also. I think he was very upset by the sequence of events that occurred prior to the MTO. It’s obvious he let it get to him for a while, although he was leading in the TB. I enjoyed the replay of that match, coz I was at work and could only see some bits and pieces. Give Juan some more time on grass and he’ll be a huge contender for the title.

On the issue of who has a tougher opponent for the QFs. I don’t think Tomic has much left in the tank to trouble Novak, and that, coupled with his inconsistency and lack of experience will be a huge factor in that match. I doubt he can pull off the upset. Thus far, Novak has had the easiest draw and opponents he’s had to play, followed by Murray. I stated that at the beginning when the draw came out, and their draws have opened up much more, making their path to the SFs a sure thing. I doubt that Lopez will have anything much left in the tank after that tough match with Kubot to trouble Murray. Murray and Novak to the SFs.

Roger, on the other hand, has a tough one with Tsonga, whose FH and serve is on song. This is a question mark match for Roger, but I’d like to see him get through it, and not expend too much energy in the process. I can’t say it’s for sure rog will make it to the SFs.

Nadal’s match with Fish is a given. Fish is what close to 30 now, and has 0-5 H2H with Nadal, which is like no competition. Nadal through to the SFs.


jane Says:

grendel, I am certain J-Mac also thinks Fed will win, as do several of the ESPN experts. None of them picked Nole, a couple picked Murray, the rest are split between Fed or Nadal:

http://espn.go.com/sports/tennis/picks


grendel Says:

well, journos – still, surprising about J-Mac, he’s been thumping the Nadal drum for some time. But what would be really interesting – what does Berdych think? What del Potro, what Hewitt and so on? And is there a consensus? My utterly uninformed suspicion is that the majority would like Fed to win but believe Nadal will.


grendel Says:

But Dan Martin – all those times when Fed has broken Nadal, seems to be cruising to winning the set – and somehow manages to lose it. Can this really be accounted for on technical grounds, singlehanded bh and all the rest? Or was it the gremlins? I’m a gremlins man, me.


sar Says:

I’m glad that Nadal is feeling well and ready to go.


Tennis Fan Says:

Why doesn’t TSN in Canada pick up European coverage of the Tennis. At least the dialogue is somewhat intelligible most of the time. US commentary is awful and I suspect we will all get to see yet another replay of the Williams Sisters losing during the men’s quarter final live matches tomorrow.


sar Says:

LOL Tennis Fan regarding US commentary. I wish we could get Euro coverage too.


skeezerweezer Says:

jane…

re:530 post

Wows, not 1 picked Fed as a winner OR a Sleeper…..now that is what I call the “pre-trunk funk”.


Eric Says:

Jane, SI is a pack of idiots when it comes to tennis, and probably everything except NFL, NBA, and MLB. Which is what you might expect from a group whose profits are predicated on frat boys buying pictures of scantily clad chicks. Not a single one of their ‘experts’ picked Roger to win Wimbledon? That’s kind of a farce. ESPN at least has a vested interest in seeming like they know about the sports they make money from broadcasting.


Humble Rafa Says:

The next time analyst talk about intangibles when comparing the strengths and weaknesses of 2 players before a match, should they talk about my ultimate intangible advantage – medical time outs?

Discuss. LOL


Kimmi Says:

Humble rafa – you are cracking me up. your 3:29pm post especially. lmao


Eric Says:

I am now rooting for Lisicki in the women’s side. I suspect Masha will hoist the trophy, but how awesome would it be for this amazing young WC to make the finals, or even win it all? What a serve, what skill! She does need to work on consistency, but she’s the real deal…


drju99 Says:

Dear Ben Pronin and the rest who think Nadal faked his injury. MRI or X-ray will only show fracture or dislocated bones. When Nadal said it was no injury, he was referring to these kind of injuries.
It is acceptable to suspect bone related injury if he felt sudden sharp pain over the ankle area because of complicated anatomy around it. MTO was called because it was legit.What if it was really a fracture and he continue playing, its gonna be disastrous.Please stop hating Nadal.
By the way, I am a doctor if you were wondering.


Humble Rafa Says:

What serve! What skill and more importantly what teeth :)


Eric Says:

drju: “By the way, I am a doctor if you were wondering.”

No, you’re not – you’re a liar. And if you are, please let me know where you work so I can stay far, far away. And I suggest you retake kindergarten level radiology, because an MRI does not “only show fracture or dislocated bones.” Whereas an x-ray, of course, does indeed show only fractures and dislocated bones, the MRI is the gold standard imaging procedure for this kind of sports injury precisely because it will often reveal disorders pertaining to the tendons and ligaments. Which, btw, anyone who actually knew high school level science would already have been been perfectly cognizant of.


skeezerweezer Says:

I think I just saw Jordan Slam dunk over Lebron.


Tennis Vagabond Says:

Also, to Eric’s point in critiquing our good doctor, there is generally no disaster from playing on a broken foot. Lots of athletes do it. Tape and painkillers. I’ve played soccer on a broken foot myself.

However, I am getting sick of Rafa constantly interrupting matches with injuries. Its not sporting. If you feel that badly, retire. If not, man up. It goes at every level of sport. I like Rafa very much, I do not feel he’s a fake as some do, but I’ve never seen ANY tennis player (except Nole until recently) blame medical issues so often.

The issues may even be valid. I don’t care. Its too much.


Alejandro Says:

I’m not a Nadal fan but I’m not a hater either, he’s one the greatest players ever an he could end up beign the GOAT when it’s all said and done, but he does bug me with his MTOs. 99% of the time he calls them when he’s either losing or in a tight match, very rarely you see him calling a MTO when he’s ahead. I’m sure whenever he calls for a MTO he has some kind of discomfort, but I’m also sure that he only asks for them to be treated when the match isn’t going according to his plans.

Do you think guys like Federer, Hewitt, Roddick, Nalbandian and many others that very rarely call for MTOs don’t have these kind of ailments? Of course they do, they just play through them.

Whoe else thinks that if Nadal would have lost the first set tie-break he woul have retired?

Again Nadal is a great player but he does lack in the “gamenship” department, and as much as his fans try to deny it they know there’s some true to it.


Patty Says:

There is NO WAY that Nadal will take an MTO against the American Fish. He would be crucified!


roy Says:

so according to the intellectual giants posting here, nadal fakes an injury immediately after hitting a forehand winner to bring up set point.
that’s when he went down if any of you actually watched the match.
the idea any player would fake an injury while they have the momentum is beyond absurd.


skeezerweezer Says:

^ He went down? You mean like Delpo? Sorry….actually missed that.


Dan Martin Says:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/jon_wertheim/06/28/tuesday.mailbag/index.html?eref=writers Wertheim on the topic. I did not catch PMac’s views, but Evert did imply that a some players like to be dinged up so they can focus on treatment etc. and be distracted from the nerves of the matches themselves. I don’t know.

I guess the way I would see the popularity question is this – Borg in his prime was more popular than Mac, Jimbo or Lendl in their primes. Jimmy did not get love until after his great year of 1974. The US Open crowd in Flushing/Queens, NY cheered Borg over Mac even though Mac was from Queens, NY. Lendl was disliked for any number of reasons (Cold War included). Rafa fans, your guy may never be as loved as Federer has been by the media and many crowds, but does it really matter? In his prime maybe he is physically intimidating like Lendl was or maybe he comes across as rough around the edges like Jimmy did. When he is old and vulnerable, the crowds will likely embrace him. A rare player is embraced during his prime. During the Open Era, I can only think of Borg and Federer. How was Hewitt viewed during his prime? Sampras was favored by US crowds when he played Rafter in Cincy and NY in 1998. In 2002, NY loved Pete. If Nadal is not universally embraced during his time at #1, it is more of the norm than the exception.

As for players grumbling, I think they should say something in the locker room man to man and stop grumbling. I think had JMDP said something early in the 2nd set to Rafa rather than the umpire when Rafa was in the bathroom, then he’d probably have fewer regrets (a total guess on my part). Connors waging his finger at McEnroe or Lendl complaining about Agassi grunting louder when going for winners is a more honest way to deal with perceived or real gamesmanship than grumbling off the record or complaining when Rafa is out of ear shot. If JMDP wants to be the man, he has to have the audacity to challenge the man. He did not do so. Turn the page for now.


gordon Says:

Nadal’s propensity to create and exaggerate his injures is very disconcerting and self-pity of unprofessionalism.


Michael Says:

I am not sure whether the injury of Nadal was serious or fake. But the way he was running in the Court suggested that all was fine. However, when the players greeted after the match, Nadal had a sombre look on his face and he did not even acknowledge when Del Potro hugged him. I thought that was bad manners in the first place. All said and done, it seems that any player can beat Nadal only when he is injured or that is the way it is pretended to be ??


margot Says:

Bert Trautmann, English footballer, once completed a football match with a broken neck…Oh we make ’em tough here in the UK ;)


Dory Says:

As much as I respect Rafa for what he was achieved, his style of breaking momentum at crucial stages of the match by calling for an MTO is getting extremely ridiculous. The rules AFAIK allow for an MTO at the changeover events, not at 6-6 which is not a changeover.


Tennis Fan Says:

If it wasn’t an injury, why did you take an injury timeout? Wait, don’t tell me. I already know from watching your matches over the years…


JF Says:

Dory:
Thats not Nadal’s fault. And the Timeout took place right before tiebreaker, on even grounds.


WTF Says:

Tennis Fan Says:

“If it wasn’t an injury, why did you take an injury timeout? Wait, don’t tell me. I already know from watching your matches over the years…”

He took the time out because he felt pain and got scared. It was out of precaution. You don’t know if it’s an injury until you get it scanned. At that point he was worried it might have been an injury and perhaps thought it was, so he didn’t take any chances.

Pain does not always equal injury, but it is grounds for a medical timeout.


Jake Says:

Nadal, and surely many others, have benfitted from performance enhancing drugs. To think otherwise is naive. There is no precedent for an adult player gaining 20 MPH on his serve and attributing it to a “new grip.” His phantom injuries, last-minute tourny withdrawls, and crafty avoidance of drug testing all bolster the case that he is juicing.

As I write this, he is down a set to Murray. If Nadal loses, how likely is it that he will use his foot as an excuse?


thomas schmitz Says:

nadal is so full of it, it’s not even funny! hmm, let’s see just another long list of his mind games and gamesmanship over the years…. before i get into this so called injury,

let’s state the illegal coaching from his uncle in the stands, him breaking the time rule between serves FOR YEARS NOW AND NO ONE CALLS HIM ON IT, the disgusting gross addiction to picking his butt every serve, every match, every tournament for years now. (would be like picking your nose in public wouldn’t it, so why doesn’t someone in his camp tell him to stop and that it’s gross to do this on a public stage in front of millions!) and lastly, his acting tough with his scowl on his face when he wins a point, gimme a break he weighs what 150 pounds? lol! yeah, he’ such a bad a$#ss! anyway, on to this latest injury,

let’s see now…..

supposedly had a minor tear in one of his thighs and now a possible broken foot that the mri “what a surprise” showed NOTHING! yeah, he’s so injured that’s why he’s sprinting around the court like a deer! oh wait it’s the painkillers allowing him to do this? that must be some powerful drugs, so powerful i would think it would affect his body (vision, mind and what not) that he couldn’t play world class tennis…. jogging to his chair between games, jumping up and pumping his fist 3 feet up in the air oh wait maybe he’s landing on his one good leg and his one good foot?! hmm, and after the pain killers wear off, no sign of limping or anything!

must say i have never ever disliked a male tennis player more, all these things plus the fact that with today’s technology and rackets he is th epitome of someone who is helped by the rackets of today, the way he grips his racket and how he swings his forehand, the ball should never ever go in the court, but because of todays’s super powerful and trampoline effect rackets and strings, it’s almost like not even tennis anymore, give him a wood racket or even a graphite racket from 10 years ago and see how he hits the ball.


thomas schmitz Says:

oh i forgot to mention why havent the commentators ( robinson, mcenroe, carillo, horrible dick enberg, etcetera) not even brought this up, “hmm, amazing that nadal is running like this without pain or even with his injuries? what are they cowards or just huge nadal fans?!!


Max Dwight Says:

Rafael Nadal continues to abuse tennis rules, taking excessive time to serve, delaying play, and taking mysterious injury time outs, whenever he is being outplayed, while weak chair umpires let Nadal basically cheat. One wonder why it has to be this way?? POOR ATP!!!

Against Del Potro Nadal took a 9 minute injury time out — three times the legal limit — before the first set tie break in his four-set victory over Juan Martin del Potro, 7-6, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4. Nadal stopped play to have his heel retaped, before the tie break.

It’s a shame Nadal jammed his heel. But that’s common in tennis, you walk it off, wave apologies to your opponent and play on. Instead, Nadal had to turn it into an episode of House. I was surprised they didn’t wheel a CAT scanner out on the court, ha!!!

Nadal later claimed he feared his heel was broken and he’ll have an MRI. If, indeed, Nadal broke his heel running on grass — grass — you have to wonder what makes such a physical specimen so ‘injury prone’… anyway, one thing remains certain he’s – by far – the king of gamesmanship!

Top story: Sinner Swallows Up Zverev For Second Straight Australian Open, 3rd Slam