Rafael Nadal Is Already Looking Ferocious On The Clay [Video]

He looks so worried to me in that video about the possibility about being seeded outside top 4 in clay season. Panic stricken. He probably has said to Uncle Toni: I’m ridden with worry. I have a loss % of 7 on clay in my career, had a bum season on clay last year where I was set away from winning RG and 2 MS, I mean how bad can I get? It’s such a worry being Rafa Nadal going into clay season, so many players I have to avoid, I mean I can you imagine the smile on the face of the players who gets a schmuck like me early on clay Uncle Toni? Yep me too, I’m oh so worried. Lol!

April 2nd, 2015 at 11:09 am

C’mon, anybody can look awesome in training sections.

Just go to a Grand Slam and watch player practice, everybody looks like the new #1.

The match is gonna be played on court.

And rankings on clay doesn’t matter for Nadal but mostly for other players. I bet Fed and Djoko will prefer to face him before finals. A clay final against Nadal is always tuff, no wonder the guy only so a handful of those: 4 to Djoko, 2 to Fed, 1 to smoggy in 2013 in his come back and I think Coria 10 years ago.

April 2nd, 2015 at 11:24 am

Brando. Yep, our boy certainly looks terrified. Poor lamb! Lol
Vamos Rafa!
Vamos Rafa!
Vamos Rafa!

April 2nd, 2015 at 11:29 am

I am so terrified of clay. I have an official “shoulder person” I can cry on at all times.

April 2nd, 2015 at 11:38 am

” I bet Fed and Djoko will prefer to face him before finals.”: lmfao Daniel, thanks for the laugh! Probably the dumbest thing on here anyone has ever said on TX! I can really picture Fed/novak saying “boy I wish I get rafa before the final. He’s such a walk over! Forget my form, building some confidence etc but I just want Rafa early. I know I only lose to him because it’s a final since otherwise I would whup his butt since we all know how poor Nadal is pre final on clay. Such a dismal record”. Lol, what buffoonery it is to even suggest that players who have lost goodness knows how many matches to one who has a 93% win ratio on clay (news flash Daniel: that’s 93% across all rounds not finals) would welcome facing him earlier rather than later. Saying they would not want to face him at all: that makes sense. Saying that they’d rather face him later since at least they can have more to reach a higher and worse case be a RU: that makes sense. But to say you’d rather face him earlier is just flat out idiocy. Since history suggests that increases the chances of you going home earlier if anything else compared to the guy with a 93% win ratio! Utter idiocy!

April 2nd, 2015 at 12:06 pm

Im not saying Rafa will or wont win the FO this year,but come on just exactly what does he have left to prove,i wouldve thought that it would be down to the other players to beat him not the other way around?….

April 2nd, 2015 at 12:24 pm

Brando,

By the number of times Nada lost on finals and pre finals, I think anyine on clay would prefer to face him before finals.
Actually none wants to play him on clay, period! ;-)

But honestly what would you prefer, final or before?! I certainly go before finals, because by the time he reaches another clay final is indication that he is playing great. I rather face him while he is getting his foot on the tourney.

April 2nd, 2015 at 12:41 pm

@Daniel: if I’m a pro I’d rather face rafa in a final than qf any and every day of the week since for me it would be: I don’t give a rats arse about rafa it’s all about me. Moi. I’d focus on myself,back myself not worry about him. If I’m in the final: it means I’m playing well, grooved up, confident with my game in good shape. IF rafa beats me despite that: fair play my man,you deserve the title. Wanting to face him in QF just strikes me as dumb since: 1- where is the guarentee I’m playing well since after its only QF I have reached. 2- the difficulty of facing rafa on clay in final is not any higher than facing him earlier since he’s tough to play at any round. Period. And IF your a champion you would not spend your time worried about rafa or anyone else but more concerned aboutyour own thing. Besides: rafa is 93% across all rounds on clay, so losing to him has is not a shameful thing. So if I am to lose I rather lose in the final since it means I am the best from the rest outside rafa. Losing in QF makes just another bum who went home early before the meaningful stages even got started. And meeting rafa in a final means one crucial thing: you are closer to the title moreso than in QF. That’s all that matters at the end of the day. And as for rafa: is he going to be more nervous in a QF ora final? It’s obvious in a final. Long story short: wishing to meet rafa early on clay seems ridiculous to me. No offense but that’s how I see it in a honest manner.

April 2nd, 2015 at 12:58 pm

Well Brando, we have to agree to disagree on this matter. But is interesting seeing someone also aproach.

To me is quite clear: if I have to face Nadal on clay, better be before finals. The soonest face him the better are chances. Similar to Wimbledon. First week he is vulnerable, but Quarters or beyond, his record speaks for itself. He never lost a QF or Semis in Wimbledon.

But maybe on clay you are right, the 4 times Nadal lost to Djokovic were on finals and to Fed as well. But his losses to “lesser” players came before finals.

Plus, I have another thing going my side, the only time he was beaten in RG was before finals, so there you go, as of right now, Nadal is unbeatable in RG finals, but beatable before;-) Hehehe

April 2nd, 2015 at 3:29 pm

@Daniel: fair enough. It’s only an exchange of perspective and I’m fine with that…..seeing as we both know I’m right and you’re wrong. Lol, just messing. But Rafael’s scenario at Wimbledon is just completely different. He’s to Borg there, not I terms of pedigree but his passage through Wimbledon. Early he’s vulnerable at the least, terrible at worst. But IF he gets through that minefield deep in week 2 he’s something else. On clay though, he’s completely different. I’ll give you a scenario though Daniel: Roger Federer is the Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon. Everyone knows he’s the chief there. Equally: everyone knows how Rafael matches up with him. How he beat him 2008 and almost in 2007. How he’s also 5 years younger than him also. Yet, despite all those relevant facts would I- a Nadal fan- want rafa to face Federer early in Wimbledon (even if he’s firing in week 1) thanks the final? Hell no! He’s still Roger Federer and he’s still a phenomenal player. I rather Rafael play him in the final where the pressure of a final can affect Federer as opposed to QF, where he’s relaxed and smoking a cigar on court. Bottomline: its much better to face a great of a surface when they have some pressure, ie championship match, than earlier when less pressure is on them since then they are more relaxed and if they are relaxed they’ll likely play their best and kick your butt. I would never really want to face a beast of a event early on their turf, since they’ll likely be feeling less pressure, relaxed and probably will beat you more easily than in the natural pressure cooker scenario of say a Grand Slam final.

April 2nd, 2015 at 3:57 pm

Agree Brando, but the Fed comparison is kind of Biased towards Nadal because we know he has the upper hand in their rivalry mentally. So the chance of Fed feeling the pressure is higher than Nadal.

I just think in RG the sooner to play Nadal the better.

Question, do you think Isner would be able to extend Nadal to 5 sets in RG if they were to play finals, instead of round 1 when he win 2 tiebreaks in 2011 I think?! My answer is hell no!

April 2nd, 2015 at 4:10 pm

@Daniel: obviously hell no ‘re Isner.In a way this just says it all about Rafa: the only real chance others have is if rafa’s not on his game. Since if Rafas on then you better book that flight home prematch.

April 2nd, 2015 at 4:14 pm

think the only way to beta Nadal is if his mind folds. The Soderling match as he most likely carried the injury he had that in the back of his mind. His confidence on that court is so high that he needs to have a dip in mind, to affect his game for him to lose. Because so far we haven’t seen nobody played the match of their life and beat him without any hidden doubt. I am in the if you are good to play you can play, but knowing that he had issues in 2009 knees it affected his game overall (mind, fitness, etc..).

April 2nd, 2015 at 4:18 pm

I agree with you Daniel.

April 2nd, 2015 at 4:35 pm

Where’s the other water bottle?!..There is always a diagonal two!…lookin’ good anyway….he’s a grafter…..work hard, play hard….H x

April 2nd, 2015 at 5:58 pm

Rafa’s the King of Clay until someone beats him at RG. Simple as that. I doubt that Novak, Federer or anyone else wants any piece of Rafa on red dirt, injured or not. I’m sure that the entire field would gladly avoid him in the draw. On clay, he’s the worst person to draw in the history of the sport. I think Novak has a really good chance to get the job done this year but if he could avoid Rafa, I think he’d be happy to if it meant winning the tournament.

April 2nd, 2015 at 8:03 pm

@SG1:

Great post.

April 2nd, 2015 at 8:16 pm

I think this is the first year I can remember where he was an “iffy” bet to win.
Age , nerves and a refusal to add something new to his game/team might be his undoing.

Although not my fav player one can only wish him well. An early exit at RG would be devastating for the rest of the season.

April 3rd, 2015 at 9:07 am

n clay, he’s the worst person to draw in the history of the sport
—
Facts are not be argued with and you stated a fact as any smart man would.

April 3rd, 2015 at 8:11 pm

Yay!!!!!

April 4th, 2015 at 6:57 am

All he wants is La Décima!

April 5th, 2015 at 2:19 am

Nadal always looks ferocious, but his opponents do not appear to be frightened any more. That’s the real problem.

April 5th, 2015 at 7:01 am