Rafael Nadal Unsure If He’s Playing Better Than Ever, But He’s Happy!

He’s been playing great the whole year!. Today though, he was at absolute best, for sure; and with a clear plan to rip the BH.

June 11th, 2017 at 5:49 pm

You have to give Rafa a big applause for winning this Slam. It’s been 3 years, and the warning signs that Rafa was back really started at AO. Congrats Rafa, your baaaaccckk!

June 11th, 2017 at 6:21 pm

Congratz Rafa and his fans.
Deserved winner.

and btw he was runner up thrice this season.

June 11th, 2017 at 6:22 pm

This is where it started for him this year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmpLSW47MPQ

June 11th, 2017 at 6:41 pm

Don’t know if Rafa is at his Best Ever, but he’s pretty darn close.

So many folks deride him for having a 1-dimensional game. I myself have made the mistake of thinking he owes everything to his speed.

And he HAS slowed. Compared to his teen years as Pirate Flash. But everyone slows- not many speed up. And Rafa is faster than he looked in 2014-2016. He looks awesome. He looks almost as fast as Andy and Novak again, maybe on par (I think its not controversial to say that in his prime, Rafa was the fastest top player ever).

Then, about that 1-dimensional aspect: I don’t think Rafa has been 1-dimensional since, like ’09. I think people confuse his DISCIPLINE in playing percentage tennis with being 1-dimensional. Rafa knows his game. He knows what it takes to win. He doesn’t take risks when he doesn’t need to. He doesn’t get impatient, he doesn’t get frustrated or tempted for ‘easy’ outs. But he’s got all the shots when he needs them. I didn’t see the final stats, but at 1 point Rafa was 8/8 at the net. I don’t care ow well you pick your moments, that is not a 1-dimensional player, that’s a great volleyer.

His serve is a serious weapon for the first time in, what, 7 years? His second serve is the second MIS of the year! (Most Improved Shot–#1 is obviously Fed’s BH).

And, as he showed yesterday, and against Thiem, he can hit clean winners with the best of them, off both wings, DTL + crosscourt.

I’ve never been the biggest fan of Rafa’s style, I admit I do find it boring. But he did not thump Stan with his legs, he did it with his left arm. He hit better than Stan.

Given he was the 2nd best hardcourt player in the winter; given the confidence he’s just gained, and practice playing at the highest level, given that his greatest rival is slumping… how far can he go for the rest of the year?

As a Fed fan, I hope he runs out of gas on grass again this year, as he has the last few. But I wouldn’t count on it. Remember, if he makes the 2nd week at Wimbledon, its a whole different tournament, the court is dirt, and a lot more to Rafa’s preference.

June 12th, 2017 at 8:53 am

Nadal is playing very cleanly and efficiently, and moving as well or better than he ever has. He’s also making great decisions during his matches. With this much confidence and good form entering the summer, he should be able to make the adjustment to grass with ease.

June 12th, 2017 at 9:02 am

Totally agree with TV and Miller!!! Rafa can,and IMHO shall make the transition this year on grass!! He is gonna have a great Wimbledon, though that may include being runner-up to Federer,coz this Fed is not the fearful Fed of 2008-16.. He is the fearless Federer of 2003-07, so far, this year!!! And I bet, if Fed stays free and positive,like he was in the first half,he can certainly handle Rafa!!! But apart from Federer,I have seen none who is a better grass player than Rafa in this generation!!!

June 12th, 2017 at 1:11 pm

Time will tell, but hopefully he can make a good transition from clay to grass, hes playing Queens i gather, so hopefully that will prove to be good practice for W ….

June 12th, 2017 at 1:32 pm

It is a good sign that Rafa is playing queens, looks like he got out out FO atill fresh and healthy

June 12th, 2017 at 2:01 pm

It’s only the last few years where Rafa hasn’t done well on grass. I think he’ll be fine this year. I worry more about later in the season, as in many past years he had trouble sustaining his high level of play due to injury.

June 12th, 2017 at 2:08 pm

Most important thing for Federer is he has shattered the psychological barrier against Rafa!! That would make him play his true unmatchable game!!! And Nadal is known for his courage and determination,and also for his ridiculous breathtaking pulverizing shot-making!! And Nadal loves wimbledon too!!! If these two run into each other,it should be a good match,I will pick Fed,but Rafa victory can’t be impossible either!! Cheers Fedal!!

June 12th, 2017 at 2:18 pm

Hmmmmm…lots of crystal balls being gazed at on here….discount Andy at your peril. His form is improving and grass is by far his best surface.

June 12th, 2017 at 2:19 pm

Meanwhile my heart always roots for Murray besides Federer… But head stacked against him!! It would be awesome if anyone of Fed/Murray/Rafa wins Wimbledon… I shall cheer also for Dimitrov and Krygios…🙌🙌🙌

June 12th, 2017 at 2:21 pm

Margot: I love Murray!!! I know he is most talented after Fed!! Just that he can’t decide what to do,thanks to his variety,and bit defensive mindset!! Otherwise the best match I ever say anyone play against Fed on grass was Murray at olympics!!! He made Fed look like a kid!!! So much talent,but little luck..😒😒😒

June 12th, 2017 at 2:25 pm

I just hope Murray plays aggressive,serves better and better,go for his shots as Wimbledon progresses!!! He is a joy to watch and can beat Fed/Rafa, if he serves well and hits that FH sincerely and aggressively!!!

June 12th, 2017 at 2:28 pm

Murray needs to play lights out though,if he is to win Wimbledon,be aggressive,be determined,and hit the shots well.. Or else he shall be dismissed by Fed/Rafa comfortably… At least if he reaches the final and plays like he did in Olympic final to defeat Fed, then I give him a great shot to win W…

June 12th, 2017 at 2:32 pm

I Always cheer for Nadal and Murray in that order, and Andy seems to be playing alot better lately, grass is the part of the season where Murray excells, Queens has been a great springboard in recent years, i dont see this year been any different either ….

June 12th, 2017 at 2:33 pm

Hey willow,congrats on Nadals LA Decima 🙌🙌🙌👏👏👏

June 12th, 2017 at 2:42 pm

Willow:

problem is Murray always loses pretty easy to Fed/Rafa or even Novak at slams. Hope he could get his head/play right,coz in that case he will be a hell of a player,and can certainly win!!!😍😍😍

June 12th, 2017 at 2:45 pm

How can you be 1 dimensional when you beat Fed in multiple Slams?
Poor evil Fed. Always weeping even after winning 13 Slams.
To him, he was the only authentic and pretty player.
Fed is the clown that couldn’t accept that any player with multiple Slams was better than him in 2008-2016.
He wrote off Wawrinka until Wawrinka qualified for Davis Cup semis and won a Slam against Djoker. Stan waited until 2013 to stop bowing down and letting Fed and his horrid wife mistreat him.
Fed’s the one that benefited from cakewalk draws with injured journeymen and the non-caring Djoker.
If anything, he’s the most one dimensional of the multiSlam winners. His matches with phony, overweight, money hungry, careless and weak players in 2000-2017 were boring. Only brainwashed people couldn’t restrain themselves & bowed down at Fed.
He’s the most overrated and very stubborn flawed player that also got waxed off the court by journeymen over 100 times. Fed has old age excuses for losing to Djoker & Nadal. He cruised by Murray several times recently so how can Fed be that old?

June 12th, 2017 at 3:52 pm

Thanks for your nice comments on Andy, Amit. Agree really. But like those bouncy, rubber kid’s toys they keep knocking over, back up he comes!

June 13th, 2017 at 12:26 am

Truth,
You know, your posts make a lot of sense if the people know how to read them or they try to give them another go and read them again.
I don’t know even who you are or where are you from, your English is sometimes good and sometimes not, but stick around.

June 13th, 2017 at 12:58 am

“Truth,
You know, your posts make a lot of sense if the people know how to read them..”
.
Oh joy. Maybe you 2 should facetime, you know, get close, commonality. Makes sense, no?
#peasinpod

June 13th, 2017 at 1:09 am

“accumulated facts”, no?😂

June 13th, 2017 at 1:41 am

Truth: “His matches with phony, overweight, money hungry, careless and weak players in 2000-2017 were boring.” You are truth personified indeed,lmao, thanks for indicating 2000-17 as weak in your post, LMFAO!!! 😂😂😂 YOU ARE EFFIN RIGHT champ!!!😂😂😂😜😜😜

June 13th, 2017 at 5:55 am

Truth: “His matches with phony, overweight, money hungry, careless and weak players in 2000-2017 were boring.”

You are truth personified indeed,lmao, thanks for indicating 2000-17 as weak era in your post, LMFAO!!! 😂😂😂 YOU ARE EFFIN RIGHT champ!!!😂😂😂😜😜😜
Hugs and kisses😘😘😘👹👹👹

June 13th, 2017 at 5:58 am

Novak is the luckiest player ever to play tennis, just stole trophies in the period when rafa and roger were at nadir, and Murray we all know is not a big match player… Djokovic was Rafa’s pup when he was in his best years.. Forget clay,Djokovic couldn’t beat Rafa even in USO!!! Djokovic stacked a lot of wins thanks to downfall of fed and Rafa, coz back then even djokovic fans feard the prospect of djoker meeting fed in slams, the djokovic fans back then clearly wished that djokovic faced Rafa rather than fed.. The fear in them was palpable… People seem to forget the past so easily,lol… After Fed crossed 30, only could Novak stand up to him… Even the fed fans wished that fed avoided ra fa and met djokovic rathrr in slams.. Its common knowledge back then.. But people seemed to have forgotten that fed was wiping the floor with Novak until 2012, beating him almost every time in slams too… Big talk doesn’t work djokovic fans,face the fact!!! Your djokovic is as lucky as anyone has ever been that rafa and fed came off their peak towards 2012/13.. Only then djokovic seemed superhuman.. One who can’t beat Stan in finals and got his butt handed over twice, could have beaten TMF of 2003-07 in your sweet dreams only,not in reality… 🙌🙌🙌

June 13th, 2017 at 6:14 am

Just coz Novak beat an average playing vulnerable Fed/Rafa a few times post 2012,doesn’t mean he is better than either of them coz for all we know,Novak wasn’t at all a big threat to roger/,Rafa until they won almost everything ,lost a bit of their hunger/motivation.. Just look at how unmotivated djokovic is since last year of NCYGS,so no point assuming that Rafa/roger didn’t lose edge/motivation after achieving everything in their careers… And they have even lost youth/speed since 2012. Still they won.. Lets see what is the character of djokovic and what is his real greatness,it will be known only now.. The real test for djokovic has started only now,and he is losing to even journeymen.. That’s not to say that Djokovic won’t win more slams,coz after all he is very talented and of fighting nature and much more gracious and adorable anyway,compared to his fans spouting vitriol against Federer… Nole has a long way to go to supersede Fed/Rafa… Still… Haa

June 13th, 2017 at 6:26 am

Few recent wins of djokovic just don’t cut it for him to be placed above Rafa/Fed… The careers of three haven’t ended yet… We will see what each of them are able to do.. Until then Federer is the undisputed best,Rafa the second best,and only then comes Djokovic.. Hell if it weren’t for Federer even Nadal would have had the most perfect first half by now.. Much better than even Djokovic ever did in his life in the first half of the season!! Yet you people have so much audacity!! Thank Federer rather for he stopped Nadal thrice or else even djokovic’s recent exploits would have become a distant memory only this year coz Rafa would have won almost everything this year if it weren’t for Fed,lolzzz…

June 13th, 2017 at 6:33 am

Federer and Nadal have won the sprint as well as marathon… Djokovic has Won only sprint till now. His marathon has just begun… And he isn’t ahead of either of those two in its beginning phase even…

June 13th, 2017 at 6:35 am

Obviously, you can’t face facts so you went incoherent. Too boring to read through. LMAO When Nadal loses, you barely talk.
This isn’t a fake forum.
“One dimensional” players continue to beat Fedal. Oh well.
You can keep counting Nadal Slams, but you never describe Nadal as very lucky. He might stop playing again for 3 months to avoid “getting lucky” losses to Djoker. I guess players who also win outside of Wimbledon & French Open are lucky. They don’t talk about old age & playing too much.

You can find awful tennis forums elsewhere. Their mods depend on fake people that harassed non-Fedal fans, to sell ads.
I can say what I want.
If my English was bad, how did anyone understand what I said?
I don’t correct anyone’s posts if they make factual errors or can’t form sentences.

June 13th, 2017 at 12:01 pm