With Rafael Nadal’s run in Barcelona cut short, the question of the status of his reign at World No.1 has sharply come into focus. How much longer can Rafa hang on to the World No.1 ranking? What happens if Novak Djokovic has a deep run in Madrid and Rome?
As of April 28, Rafa has 12900 points, while Djokovic’s points remain unchanged at 11040. The difference between them is 1860 points. Djokovic has only 10 points to defend at Madrid. Djokovic could therefore potentially catch up to Rafa in Madrid or later in Rome, but he has to face the King of Clay in his own back yard to do so, and that’s a tall order to fulfill. In the Race to London, Rafa currently stands at No.4, behind Stanislas Wawrinka, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer.
Rafa will have his chances to gain points at Wimbledon and after the US Open, when he has fewer points to defend and Djokovic will begin defending the majority of his points.
There is always a silver lining. Rafa is revered not because he is World No.1, but because of the person and sportsman he is. As we always say, once a champion, always a champion. What matters is that Rafa is healthy and enjoys competing. That’s what Rafa wants, and that’s what we want for him. Forever, Vamos Rafa!
I hope RAFA gets a big win at Madrid, and keeps on going upward to the French. Mainly, I hope he stays healthy, and is able to compete. Of course, I would love to see him win Wimbledon, US Open, and RG, but Wawrinka is knocking down opponents left & right this year…..so Rafa just has to focus, play his game, maybe ratchet it up a bit, and go for it, right?? Nevertheless, all I can do as a RAFA fan, is just cheer him on and hope he stays healthy, and when he wins, win big!!!! Vamos, Rafael Nadal!!
Yes true STAN WAWRINKA has finally overcome his biggest challenge to beat RAFA and NOVAK he has been threatening this for sometime and he should have nailed it against NOVAK at last years AUSSIE OPEN but didn’t quite do it and this year he does the almost
seemingly impossible and finally has the biggest win of his career winning against NOVAK in the semi finals, then easily beating the great RAFA NADAL in the final, take nothing away from his deserved win, but RAFA although playing with injury and just not himself, clearly was not going to win this time, it was WAWRINKA’ s time to triumph….the challenge for him then is to maintain that momentum and carry on his winning way….just as NOVAK did in 2011 to RAFA and becoming number one in the world……It is amazing to know that RAFA since he began his career in 2001 has been number one for much of this time, and only dropped to 4 or 5 in the RANKINGS because of injury and time out to recuperate from his knee problems…..that is truly remarkable and is often forgotten, especially when he has little losses now and then as he has done recently, we have to focus on the bigger picture and remember what he has achieved. He is 4 behind the great Roger Federer and one behind the incredibly gifted and great PETE SAMPRAS, in grandslam wins, and who has won a major tournament like the FRENCH OPEN eight times before…..no one but RAFA……who has also won at MONACO and BARCELONA and MADRID just as many times, incredible achievement which is sometimes lost in the moment he loses, as he did at BARCELONA recently…….I would along with all of his fans love so much to see him back in his best form and winning again at the FRENCH OPEN which is just weeks away, that will tell us so much about where he is within himself, I know he gives his all and spends so much time on the practice court…….PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT THAT’S OUR RAFA..
I agree wholeheartedly with Miriama Harris’s beautiful and true sentiments about Rafa.
He has been a champion/super-star since 19 years of age and has always stayed grounded
and focused. What amazes me about Rafa is this: Whenever he faces an opponent on
any surface, it’s as if he is the underdog. I don’t think he is aware of how amazing an
athlete and competitor he really is! His humility and modesty is unbelievable. Every elite
athlete’s career ebbs and flows with peaks and valleys. I appreciate many of the
talented variety of tennis players but he, in fact remains my favorite whether in victory or
defeat. I also applaud his Uncle Tony for putting a tennis racquet in his left hand when he
was four. It is a most remarkable relationship/partnership that he shares with his Uncle
Tony. Can’t wait to see him “hit the clay” at Madrid, Rome, and of Course RG (Rolland Garrus) Ready, Set, Go -VAMOS Rafa!!!
Is this the end of an era afterall? When things that never happened starts happening, then the end of an era is certainly not too far off!
Rafa wishing you the best of Health, am still and will always be supporting you through your Tennis life and beyond you are the best and most exciting Tennis player I have ever watched play my favorite Sport which is no doubt Tennis. Vamooooooooooooosa Rafa Nadal now go and lift some more Trophies I will be watching.
Very well said and written Mariana! I completely agree with everything you wrote, except perhaps that I THINK I AM RAFA’S BIGGEST FAN, and have been since watching a very young Rafa beat Mario Ancic at Wimbledon, (Ancic was a seed at the time), in 2003!!!
Mind you, obviously we all think we are Rafa’s biggest fan!! We are all so lucky to be enjoying tennis in such a wonderful era! I also love watching Roger Federer, but who wouldn’t!
Can’t believe I have lost ‘my writeup’ and have to start again…unbelievable….where did it all disappear too….into cyberspace….well anyway I am writing about how I feel being one of the biggest fans of RAFA NADAL….perhaps the most ‘exciting’ and the most ‘sensational’ tennis player of all time…..I was more or less saying how ‘intriguing’ it is when RAFA has a loss, as he did when he exited early from WIMBLEDON over the last two years, second round the previous year, and first round last year…how the journalists and the media hound and badger him for answers to the reason he lost…..as if it isn’t embarrassing enough that he lost, and I often wonder how he feels at such times, and wish that he doesn’t have to front up to the media to be ‘tortured’ with question after question, it’s almost like being stripped of his ‘dignity’ and left hung out to dry…. should the players have to front up to the media at such times, why can’t they be left alone to have some time out to deal with their disappointment and surely some embarrassment, without all the media ‘frenzy’ and ‘literal harrassment’…..RAFA is such a humble guy, always polite and considerate ……as he always says you win some you loose some……that’s the way it goes for all top tennis players…..RAFA never focuses on winning this tournament or that tournament, as the media remind us every year especially at the FRENCH OPEN, the headlines will say RAFA LOOKING FOR HIS NINETH WIN…..it’s not him looking for his nineth win…its everyone else the PUNDITS AND THE MEDIA…and guess what ALL HELL WILL BREAK LOOSE if RAFA doesn’t win for the nineth time…..I know that RAFA has never focused on winning at any tournament, his only focus is to be healthy and in the best physical condition possible, including being ‘happy’ ….that is his FOCUS….and if winning happens along the way so be it…..the reward for his total dedication…lets remember that at age 19 RAFA NADAL was taking the TENNIS WORLD by storm and winning everything there was to win along the way, playing a brand of tennis that only RAFA NADAL in his youthful years could possibly play, against another all time great in ROGER FEDERER….the likes of which we may never quite see again…..and here he is eight years later and still NUMBER ONE IN THE WORLD, with ROGER FEDERER also playing some of his best tennis ever…..My one hope is to see RAFA actually beat ROGERS GRANDSLAM record of 17 wins, he was so close to his 14th at the AUSSIE OPEN this year, but it wasn’t to be, however he has time on his side and will be 28 in June, and I am sure that he will bounce back as he has done so admirably over the last two years or so after returning from injury……..I hope he does well at MADRID AND ROME AND COMES BACK TO HIS SCINTILLATING BEST IN TIME FOR THE FRENCH OPEN where his fans his family and his loyal team along with the rest of the world, want to see the best of RAFA NADAL this ever so wonderful and extraordinary ATHELETE who has deserved to be at the top for so long, because of his total love and dedication for the game of TENNIS that has given us all so much pleasure and joy over the years, with the sincere HOPE of the BEST IS STILL TO COME…LONG MAY HE REIGN THE PRINCE OF SPAIN.
You said it so well, Miriama. Truly. Rafa is lucky to have fans like you.
I hope that rafa can depend his titles in Madrid and Rome i miss the scenario to watch him bite the trophy during picture taking.
Think you are a fantastic sportman, but think it is time you change your attitude towards the game and sort your head out and start playing the game you use to!
Hello Rafa ‘the bull’ Nadal. watever makes you happy my darling. Being #1 is nice but I really don’t care as long as you continue to enjoy tennis and win more trophys. I guess it will be a more fascinating history to be the player with less days as #1 but with the most grandslam wins. #breakingrecords
Indeed well said. Rafa thinks that hVamos Rafa. Love alwaysis health is much more important then any ranking.
You are still number 1 in the rankings and will always be number 1for me. You are the. Stay healthy and Vamos for the next tournament. Vamos Rafa xxxx