ARTICLES:
- Nadal Backing Spain’s “Unforgettable Generation” (via Eurobasket 2015)
The 14-time grand slam champion travelled to Stade Pierre Mauroy fresh from his own national team triumph, having helped Spain defeat Denmark 5-0 in the Davis Cup’s second-tier relegation playoff on Saturday.
“I have been watching almost every game, especially the Spanish ones,” Nadal said.
“For me it’s a privilege to be here supporting my team and they are having an amazing tournament so I wish them all the best for the final.”
- Zone Group I round-up: Nadal and Verdasco secure tie for Spain (via Davis Cup)
Spain secured their spot in Zone Group I for 2016, after Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco overcame dogged Danish duo Frederik Nielsen and Thomas Kromann in four sets, giving Conchita Martinez’s troops an unassailable 3-0 margin.
- Nadal and Verdasco secure Spain a spot in Group I of the Davis Cup (via Tennis TourTalk)
Off the court, the Spaniards seemed to enjoy their stay in Denmark. “It is a beautiful city here and waking up this morning with the sunshine was amazing. It was a great week for us with nice people around us. The organization was perfect. We felt like home, also thanks to the great support from the Spanish fans,” Nadal said and did not want to confirm the chances of teaming up with Verdasco at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro next year.
- Rio 2016 perhaps will be my last Olympics: Rafael Nadal (via sportzwiki.com)
“I have important meetings before the Olympic Games. When the time comes I will take part and I hope to be there to compete. In Beijing, in 2008, I experienced one of the best moments of my career. I was injured for the London Olympics in 2012 and that time was one of the hardest moments for me. I lost the chance to compete and hope to be there in 2016, where I will probably have my last chance. I don”t know if I will be in Tokyo in 2020. We must know that in Rio I’ll be 30-years old. I don”t know if I’ll be in the circuit at 34 years, maybe yes maybe no, I don”t know if I will be able to compete in five years.”
PHOTOS: Nadal, Verdasco Seal Spain’s Win Over Denmark in Davis Cup
VIDEOS:
- Entrevista exclusiva con Rafael Nadal (via GQ Mexico)
- Match Point: Nielsen/Kroman vs Nadal/Verdasco (via Tennis TourTalk)
- Nadal/Verdasco: “Teníamos la obligación de ganar y lo hemos podido cumplir” (via Davis Cup)
- Conchita Martínez: “Estoy inmensamente agradecida a los jugadores que han venido” (via Davis Cup)
- Rafael Nadal y David Ferrer se pasan al baloncesto horas antes de la final del EuroBasket 2015 (via RFET)
- An interview with Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco
- Rafael Nadal sends good-luck message to Spanish basketball team
Is there anything hotter than Tabasco and Nadal together? I mean it shouldn’t be allowed😍
VAMOS DEAR RAFA!!!!!!! : ) : ) Very happy for you sweetheart for your celebrations & joys & wins …. was heartwarming to see you support Pau and the Spanish team…… celebrating together…..BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!! Your victory & theirs are all inspiring & beautiful to watch…..very exciting!!!!! By the way, always nice to see Pau at the French Open ….right there for you as well….!!!!!……: ) : ) Friendships & loyalty are precious gifts in life and you dear Rafa have your important priorities lined just right!!!!!! Your vibrant tennis sportsmanship & your beautiful tennis game has helped ignite your Davis Cup teammates back to winning …….very nice….. I am so very happy for all of you!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) VAMOS & God Bless you!!!!! Enjoy everything & lots of happiness & love to you moving forward!!!!!!!!! : ) : )
What a tired bunch of naysayers. If you think Rafa doesn’t care about winning anymore, you know nothing about the guy. Because he isn’t as hysterical as many of his fans (who act like he is letting you down) and can take this year in stride (knowing he’s had SO many great years that 1 bad one won’t cause him to jump off a bridge). Because he has matured, and is extremely intelligent, and has the ability to be philosophical, after his years of traveling the world, and being aware that it IS sport. People are dying of starvation around the world. Millions are dying trying not to be killed by bombs, are refugees, or whatever.
He IS trying to adapt his game to where HE knows it has to be. And to be competitive for a few more years – as he sees Fed, and Stan, and his Spanish compatriots doing.
How DARE you feel YOU have the right to decide for one of the greatest competitors of all time when HE should retire? Or that you have ANY idea what he is thinking??? Absurd.
Hi Rafaelmaniacs, Deep Thinker here again,
Whenever I say the TRUTH about Rafa, people here will call me a moron!
The simple truth is that Rafa no longer has the motivation to play competitive tennis anymore. That is just the simple TRUTH, and also the reason why he continues to stick to Uncle Toni.
Rafa cannot be bothered (like you and me) about Roger Federer winning 18,19 0r 20 slams; or Novak matching or even surpassing his 14 GS records!
Rafa believes that he has already achieved everything in Tennis by winning 14 GS including an unmatchable 9 FOs!.
The truth is Rafa prefers the easy life of golf, scuber diving and ofcourse Poker. He has completely lost all the drive, inspiration and motivation to continue playing Tennis.
Like I wrote/advised in some of my earlier posts, Rafa should immediately retire to protect his legacies, and in particular his Head to Head record with the likes of Roger, Novak and Andy. He will go down in history as the greatest ever clay court tennis player, living or dead. He certainly will not be the GOAT.
But, also as I admonished in my earlier posts, all Rafaelmaniacs should take heart. Nature abhors a vacuum, and very, very soon another Rafa, or someone even far better will emerge from no where to MAKE US HAPPY AGAIN.
You are posting your opinions as if they are facts. You have NO IDEA if any of what you have said is true. Rafa prefers the easy life? How would you know that? Are you personal friends with Rafa? Do you have secret cameras that follow him around? The fact he goes scuba diving and plays poker in his spare time means he no longer cares about tennis? What nonsense. Federer and Djokovic do things in their spare time – no player plays tennis 24/7.
Rafa should retire to protect his legacy? Funny, people were telling Federer to do that when he had a bad year in 2013 – yet he recovered. Try having a bit of faith in the player you are supposedly a fan of.
The FACT is you have no idea what Rafa’s motivations are. You are GUESSING. So don’t refer to your own personal opinions as being the truth, when they are YOUR truth, not THE truth. The fact you can’t tell the difference is why some people might be inclined to call you a moron.
Rafa doesn’t need to retire to protect his legacy. It his win or lose. He doesn’t have the ego to need to go out in a blaze of glory. Agassi is loved because he battled and lost games at 36 but his greatness is remembered. If Rafa wants to play doubles at 40 it will be because he loves to compete. We will be happy to see him.
You have more to offer the world of tennis mouse
No Rafa = No tennis
Rafa is just the best <3 <3 <3
Please remember Rafa that Roger is still competing at his highest level for several years at the age of 34 and we have every faith that our Champ will be too! Vamos Rafa!
Rafa’s problem is that he won’t change coach to get a better one who can longer his career. He is sticking with outdated coach uncle toni that really cant do nothing for his career right now
Oh Rafael please do not mention such things, it makes me so sad to think of tennis without you.
That is nadal always being negative. He is finished cuz he won’t get a new coach on his team.
hope its not ur last
Likely it will be his last season and also last yr in the league. Since he is finished. His game is declining. Still have the same outdated coach call uncle toni. He need to get a new coach on his team.
It’s not likely, it’s just what you think. Stop acting as if you are more in the know about what will happen in the future than everyone else.