ARTICLES:
What to expect in London: Twice Nadal has made the final of this tournament, but he has never won it, making it the most significant prize to elude him. Perhaps this won’t be the year that he wins, but his recent performances suggest he should play some decent tennis on the Greenwich Peninsula.
- Five talking points ahead of ATP World Tour Finals (via Sky Sports)
Did Rafael Nadal’s resurgence lose momentum in Paris? … He’s never won Paris before, so it’s not like it was a disaster losing in the quarter-finals. So losing to Wawrinka – who’s won a Grand Slam – is not too worrying.
- Rafael Nadal: Put clay on the O2 courts and give my knees a break! Spaniard returns to England with rediscovered joy for the sport (via Daily Mail)
‘I believe that it’s not fair that a player like me really never played on a surface that was a little bit more favourable. I always played on the worst surface possible for me.
‘If it’s indoor at the 02, then great, but you can build a different type of surface there. It is a fantastic place to organise a World Tour Finals. The atmosphere is just amazing and I am very happy it is there. I enjoy it every time I have had the chance to be there, but we can play on clay there too.’
- Toni Nadal: Rafa must choose his coach (via Fox Sports Asia)
“The season wasn’t as positive as we were wishing, there have been ups and downs. We finished the year much better than how we began it, it hasn’t been a disaster” Toni told Radio 4G.
As for Nadal’s coaching set-up, Toni still believes that he is the best man for the job, but that Rafa must make a decision on the matter. “Rafa has to take this decision. I’ve my opinion, but the last word is up to him,” he said.
- Nadal To Spearhead Fast4 Tennis Teams Event In Sydney (via Tennis Australia)
“I enjoyed playing the format in Melbourne this year and think it’s very exciting for both players and fans. It’s easy for the crowd to get involved in every point which makes for a great atmosphere.
I haven’t played in Sydney for a long time but I know it’s an amazing city and Australian tennis fans are some of the best in the world so I’m excited to come back.”
- Statisfaction: Looking at Nadal’s Difficult 2015 (via Tennis Now)
It has been a trying year for Rafael Nadal—that’s no secret. He’s gone 4-10 vs. the Top-10 and won only one of eight vs. the Top-5. But the burning question still remains: why has Nadal’s once legendary game been diluted so much?
- Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers: Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Leaders (via ATP World Tour)
- 21 tennis nicknames you need to know (via Tennis Canada)
PHOTOS: Rafael Nadal Attends ATP Finals Draw Ceremony In London
VIDEOS:
- Barclays ATP World Tour Final 2015 Launch (via ATP World Tour)
- New Telefónica commercial with Rafa Nadal (via Vive Telefónica)
- Documentary: Fundacion Rafa Nadal ‘Tour 2015’ (via rtve.es)
- 2015 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Official Draw Ceremony (via TennisTV)
- Rafael Nadal 2015 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals Profile (via ATP World Tour)
Exactly! That’s my thought also. What is the essence of getting the top position on the race to London if you will not have the benefit of playing on the court surface that you prefer? The organizers should consider the court surface preferred by the No. 1 player. Another thing, O2 arena is an indoor hard court (Indoor & Hard Court) which Rafa is not comfortable with.
q: Who has the cutest dimples???????????????????? ….. ! : )
VAMOS DEAR RAFA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) You playing fantastically dear Rafa and your hard court game is magnificent ……ci….ci…..ci…. have a great fun & lots of joy !!!!! : ) : ) : ) You move super well…..& your great serve & your powerful strong shots are making the lines….. LOVE YOUR CREATIVITY & FITNESS !!!!!!!!!!!!!! God bless you & enjoy your bountiful positive energy & your beautiful magical TENNIS !!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) Lots of love to you & your fabulous LOYAL GREAT TEAM !!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) VAMOS SWEETHEART !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : )
Rafa should focus on fixing his own game and stop worrying about what surface they play on. Because truth be told, he can’t win a big tournament on ANY surface right now.
Spot on!
Vamos Rafatu eres grande, el mejor en todos los sentidos
Agree totally with Diane Kuriloff. Need to check, but am sure when end of season finals started in the old WCT days, they were played outdoors, in Houston. Why does it always have to be indoors and hard courts? The odds are automatically stacked in favour of Djoko and Fed, year after year.
Rafa is still blaming a “mental injury” for all of his on-court problems the past 2 years. LOL. The only mental injury he has is his extreme fear of change – a.k.a. “neophobia” – which has prevented him from making the necessary changes to his supporting team that every other top player on tour has made over the years – Serena, Roger, Maria, Novak, Petra, Andy, Simona, Stan, you name it.
cannot wait to see you on court again, greatest player ever–love u Rafa VAMOOS
11 years and rafa find himself in top 5
rafa will win more grand slams whether he changes his team or stick with the same
if the forehand which is his biggest weapon in sport making him to win 14 grand slams not coming well then it is rafa position… his momentum to hit ….. his right energy to hit it…his complete hand follow through after hitting that forehand….. his wrist turn moment to hit……and lastly his strings tension to look for ……. rafa best luck for future tournament
one thing im scared about that if u got ur coach changed and things not go well and goes even worst then people saying change coach should not blame u……
vamos rafa vamos
Rafa is the BEST PLAYER & he has THE BEST TEAM !!!!!! : ) : ) : )
VAMOS DEAR RAFA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) & : )
Rafa makes a reasonable suggestion. Why can’t the surface be played on clay for a change?
As a matter of fact why can’t the surfaces be alternated between hard court one year, clay the next year and then grass the following year, etc. for the ATP World Tour Finals? Why does it always have to be on a hard court surface?
Only one surface played on year after year doesn’t favor all the players equally! That doesn’t seem fair. Tennis is played on a variety of surfaces throughout the year so why can’t the world tour finals reflect that fact. There’s a grand slam for every surface so why can’t the W.T.Finals
offer different surfaces as well? Only fair!
J Beer, you have to give credit where credit is due: Rafael Nadal has won 9 Roland Garros Championships, 8 Montecarlos, 2 Wimbledons, 2 USOpens, 2 Indian Wells, 1 Australian, with a total of 27 ATP Masters, and an overall 64 Championships, plus an Olympic Gold Medal, since he started as a 17 year old. He is now 28. I might have missed one or two, but it is still a sterling record which few will ever attain. Admittedly, his injuries, especially his appendix surgery, slowed him down considerably. However, his playing has improved remarkably of late, and I have no doubt he’ll be wracking up some more numbers pretty soon.!!! VAMOS RAFA!!!
Appendix injury – what a bs excuse. That record could have been much more, and rafa has himself and toni to blame.
J.Beer As a graduated nurse, I would like to tell you it takes time to recover from any Surgery ,even if you cut your finger it takes a while to heal . This was a deeper cut through fascia, nerve endings and re suturing of the severed nerves and vessels. Stick to Tennis J. Beer and as you do not seem to recognise Rafa as one of the greatest players ever, I think maybe you know little about tennis as well except for Rafa bashing.
Rafa is right! Vamos Rafa <3
Great you are coming to Sydney, liked the fast tennis in Melbourne earlier this year,
and seeing rafa in the flesh was a dream come true, Looking forward to Sydney Rafa
Toni Nadal says they ended the year better than they started. Wow. Where are the results that give some credit to that statement Toni? R2 and R3 at Wimbledon and US Open is better than QF at AO and RG? QF in Paris Masters is better than the final in Madrid? You know what would be a really great finish of the year? If you’d quit Toni, that would be the best finish, for the sake of your pupil.
J Beer Your comments are unacceptable. Rafael is not ” his pupil”. He is one of the greatest players ever to grace the game. He is returning to his best form, so let us see how that evolves.
My commentas are unacceptable? Team Nadal should conclude that falling so deep as Rafa’s done in the last two years, is unacceptable. The tour is about to enter a new Weak Era – with clear lack of real new greats in the younger generation – and Nadal should have been harvesting instead of self-doubting. It is unworthy of an all time great to get overwhelmed with nerves in minor tournaments like the Barcelona Open when you have 14 frigging majors on your resume. Someone who gets into such a situation 20 times in one season and concludes with his team that nothing should change, no new coach, no psychological help, is acting irresponsible. That, for real fans, should be considered “unacceptable”.
J Beer is completely right. what is wrong with Rafa and his team? where are his parents to intervene? Rafa has been in slump for almost two freaking years. It is not acceptable.
What a fantastic and humorous response from J. Beer!!!
Even the Great Thinker could not have painted a better picture.
Thanks Great Thinker. It’s true that the fanatical Backstreet Boys fans like Elizabeth Howard ‘coincidentally’ all lack a sense of humour. It’s all one way traffic (“well done Rafa”, after each loss, one more painful than another, “Rafa, you were wonderful”). Actually, maybe they are being cynical?
Rafa i love you