If your one wish is to keep Rafael Nadal’s amazing quotes as motivational posters, you’ve come to the right place.
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Another legendary player reiterates what I’ve been saying for the last 2 years – that Rafa’s increasingly timid and meek shot selection is largely to blame for his declining form and ranking:
“Rafa’s forehand is not as good as it was 3 and 4 years ago. That heavy topspin, that speed he put on the ball. You know, the ball jumps; he hit it deep; he was on the offensive all the time. Now, he’s not quite the same when hitting that shot. It’s more keeping it in play, not trying to be really attacking.” ~ Rod Laver – http://www.thenational.ae/sport/tennis/djokovic-needs-a-rival-nadal-problems-persist-five-lessons-from-the-australian-open#3
Shot selection is tactics. Tactics come from the coach. But unfortunately, Rafa doesn’t have a coach. He has a coach in name only.
Connie and Elizabeth would say “Who is Rod Laver, what does he even know, what did even do in this life?”
J Beer, I see your rudeness towards me continues, you know nothing about me at all. It may surprise you to know that I do know who Rod Laver is and what he has achieved throughout his tennis career and watched many of his matches years ago along with those of Ken Rosewall, John Newcombe , Billie Jean, Martina etc etc, need I go on, so I am considered to know great deal about tennis, past and present. I will always be a Rafa fan and greatly admire what he has achieved thus far and I also recognise that he needs to make changes to be successful, whether it means bringing an addition to his team and/or changing tactics but I am also respectful that he is intelligent and will make his own decisions . Rod Laver is correct in what he says (he should know being the expert). So please do not make any more assumptions about me or Elizabeth until you know what you are talking about.
Laver really nailed Rafa problems. Everyone knows that his FH is not as good as in the past. But the point is his body is getting aged. He should change coach for a new game plan.
It has nothing to do with his body. He’s 29 years old. Still in his absolute prime. His problem is his HEAD. His body is just fine(no pun intended ladies).
So is Rafa going to play at Buenos aires?
He is spending so much time on uncle Toni but the result is still the same.
Come on Rafa! See how Raonic played at AO 2016. He turned into a very different person with Carlos Moya. There are many professionals who are willing to help you Rafa,
Then Why should move in or move on should waste time here for what he call a crybaby
A total disrespect for huge human being
Because I haven’t given up on him yet, even though he seems to have given up on himself. There’s still some hope for our favorite player. But only if he wakes up, smells the coffee and hires a REAL coach.
Nadal after RG ’14: 27 losses, zero masters, zero slams.
Djokovic after RG ’14: 10 losses, 7 masters, 5 slams, 2 WTF.
Don’t worry. Rafa says he’s “on the right track.” LOL
J Beer is absolutely correct. Rafa has become a real CRYBABY the last 2 years. He cries about confidence problems. He cries about playing conditions. He cries about chair umpires. He cries about draws. He cries about opponents playing their best tennis against him. He cries about fans offering advice from the stands(see Dubai final). He cries about too many hard-court tournaments. He cries about time violations. He cries about the ATP’s ranking system. He cries about his Davis Cup coach. He cries about his injuries. He cries about everything. He’s become a shadow of the man he used to be. So sad. So very, very, very sad.
Agree. I became a huge tennis fan because of the fighting spirit of Rafa and excitation that came with it. That Rafa is gone.The new Rafa has all the signs of loser mentality.
J beer
I think u have not tasted failure in ur life and life has been a very rich and prosperous for u and i want it should remain like that for u and even if u had face d failure u must have come up flying colours
But rafa is human and everyone goes such phase
That dosesnt mean u say anything to a man who is 2 nd in the world for achieving 14 slams in the area he works and may be at the end he may be 3rd or 4 th but still 3 rd or 4 th in the world for what he devoted his some life
And thats why needs reapect
At the end u needs to be satisfied of what u acheived and got
And hungry for more not because u want to be in front in number of slams but because rafa loves this sports and he is so passionate about it and hence needs to enjoy it untill he wants…..u cant question any one desire
At this time rafa i thought is not able to execute what he practice in courts thats why result seems to be poor
And hence he blame himself and not other for his loss
Once he starts executing we will see him winning
I’ve tasted plenty of failure in my 75 years and therefore I know that what I see in the last two years, is terrible. Rafa went from being a role model to setting a bad example in the field of mental strength. His 14 majors are now pulling him down instead of lifting him up. He should really consider retiring (and he will, you heard it here first) if this season will be like last, or worse. And as long as he does not pick a real coach, it will happen. In a year from now, we’re talking about the former tennis player Nadal.
J Beer, you were very rude to me on more than one occasion, most commentators on Rafa’s site admire him for what he has achieved in his career and support him in the future, but not you it seems, so I ask you one question DO YOU LIKE RAFA?
I like players who go for the max, like Nadal in 2012, who found solutions, like Nadal in 2013, who fought back after Wimbledon, the Nadal that won majors 10 season in a row. I don’t like the cry baby that we’ve seen now for two years. It’s enough, it’s pathetic, and it’s a waste of a golden opportunity. He acts like a spoiled little kid.
Rafa worked out solutions against most aggressive player robin soderling and won next year fo defeating him
I am sure he will definitely work out solution for nole
Read today one of the things Novak is supposed to have said – that he just can’t get enough of victories.
He wants to keep winning. Says it
all.
That hunger and thirst to win everything is unfortunately one of the differences between Rafa and Novak at the moment. Rafa said he is satisfied with his past and 14 GSs. Novak will not be satisfied – he’ll go on and on until he just cannot any more. Soo sad!!!
Rafa is right
Rafa said he is happy with his past and feels great and lucky ti have won 14 slams
I mean one need to be satisfied what u got but that doesnt mean u r not hungry for more
Remeber last year roger was out early in ao
However he managed a good year afyer that
Rafa is definitely hungry for more
There is a life beyond tennis but it is needed a part of rafas life u cant refrain his passion for the game
Yes, and note how quickly Novak jumped from 6 to 11 majors. Camp Nadal is still saying loser stuff like ‘Let us not forget, that only 18 months ago, we was champion at Roland Garros’. You know what a good coach would say? “SPANG” (flat hard spank on the cheek): “You won Jack Sh*t since that RG victory, and Novak, who you in fact only beat probably because he was ill that day, took that victory and used it to his advantage and he never looked back for chriss*ke!. He won 5 majors in that short timespan, and you, you???? You frigging won 3 mini non relevant tournaments and cried about insecurities in every frigging interview. You lost early in all majors and you play without any tactics. Man up, you FRIG*ING P*SSYYYY!”. SPANG! (another hit, this time to the other cheek).
You must be a high-achiever in your life. Why don’t you go worship Djokovic?
You know what, I’ve always gotten inspired by Nadal’s way of playing tennis and his mental strenght. His quotes I’ve absolutely not gotten inspired by, for the simple reason that Nadal, although now almost 30 years old, is not the most matured mind we have around. Read his autobio and you will agree. It is very much shown in the way he deals with his problems during the last two years. He’s not an Alpha male. He does not take control, but he relies on Toni.
To all the people who keep sticking their heads in the sand, maybe just read the nonsense and predictions you all wrote a year ago, for example hear. http://rafaelnadalfans.com/2015/02/04/rafael-nadal-greatest-player-of-all-time-goat/comment-page-1/#comment-122379
It may wake you up and maybe it will wake up Nadal?
Looking at rhw pattern nole play in big matches or big opponent he just go for kill in 1 st set and thats where u need to make strategy
Go in the match thinking of only 1 set match and just try to be on serve with nole till very end and try to break nole service from his 1 st game dont think of unforced error and go for winners
What novak is doing he is serving big and good on important points like when he is 0-30 or 0- 40 u can blindly assume that 90 % he will go down the tee serve so be ready dont allow him to take advantage of it by having good return
Make him nervy in 1 st set by self motivating urself with actions (fist pumping)
Novak is having good matches because of his consitent depth in shots so that dont allow u attack him from baseline and having a good game on important point
If u go in the match thinking of winning against him in 5 sets then that the end of the match ….u need to go into match thinking of only 1 set match and if u win that then think of winning in straight sets …go for body serve to novak
Thats the way i think all players should play
against him
I hope rafa will win against him in next meeting
Rafa just needs depths in his shots and serve well on important points
Go to his forehands and if u in long rally with him from long away from baseline just expect the drop shot from him
Congrats to novak and with all credits to his game i must say he is striking grandslams when rafa playing bad and roger managing to be there and when young still dont want to grab opportunities and experienced mixture still finding diificult to achieve this(berdych , ferrer)
So rafa u have to come back just not because want but because i know that nobody except u and stan can beat novak in grandslams in this form of novak
So tennis needs to be interesting with no one way traffic
Else it will be so boring because of nole play which is just not interesting to watch
Come back rafa …… tennis needs u
Vamos Rafa eres increible
Hang on everybody, especially Deep Thinker, this is Rafael’s Site, not Serena or Andy or Novak’s!
Great Quotes Rafa. You are not only a Tennis Legend, but also a well read n intelligent young man. Vamos Rafa. God bless you. Love your Aussie Abuela. 😀😊😇🎈🎈
Inspirational quotes. Vamos Rafa!
This is Deep Thinker. Just closing my eyes and reflecting on Maria Sharapova and Andy Murray. Why do they lose each time against Serena and Novak respectively? The answer may be as simple as ABC.
To understand my point of view, you’d have to ask, how did Stan, Roberta Vinci, Nick Kyrgios, Fernando Verdasco and Anglique Kerber pulled it off against Rafa and Serena respectively? They were all able to achieve their respective victories down under and against all odds by using the element of SURPRISE.Yes, that’s the key to pulling off a huge upset.
Why would a Maria find it IMPOSSIBLE to beat Serena in 18 consecutive matches and a Roberta Vinci or Kerber comes along and ”voila” the unbeatable Serena is defeated??!! The answer lies in HUMILITY couched in the element of SURPRISE.
Maria Sharapova, like Andy Murray, will always come short against their top rivals (Serena and Novak) because they always make a conscious and visible efforts to beat Serena and Novak. Maria plays on the court beating her leg to pieces while Andy repeatedly bemoans and swears to high heaven in matches with Serena and Novak respectively, No true champion will open his/her eyes and not fight back to consciously achieve victory. Serena will always play her A game each time she meets Maria; ditto Novak against Andy. Because they know that Maria and Andy are coming to them with ”guns blazing” and aiming to defeat them.
Fernanado verdasco, in pulling off the AO upset against Nadal, reportedly said ”I knew i had nothing to lose, so i just closed my eyes and went for winners on every shot” That’s the element of surprise and it worked like magic! The same for Nick Kyrgios, Roberta Vinci and Angelique Kerber.
Therefore, if Murray and Maria really desire to overcome their conquerors, they need to adopt a change in match plan/ strategy. They need to introduce the surprise element. Fiorst, in the pre-match interviews, instead of saying things like ”…i must serve well to have a chance of beating him/her” they should be very humble and even concede defeat. I mean they should rather say things like ” yes, i know i’m the underdog. I have nothing to lose”
If they can adopt these strategies,I believe they’d have a good chance of beating these guis. Maria and Andy MUST in troduce the SUPRISE element into their game mix to beat Serena and Novak.
i love every word on it… just keep going Rafa we will be forever fans. Vamos!
Absolutely love the posters some fans on here , if you are true fans read the third quote down and take note . Also well done to Andy Murray for a great game he made a gracious and heartwarming speech in defeat and best wishes on the forthcoming birth of your little murray
Salut rafa , comment ça va ? je suis sur que tu peut jouer le revers une main et tu va leurs mettre une tôle …..
VAMOOOOOOOOSSSSS toujours avec toi rafa
Great posters. Vamos Rafa <3 <3 <3
If you don’t succeed first time “try, try and try again……………….
Quite the philosopher. Bright and insightful.
It’s funny how people can interpret things differently. I read these quotes, I read the Nadal bio, and I conclude: ‘Quite the simpleton, a child in the body of a man’. I assume you are offended if I rate Nadal’s tennis skills higher than his intellectual ones (he does not even speak English after 13 years on the tour, where everybody speaks English).
J Beer you said it very well. I’ve read Rafa’s bio too and honestly I was shocked about his unusual and unhealthy bringing up.I’ve always wondered why Rafa’s manager or family don’t hire somebody to teach him proper english. My guess is the people around Rafa are milking him and take advantage of his dependent personality.they feel threatened by any outsider to act as a coach or trainer for Rafa.
I meant upbringing.