Fourth seed Rafael Nadal is heading home to Mallorca earlier than expected after he lost 6-3, 7-6 (3) to Serbian Viktor Troicki in the second round of Shanghai Masters on Wednesday.
Though yet to have officially qualified for the ATP World Tour Finals, Rafa is a shoo-in to earn a spot at the London showpiece.
However, Rafa suggested he had doubts over his ability to take part at the O2 Arena, as he continues to battle back from the wrist injury that wrecked his French Open and Wimbledon.
After the match, Rafa said:
I cannot say now what I am going to do during the next month. I’m not sure about my calendar. I’m not sure about the things that I need to do to try to be at 100 per cent ready for the next year.
I need to speak with my team. I need to speak with my uncle [Toni, also his coach] too and prepare myself for the calendar to try to do the things that I need to do and to work on things I need to work, because sometimes to keep competing is not the solution.
I have two months and a half until the next season starts, so I have two months and a half to put myself at the level that I need to be and I have the confidence that I am going to do it.
For me the season is almost over and I accept that. Just looking about what I need to do to be 100 per cent ready for the beginning of the next season.
Source: Yahoo Sports
PS: VAMOS SWEETHEART RAFA…..JUST WISH TO ADD THAT NOT TOO MANY PLAYERS ENDED UP WITH TROPHIES…..YOU HAVE EARNED TWO RECENTLY…….. PLEASE CELEBRATE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS DEAR RAFA AND KNOW THAT YOUR ADORING FANS ARE CELEBRATING GLOBALLY WITH YOU AND YOUR GREAT TEAM!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) HAVE A GREAT TRIP HOME AND A BEAUTIFUL WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) : )
OLA & VAMOS DEAR RAFA!!!!!!!! : ) : ) 🙂 Hi sweetheart! : ) Today’s match WAS JUST A MATCH……NO MORE NO LESS…… EVERYTHING IN GOOD MEASURE, AND YOU CAN ALWAYS WALK LIGHTLY AND FREELY OF ALL PRESSURES….CI….CI….CI…SENIOR!!!!!! : ) NOTHING IS WORTH MORE THAN YOUR OWN PEACE OF MIND AND GOOD HEALTH. ENJOY YOUR BREAK BETWEEN TOURS…AND YOU DO NOT NEED TO ANSWER TO NO ONE….YOU ARE AMAMZING AND YOU ARE BLESSED AND YOUR HARD WORK DID SHOW GOOD RESULTS. IT IS JUST ANOTHER MATCH….. PLEASE ENJOY SOME GOLFING …..GO FISHING AND ENJOY EVERYTHING SWEETHEART !!!!! : ) YOUR TENNIS IS STRONG…… YOUR ENDURANCE IS THERE…… AND YOUR LEVEL IS TOP…..NO NEED TO WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING!~!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) : ) ALL IS WELL SWEETHEART AND TAKE TIME TO CATCH UP WITH EXTRA SLEEP AND EXTRA RELAXATION WITH YOUR BELOVED FAMILY AND FRIENDS. ALL IS WELL DEAR DEAR RAFA . PAY ZERO ATTENTION TO DOUBTING COMMENTS BECAUSE IN ALL LIKELIHOOD THEY ARE WRITTEN BY NOVAK, ROGER OR OTHER PLAYER’S FANS. YOU KEEP FOLLOWING YOUR WISDOM SWEETHEART AND YOU HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS YOU NEED. I THINK YOU DID GREAT TO HAVE TWO WONDERFUL TROPHIES RECENTLY GIVEN YOUR INJURY TIME OFF, AND SO YOUR WINNING AND VICTORIES WERE A SUBSTANTIAL CLIMBING BACK TO FORM !!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) GOD BLESS YOU AND BEST WISHES DEAR RAFA!!!!!!! 🙂 : ) : ) PLEASE KNOW YOU ARE NOT DISAPPOINTING YOUR TRUE FANS….. YOU ARE AMAZING!!!!!!! : ) WE LOVE YOU AND UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS AND THE ENORMITY OF EFFORT AND WORK THAT GOES INTO PREPARING FOR TOURS AND COMPETITION. YOU WERE READY. RECENTLY YOU PLAYED VERY WELL!!!!! : ) AS IT IN ALL SPORTS, YOU WON SOME AND YOU LOST SOME, THAT’S IT. TAKE GOOD CARE SWEETHEART, ENJOY A NICE TIME OFF AND WHATEVER OR HOWEVER YOU SPEND YOUR TIME OFF, ENJOY DOING , KNOW YOU ARE A GREAT GUY AND VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) VAMOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) LOTS OF LOVE AND HAPPINESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! : ) : ) : ) : )
Does anyone of you also think the same as me – Rafa may not be just pondering whether to shut this season down, but instead his entire career? He looked so gloomy these days and completely lost his desires to win on the court (except the doubles matches)… I think he is under enormous pressure about something important, but don’t know what is going on in his life and what is going through his mind right now.
@Domi. I don’t get that feeling about him shutting down his career. Everything he has said goes against this. He’ll play for as long as he can. He’s just disappointed his efforts haven’t worked – his injuries are taking longer and longer to recover from (which is basically what Federer said was the problem with him last year). If he’s struggling with something outside tennis it’ll be the anxiety issues he had last year which crippled him. His personal life seems happy – of course we don’t know much more.
He cut down a reporter today for asking him if he would concentrate on doubles ‘No, I’m a singles player.’
His enormous pressure is that he keeps losing ..fact..as John McEnroe said “get a new damn coach”.i adore Rafa and always will but his stubbornness about change is so unfathomable what’s wrong with him ..misplaced loyalty ..it may soon be too late ..and for the record I have been saying he needs fresh eyes and ideas for the last 2years
Not at all. Why shold he give up after two “bad” seasons? I went trough that time plus minus four years ago when people were starting to tell Roger to stop because of some bad losses.
He is still here, and passionate about tennis. I thinks Rafa loves tennis exactly the same.
Domi, don’t think he is considering retiring. His wrist is obviously not healed. He is always serious on court but lots of photographs of him looking happy and relaxed off court.
Let us hope it is nothing serious and that we will see him back competing well .
You know what is so painful? More and more of the so called real fans, now finally AGREE that Rafa needs a new coach, that his approach in the last couple of years was wrong. Thank you so much for bashing me, bashing Sos, MIOMO and others, for just saying what you now agree to.
Too sad for words!!! Rafa has to tackle his mental problems with a specialist – maybe do just that for a while. Then start regular tennis practice but with proper structure – addressing all his weaknesses – whatever strengths left, strategies and then what all has to be changed. Otherwise he can keep practicing as hard as he wants but it’s not going to change anything. A viscous circle. Mental issues very, if not most important. It’s like trying to come out of a burnout on ones own without any professional help. It’s not possible. Issues have to be addressed soundly and deeply without being wishy washy and hoping it’ll go away on its own.
I wish he can return playing well and being a threat once again – even if it takes long. Miss ‘him’ so so much.
Please don’t give up Rafa you can make a successful come back I pray for this xx
Dear Rafa, I have been your fan since you’re a teenager and I am so concern where your game is and your confidence is at the moment! I don’t want you to retire because I enjoy the manner and the grace you play tennis. Also I admire your tenacity, humanity, humility and the real person who you are! Your traits are Super Exceptional!
I want you to be at the top, and I dislike the criticisms the pundits and media gives you!
So, to make it short and sweet I want you to take people’s advice on taking in a new ear to your team. You don’t have to get rid of Tio Toni and Francis but maybe John McEnroe or Darren Cahill or Paul Anaconne (Roger’s and Pete’s ex coaches) just a thought if you don’t like it you don’t have to do this, just an advice of a good friend!
Muchas gracias and much affection and Abrazo muy fuerte besitos mi apoyo hasta siempre! VAMOSSSSS Rafa a SEGUIR y Adelante, Animo! ❤❤❤❤❤❤💋💋💋💋🌝🌻🌻🌻👏👏👏👏👍👍👍👍👍👑👑👑👑👑 You are King always!
My thoughts for rafa and fans
WHAT Is STRESS?
It’s The Gap Between
Our Expectation and Reality
More the Gap, more the Stress
So Expect Nothing & Accept Everything.
Rafa please dont create to much burden of doing well and winning tournaments
just play freely and be competitive
I feel Rafa shud consider other voice for his service and returns
he needs it
his forehand is there not 100 % but enoigh to win matches
Rafa dislikness is losing out the long rally point to oppnent as he did today
it really cause a dip in confidence in a match
and play
so rafa needs to understand he will loose one or two such point but the thing is he shud forget that
Vamos rafa
Play many more years
It was just VERY sad watching Nadal play today. He does not seem confident and more importantly, he has not and will not change his game: same shots, same place, same pattern-everyone has figured his game and knows exactly where he will place it and they just wait for the ball and slam it at will. Running around his backhand to get a forehand was good and worked even five years ago but now, he does not have the speed or even the energy to cover the open court which consistently occurs when he runs around his backhand. Unlike Djokovic’s game, Rafa’s has not evolved and will never evolve if he stubbornly keeps same coach, same old team and same old tactics. I want to remember NADAL as he was; a brilliant tennis player, feared by many other players, and not what he is now: a player beaten by everyone: Nikishori, Prouille, Dimitrov and today, Troicki. Because of this, Rafa please quit the game so we can remember you as you were and not as you are.
He wasted his precious last 3 years for no logical reasons. He went through losses after losses, endured injures from futile practice and matches. His unprofessional loyalty to his team and coach and fear of change deeply rooted in his psyche brought him to a point that he loses in the first round of a tournament. He needs a smart and effective coach and to learn meditation and breathing techniques
Agreed, but he will NEVER do this
Neruda: I know. he’s beyond help by his own choice.
I doubt the game has changed that much. He’s still playing the same opponents he has always played – it can’t be they have all adapted and he hasn’t. He won 2 SLAMs in 13 and 1 in 14. The game didn’t change in two seasons. Dont forget who he has beaten this year: Warwinka, Thiem, Murray etc. He has already gone over his predicted shelf life. He has lost strength, speed and accuracy through yet another inury. No change of coach will bring that back.
Safin once said, very emotionally, people have no idea just how difficult it is to come back from injury.
Rafa whatever the solution is I hope you find it and come back in 2017 fighting .Only time will tell.
Is this the last straw that breaks the camel’s back.. aka his stubbornness of not seeking help.. or is it the same improve/practice bla bla and try the same old and expect magical results.. I fear it is the latter the way he talks about his forehand.
The game has changed a lot with a trend of moving back to speed things up (court/ball etc). You cannot survive with just a FH (even if it works 100%) and with a serve that is a liability and just helps percentage play(start the point) at best in the current men’s game. It just feels sick to watch Joker serve these days. He has improved so much on serve and gets free points at will. I will not believe that he is more talented and or stronger than Rafa> I believe that Rafa can do the same or better. He showed us he can in 2010 and in 2013 serving bombs.
The weird part of this all is Rafa’s BH is really good even though he stubbornly only goes cross court with it. Unless he is open to changing his groundies patterns and invests in his serve, stop this doubles nonsence… 2017 is not going to be any different from 2016.
I think this has been misquoted – ‘Rafa said I need to recover the confidence to do that’ not ‘I am confident…’
Like all Rafa fans, I am sad with the results but no longer surprised. I have said for some time that Rafa needs to reach bottom before he makes the changes so many are suggesting. This year he has always blamed his results on injuries. I don’t care about the WTF, since he was not going to do well the way he is playing. I hope he brings in help on his serve. I could see from the opening game that Rafa did not look good and Viktor was openly confident. He may have too much on his plate with the academy. I still think Rafa could have one last run but he needs help. His comments seem to imply he may finally be there too.
The academy, please be serious. This is 99% outsourced. The remaining 1% is hobby. Nadal will surprise us with another non-change…like the August 2015 change of tactics that nobody noticed.
Bjorn Borg tried a comeback in the 80s, ten years after he last had success, and he tried it with his old looks and a wooden racket. Rafa Nadal tries to come back and recreate success with his old tactics, his old coach and an older body. The game has changed, Rafa’s spin has decreased but he keeps running in the wheel. Check the definition of insanity. That’s Rafa in the last couple of seasons. Amateur level approach to a pro game by what once was a GOAT candidate. The last years are a bloody shame.
No words anymore. No serve, no forhand – Rafa what is wrong with you? End this season now and work hard for 2017. Always with you <3
Rafa I love you very much and I hope you can win all the tournaments. I think, you should rest for a while. Te estas quemando con match after match. You need to recover from your health problems like Roger did, so you can come back stronger. I dont like for you to be losing so much. Your fan from Mexico that wishes you can win more, but you are AGOTADO, FISICA Y MENTALMENT.
Rafa losing early in an event is no more a news… I am not surprised, Asian swing has always been a nightmare for him and moreover, he has n’t been playing well.
Really, Rafa?
Told you Rafa needs a new coach. He not only needs a plan B in his game but also some wise advices from a real grandslam champion who had been through this stage of career before.
It’s painful to see Rafa’s face like this. No confidence, full of sadness and disappointment!
Rafa we admire you but you are being so stubborn. It’s ok to have difficult moments when you are getting older. You have to ACCEPT and DEAL with it. Be like Federer. Play the way when you ‘re old. Get a plan B from another professional.
Whatever happen, i still admire you so much Rafa.
I find this too difficult to watch now ..he stubbornly refuses to accept any change or different opinions of anyone outside the family..what’s wrong with him you only get one shot at being a tennis pro per lifetime yes he has won everything there is to win but why not do everything to see it through to retirement..I adore Rafa and always will..what’s stopping him is it Toni?..just try someone new with fresh ideas like all the other top players do please Rafa
So sad