In an interview with El Pais, Rafael Nadal’s long-time doctor Angel Ruiz Cotorro said that they are adopting a very cautious approach to the latest setback in the hopes of being fit and ready for the clay-court season.
When you are about to compete and in your first training session (and) this happens, obviously it influences you and it’s hard. It’s in a muscle and not in a tendon, which would have been much worse.
The negative thing is that pain is back in an already affected zone and this is not something unusual. Rafa was practicing in a normal way and everything was going well. We need to be optimistic, because we have always been so, but also realistic and now, seeing what happened, we have to be as cautious as possible.
Rafa will be back when he will be doing well.
Cotorro said everyone was hopeful that Rafa would be back in time to compete on his favourite surface.
We hope that he will be recovered for the clay-court season, that’s the goal.
Rafa should rest for two or three weeks, then have a progressive recovery, but it always depends on how everything works. You have to monitor this injury closely, so we will go week-by-week, without rushing.
Source: sport24
Mjus, you said it! I agree 100%. It’s been so predictable and it’ll probably be the same in Miami. No one has taken Federer out of his comfort zone at IW, so he’s been cruising! No long rallies to get Fed tired (Rafa and Novak wete the masters of this). Taking the ball early, putting it in awkward places on the court and keeping the points short has overwhelmed his opposition so far. Delpo is the only one left that can step up to the plate and hit Fed off the court with his power. I’m waiting for some real competition! Come back fit and healthy Rafa, Novak, Stan, Kyrgios…
lorna,
Right now only nadal can be competitive against him. The younger generation with the exception of kyrgios is a complete disaster its not fun anymore to watch. If del potro loses against kohlschreiber you might as well give the title to federer.
you know what i find more cowardiness is that federer once he will win indian wells and miami he will go hiding in dubai or schwitzerland and come back at the start of the grass season he doesnt want to take up the challenge on clay against rafa
This is the most boring indian wells tournament i have ever watched. Federer must feel himself absoluty great knowing no one can threaten him in his yacht to win indian wells. To be honest i think without kyrgios, nadal and djokovic the atp is in real crisis. I feel like its all 2006 again when federer was untouchable. and the tv pundits, analyst and anchors where complety sucking up to him.
Please del potro beat his guy play your best match against him if you face him in the final. And Nadal needs to be back on his best
There were times when Rafa also was untouchable. And Nole.
I doubt very much that the ATP “is in real crisis.” Tennis is a global sport, neither Spanish, nor Swiss, nor Serbian, nor American [Sampras won 14 GS’s].
I find it inconceivable that one or more of the younger players, who also have their legions of fans, will not start winning slams. When, of course, is an open question. Their fans will most certainly attend tournaments in the hope that their guy will win.
I don’t usually watch tennis if Rafa is not in a particular tournament.
In 2005, when I first discovered Rafa, I decided I wanted to see more of him. With his unconventional outfit, his dropping to the clay after his FO win, I had no thought of him being the GOAT or beating anyone else’s record.
To this day I watch Rafa just for the sheer joy of watching him play.
I find discussions about Rafa interesting rather than the negative and boring discussions about Fed. But that’s me.
RAFA ROCKS
El Español interview with Dr. Cotorro on March 9, 2018.
My eyes bulged when I read El Español’s timeline of Rafa’s AO retirement and his resumption to practice.
NADAL, THE ULTRACONSERVATIVE WAY
Dr. Cotorro: Medicine is not 2×2, unfortunately it is not an exact science. He was training normally, very strong without any problem. He did not feel overwhelmed. It appeared all was well and he could continue.
We have studied the injury and what happened is unusual. There should not have been a repetition in the time we had to heal. Five weeks is enough time to heal.
5 weeks? Following is El Español’s timeline:
El Español: Rafa retired from the AO on the night of January 23. On Thursday, February 1, he trained for 45 minutes first thing in the morning. He did not practice on Friday the 2nd, but on Saturday the 3rd he did. This is to say eight days between his Cilîc retirement including a flight of more than 20 hours, he was back on court knowing what the recommendations were. He then went to play golf and fulfill his sponsorship obligations.
On February 19, Rafa landed in Cazumel where he started to prepare for his return to competition without a hint of injury.
His training in Acapulco bolstered great feelings and optimism for his team. They felt he was more than prepared to compete for the Mexican title.
Dr. Cotorro: We are now going to take time to rest. We have used a treatment and will let this area rest. We will do the minimum of minimums, nothing that will affect this area.
At times, stopping gives you the power to do other things, yet this time we will be very strict. We have to be prudent and cautious. This type of injury goes on while hidden because the symptoms disappear. The situation is worrying but not critical.
Rafa went to Barcelona for additional tests which enabled us to explore the area. There was less liquid than there was in Mexico.
From the time he returned from Acapulco, and during the following weeks, Rafa will do nothing to endanger this delicate area.
In summation, Rafa will rest until he has the green light to return to train with a less-to-more approach and maximum precaution possible.
———————————-
I have to say, this is the first time I have read such forceful words from his doctor. Makes me smile. There is reason to be optimistic IF Rafa rests. However, I still feel Monte-Carlo is too soon.
IF Dr. Cotorro is referring to PRP treatments, which Rafa underwent for his 2016 FO wrist injury, it may help him to heal faster but only in the short term. I recall that Rafa was forced to cut short his 2016 season. But… the good thing is that in this area there are a lot more blood vessels than there are in the wrist so PRP may be the answer. As Dr. Cotorro stated in 2016, “forcing the healing process.” Fingers crossed.
Rest well Rafa so you can return in good health to the sport you so love.
RAFA ROCKS
If you ask any player, they would prefer the easiest draw possible as a route to getting their hands on a trophy and Roger is no exception. Roger is extremely good at playing the mental game both on and off court. Of course Rafa’s fitness will have a bearing on Roger playing RG, but obviously he won’t admit to that. He’s in it to win it (naturally) and coming up against the greatest clay court player in history is a daunting prospect for anyone!
At this stage, given Rafa’s injury, style of play and age, he should put ranking points to the back of his mind and organise his schedule to give him the best chance of winning more grand slams. I know he is very patriotic, but i can’t see him opting to play DC. He has given and achieved so much for his country over the years in that competition, why risk aggravating an injury so early in April?
Dates for the clay tournaments :
Monte Carlo: 15th – 22nd April
Barcelona: 23rd – 29th April
Madrid: 6th – 13th May
Rome: 13th – 20th May
RG: 27th May – 10th June
In my opinion, Rafa should skip Monte Carlo and play Barcelona to give more time for the injury to heal, then play in Rome. Whatever he and his team decide, they must be realistic. Like all Rafans, I don’t want to experience a roller coaster ride of emotions, fearing injury as I sit though match after match! Less is more Rafa!
Lorna, I still feel that Rafa should start with Madrid. Why? Because it will have been a minimum of 10 weeks between his MexO withdrawal on Feb. 27, and Madrid, May 6. This timeframe will allow for 7-8 weeks of rest [if he rests] and a very guarded incremental build-up to full practice schedule. Please keep in mind that he is dealing not only with these two injuries [AO and MexO] but knee pain also. The rest period will also help his knees.
Overly conservative perhaps, but I am terribly distressed about his seeming inability to be pain and injury free at this very special point in his career.
If he is really fit, he can safely play Madrid, and Rome, then a week off before the FO.
As far as Fed is concerned, I think he is looking to win 10 Wimbys. Taking the FO off the table could help him do it.
RAFA ROCKS
Margo, i take your point, but none of us really know what the best formula is for Rafa and to what extent his body will stand up to the stresses and strains of upcoming competition. It boils down to a matter of opinion and speculaton as to which clay tournaments he plays. As fans, one thing that we’re all agreed on is that we want the best for him.
Lorna, my comment was not to imply that my formula is the better one. I do agree on all of your points, especially on how Rafa’s body will or will not stand up to the stresses and strains of future competition. That is what has me so worried.
I was offering an explanation as to why I felt he could wait longer.
Fans know how Rafa has been able to return from injury with great results. Whether he comes back at DC, Monte-Carlo, or Madrid, I am hoping for him to win his 11th FO and more, without compromising his health.
RAFA ROCKS
During a Rafa-news search, I found the following….an interview with Fed.
L’Equipe France, 3/12/2018
Q: When you look at the draw without Djokovic, eliminated, without Murray and Nadal, injured, what do you tell yourself, “even better” or “what a shame?”
Fed: A little bit of both. Often I look at the draw and I tell myself, “I play Rafa in the second round. I would rather not play Rafa in the second round [smiling]. On the other hand, I would be glad to face these guys, Novak, Andy, Rafa, Stan. It is different when they are not around.
Q: You still haven’t decided if you will play clay this year, but with the progress you have accomplished this year, do you think yourself capable of playing against anyone, including Nadal, on clay, in the best of five.
Fed: I don’t know. To be honest I haven’t thought about it. I don’t know what kind of progress you are talking about that could help me against Rafa on clay. He continues to move best on clay. I don’t know if I move better on clay now than before. I haven’t played on it for such a long time. The fact whether or not I play on clay does not depend on the presence or absence of Rafa and Novak. It depends on what I wish to play, it depends on avoiding injury, on what my head tells me to do. I would love to play Rafa on clay in best of five, don’t misunderstand me. I would love to see what happens now. But there is no guarantee that I would have more luck today than in the past. I still think without a doubt he is the one to play against on clay and he will be the best player forever in history on clay.
Rafa said he wants to return to be the best clay-court player in the world.
Make it happen for 2018 too, Rafa, because you are already the best. Please heal so you are ready.
RAFA ROCKS
N.B. Fed’s interview ends with …best player forever in history on clay.
RAFA ROCKS
Latest update from Jon Wertheim: Rafa is still expected to play the Davis Cup QF against Germany (6-8 April) even though he must rest 100% now (no golf, fishing, running around event after event etc.).
I was already disappointed enough to learn that he was going to play doubles at Miami, especially after his complaint about the tour (scheduling, HC) right after his loss to Cilic.
That was before he even went to Acapulco so apparently he and his team were overconfident then and now I’m afraid they’re overestimating his body again.
This Acapulco injury is not the same as the one at the AO as many suspected. It’s a new one in the same area despite being only 1cm apart.
I suspect all 3 injures are connected to each other. All are on the right side; and the two
Illiosoaps injuries are very unsual in tennis.
The right knee injury, which had already been going on for a while before Shanghai by his own admision, was undoubtedly aggravated at Paris and London and susquentially wasn’t fully healed at AO after just 3 weeks of resting (and very limited training after that).
I think it’s likely that him being both concious and subconscious about it while playing led to some unnatural/awkward movement, especially when he got pushed. It also didn’t help that all the players he played before QF are grinders and he couldn’t find his best/better serve in the tournament to make things less complicated.
But that was understandable and to be expected since he hadn’t been able to practise serving from after Shanghai to about 10 days before the AO. After that it was only lightly.
Now that the 1st rehab program for the 1st illiosoaps injury, which was only a strain, has failed, the 2nd one, which was likely a tear due to the apparence of the fluid that didn’t go away besides the increased/extreme level of pain, should be treated with the utmost and extra caution.
Still, all I have read from Rafa’s doctor was still the same. 2-3 weeks rest, then slowly get back to rehab and practice.
I very much doubt 2-3 weeks would make a difference this time.
And I think the unusual nature of these 2 new injuries alone should have required more special and extra attention than usual.
No disrespect to him but he had failed time and time again in the past.
I very much doubt that if Rafa’s that determined to play DC, he wouldn’t refuse all other Spainish events (Barcelona and Madrid) and at least MC as well, unless his body denied him again, which is always the indication that it’s already too late.
If things go well, I think he should play only MC and Rome before RG, considering they’re both Masters and closer to RG in terms of condition, even Rome only.
If he must play for this home crowd, then it’s either DC or Barcelona and Rome. No play in 2 weeks back to back. Barcelona is much safer since it’s 2 weeks after the DC.
All in all, only play when being fully healthy + schedule smartly is the only way for Rafa now (and any injury-prone/30+ yo player for that matter). He’s pushing 32 already and his tennis body’s age is much older than that of most. (I often compare it to the moon with lots of “battle scars” on it. :p)
And of course focus on improving his serve and return position, attack the net much more and shorten the point on all surfaces will lighten the load on his body and increase his longevity
His 2017 game worked in 2017, albeit with a bit of luck (and unluck) and not always on HC. It’s not guaranteed it will work this year, especially with a questionable physique.
So far from not much he has played this year, there hasn’t been any improvement at all. Only the opposite. It was not the case last year when he improved his serve tremendously and turned his BH into a weapon, among other tweaks here and there.
Now I think that’s the 2nd biggest problem and a contribution to his getting injured twice more right off the bat this year.
Okay, sorry for the long rant. I guess some of you might understand my disappointment and also worry about our stubborn, injury-prone Rafa. I had been trying hard since Shanghai and decided to wait and wait and be as patient as I could but apparently this latest news was a bit too much for me to keep staying cool and calm.
Whatever you do, please stay healthy first, Rafa.
Rainier, I understand how you feel, especially about our “stubborn , injury prone Rafa”. I really can’t see how three weeks rest will be sufficient followed by “gradual practice” as Monte Carlo ( and Davis cup) will be almost upon us by then and knowing Rafa he will be extending his practice sessions as much as he can in order to be ready for these events.
I have always felt that his excessive practice routines wear him out before the matches even start and leave him open to injury. I feel that is partly what happened prior to Indian Wells . He practiced too much too soon in the limited time he had and his body protested.
I think Rafa is the best thing that has ever happened to tennis but he must now, at almost 32 years of age, curtail his schedule and cut down on his practice sessions if he wants to continue his career.
I know he does not want to follow Federer’s routines as he says they are two different people and what works for Federer may not work for him but he has never tried a reduction in schedule or practice times ( as you say, stobborn Rafa ) and if he did , he may be surprised.
Tennis loses its appeal for me without Rafa but I am happy to wait for a full recovery before he sets foot on a court again.
It may be one cm apart from the one of the Aussie Open, but for sure it’s the same area of the brain. This injury is mental.
Yeah you can all keep dancing around the bush, that’s fine with me, but it’s a very, very mental thing for Nadal. It has been throughout his career. Even during his comeback in 2013, he played with a strap around the knee, while it was useless, he admitted himself. What about all his OCD on the court? Look at Djokovic, he’s going through something similar. There’s a bit of elbow in the mix, but all in all, he just lost his mental strength post RG 16 and he’s struggling to find it. He even admits it. Nadal has been admitting his ‘nerves’ are a problem since 2014. Now the nerves are back, one wouldn’t expect that after such a season, but it’s a fact. We saw that scared look in the Aussie Open QF. No denying there. The scared rabbit returned. Let’s hope they fix him before the beefy part of the season comes around.
Not talking about it all the time is not “dancing around the bush”, Jean. While I agree there’s a certain degree of adulation over Rafa on here (or any fan site for that matter), of course there are more critical fans as well.
Rafa’s mental issue was already discussed at length here last year. I think I was the first to point that out persistently early in the season. It wasn’t a popular idea understandably but as the season progressed, it became clearer and clearer and Rafa himself admitted it in one way or another during the year as well. I think it should be a common knowledge by now.
But it was NOT everything then and still not now.
He has weakness mentally but also hella of strength in that department. In a way I think his mental strength has been overrated but in another way it’s still up there the among the greatest in the history of the game.
The more significant roots of the problem, imho, are his incredible stubbornness by all accounts (Toni, Moya, tennis pundits), his everlastingly written-in-the-stone beliefs, his nature as a creature of habits and immense, a bit out-of-place in competitive sports, humbleness.
Those are in his DNA and will never change.
They are his strengths and also his weakness.
Toni without a doubt played a huge part in nurturing and planting those qualities and beliefs.
It is what it is.
We all here love him for him being himself.
Thanks Rainier. Excellent piece on Rafa.
I was going to respond to Jean but thought better of it. My comments are often misinterpreted….maybe because they are poorly written.
In my assessment Rafa doesn’t appreciate or realize how great he is. It would break my heart if he felt he is inferior.
I feel there is an internal battle between his written-in-stone beliefs, his habits, and perhaps what he feels he should be doing. Internal conflict.
I had no idea being a fan of the most exciting player in the world would entail such emotional capital. No matter what though, I was and am in it for the long haul.
His “mental injury” as you call it, is just another one after many scars he has had.
It can be healed, though not totally, by significant shift (I don’t dare use he word “change”) in his beliefs.
He won’t do it himself. I’ve been hoping Moya could do it (Toni didn’t help in this matter imo), persuading him to NOT underestimate himself anymore, especially, let’s face it, at the dawn of his career like this.
I don’t want him to repeat the “motto” “Doubts are good. If you don’t have doubts, you are arrogant” time and time again in countless interviews/pressers.
I understand that now particularly stresses on being happy (and competitive) as one of his biggest goals after those years of being unhappy and not even wanting to be on the court (2014-2015),
But the “motto” above is so self-explanatory and as much as he values it, which we should fully respect, I don’t think it’s the most helpful one for someone of his stature and nature these days.
All in all, again, it’s more about this nature than the “mental injury”, I believe.
As great as he is, being his fan I admit is not easy.
Still I don’t think we as his fans “deserves” any more than we already do.
I myself have millions of thoughts and ideas about everything that relates to his tennis (okay, of course I’m exaggerating) and I certainly think he is perfectly capable of making mistakes just like everyone else – he would be the first to admit that.
But in the end I respect, and “accept” every decision that he has made and will make. He always has his reasons. The only thing that matters is they make sense to him.
So there you have it. The second toughest challenge in tennis after beating him in in a RG final on the Chatrier court is persuading that genius to finally admit how good he truly is.
“Rafa doesn’t know how good he is”, said Federer.
And I tend to agree.
I have to disagree. I believe those “mental issues” have disappeared since Moya came. Rafa has regained his rhythm already. Even when losing to Cilic who is a very tough player outside Fab 4, Rafa still played at very high level, hitting so many down the line forehands at a very difficult position which is very rare since 2015.
Like Moya said before, Rafa did want to become a “even better version of himself” this year. But in order to do that, he has to practice in a good amount of time.
I am very worried that Rafa could comeback 100% healthy for clay swing. That tricky Federer smells blood already. He has noticed since the first round of AO 2018, Rafa couldn’t move fast, and never chased down to save shots from opponents which is a clear sign that his knee is not yet ready. That’s reason why Federer is about to compete on clay again. A very smart move for him taking advantage of Rafa’s injury to win a clay slam like what happened in 2009.
I just hope that Dr. Corroto knows what he’s doing. Another 3 weeks? Could it work?
Rainier, RE your third paragraph, “That was before…”
Not you, mind you, but others made insulting comments about Carlos… accusing him of not having a backbone or of not telling Rafa the truth.
I did some digging and in several interviews Carlos made it clear that everything is put before Rafa but in the end, it is Rafa who makes the decisions. Carlos said that every team member, Dr. Cotorro, and even Rafa’s publicist, gives Rafa his opinion about what is at stake. Carlos further went on to say that Rafa is old enough to decide what he should keep. It also in line with what Toni said before relinquishing his position as coach, that he had become less of a factor in the decision making process. My question is why on earth Rafa would permit a publicist to have input in decisions that I feel should be left to those responsible for Rafa’s body, his health, his physical well being. And wouldn’t it be in Carlos’ best interest to keep Rafa healthy so he could win even more. Rafa winning more would build up Carlos’ CV.
In any event, I hope he rests long enough to heal.
RAFA ROCKS
Hi Margo. Thank you for your comments and the updates + translation really. The reply options here are very limited so this is my all-in-one reply. 🙂
“the “others made insulting comments about Carlos… accusing him of not having a backbone or of not telling Rafa the truth”
What do they mean by “truth” really?
Rafa knows about all the “truth” far more than any of us sofa fans. Now this is where his latest quote you have brought here comes handy and should be read by every Rafa fan:
Rafa: The thing, when I play poorly, I don’t say it’s because of my racquet, my coach, or something else. No, it’s my fault. It is also because of that I am not in the habit of making drastic changes. Often, players [make a] change when something is not working. It is not my way of doing things. For me, when I play poorly, it is because of things I have done incorrectly. In those cases, I don’t look around me, but in me.”
Rafa never blames anyone but himself (he sure does blame the HC heavy tour though). Well, even Toni didn’t think he (himself) was the one to blame for those disaster years/periods.
Rainier, you’re welcome.
“thruth” was not qualified in the comment, so I can’t offer more.
Regarding Toni, I too was one who blamed Toni for whatever was going on with Rafa’s bad spell but that was before I started really trying to understand Rafa, the man. I eventually came to the conclusion that I was wrong on certain things. And once Carlos came on board, that helped to clarify a lot.
RAFA EL UNICO
But the key is, Rafa simply doesn’t like changes. He said so. Moya long before he became his coach said so. Everyone said so. It’s transparent there for anyone to see.
Still, throughout his career he has made a lot of changes – or to be more correct, he had to. Changes, or adaptation, or simply improvements, you name it. His biggest “change” though or imo simply a “natural progress”, was asking Moya to become his coach while Toni was still on the team. It was a tremendous success.
My impression of Moya from Rafa’s book and many interviews is he’s sensible, thoughtful, intelligent and “diplomatic”. He’s the opposite of Toni in his approach of communicating with Rafa / getting the message across.
When Rafa was demolishing the whole tour in the clay season last year, Toni said “I fear when we’re winning easily”.
Moya: “I think it’s better this way [Rafa winning easily].”
When Rafa was so exhausted after the brutal 5:14′ AO SF against Verdasco in 2009 and didn’t want to practise the next day, “Endure the pain,” Toni said. “If someone put a gun to your head, would you still refuse to practise?”.
It had been his philosophy since day one: Endure, suffer, don’t think you’re too good.
With Moya, it was “He needs to understand that he needs to rest 5 minutes more, not to practise 5 minutes more.”
and:
“[…]because of that refusal of his to believe how good he really is.”
(from Rafa’s autobiography)
Rainier, love your examples of highlighting the contrasting methods of Carlos and Toni. I remember those quotes because they are so integral to understanding the starkly different dynamics between Carlos/Rafa and Toni/Rafa.
RAFA ROCKS
He also talked about the nuances of communicating with Rafa in his interviews, and that he has his own way, different from Toni’s, understandably.
As respectful, humble and intelligent as Rafa is, again, he’s also very stubborn and opinionated.
As harsh and in a way abusive as Toni might be at times, he had tried to persuade Rafa to adopt a more effective game for years, taking the ball earlier. “Evolution” – his own word.
In the end, as well as in the beginning, it’s all Rafa.
Rafa doesn’t blame Moya, why would we?
He played a huge role in helping Rafa train less, but more focused and effective last year, among many improvements. The results were there.
Rafa was practising far less than usual in most tournaments. At Wimby though, without Moya, he was practising 6 hours a day – SIX! 2 sessions in the morning, 2 in the afternoon, you name it.
Again, in the end, it’s all Rafa with his incredible stubbornness and humbleness. Because of those, he’s not naturally confident. He refuses to believe how good he really is no matter how much he wins, how much history he has made, what anyone tells him.
He can’t fantom that he can still be good without training, and by training he means high intense training and at least decent match play.
Moya doesn’t need to tell him any “truth”. His only failure as a coach, so far, is not being able to come up a working strategy against Fed to make it at least competitive.
Still, don’t underestimate Rafa’s tendency to abandon the game plan and revert to his old way when things turn sour these days.
Rainier,
Yes, I am hoping for a strategy to whoop Fed. Rafa has to come back fit, nothing less.
RAFA ROCKS
In the end, it’s all speculation on our part. I get it that we all love Rafa and only want the best for him. But blaming, or should I say, blaming anyone but Rafa, is lame, lazy, and in some cases even disrespectful.
At least that’s my opinion.
Also, I believe that in the tough times, we can actually see things clearer and better than when it all seems going well. It’s a chance for us to slow down and have a deeper perspective.
Don’t mind others’ opinions too much, Margo. We’re here to share and support Rafa and also each other. That’s the only thing that matter and should be the only purpose, at least to me.
I’m saying this because more often than not I see you got misunderstood or simply got downvoted irrationally (not that I ready every comment here but still).
I just hope we all stay respectful, not just to Rafa but to each other and all other players, and don’t take things personal on here.
Cheers.
Yes Rainier, speculation it is but hopefully “knowledgeable” speculation. I gotta tell you again thank you so much for sharing your views. You don’t usually comment so it’s a special treat.
And no, I don’t give down votes a second thought. How can I take those seriously when I see a fan write, ” Get well Rafa,” or “I love you Rafa,” and these comments receive down votes. Pretty sick if you ask me. I just wish more fans would discuss things rather than simply pressing a thumb. I agree with you about discussion. Give reasons why you disagree, give a different perspective without insult. It makes for a better environment.
I’ve admitted that I still don’t know many of the technicalities of the game so I contribute what I can. Hopefully someone will enjoy something.
Wishing for a healthy Rafa.
Love from Texas Rafa! Please give yourself time to heal. A 2018 tennis year would be nothing without you! Best wishes!
Article translation error, third paragraph, first sentence.
Should be:
“The bad thing is that it [pain] has returned in an area already affected and this is not what is usual.”
El Pais
Lo malo es que se ha vuelto a hacer daño en una zona que ya tenía afectada y eso no es lo habitual.”
RAFA ROCKS
Agreed, Margo. I can’t understand all the dislikes.
Welcome back, Rainier.
I’m surprised RNF didn’t catch the error. The only reason I caught it was because I had read the original El Pais article on Thursday, before this version was posted here.
RAFA ROCKS
Thank you, Margo. Your translation of the French article were very helpful as well.
And thank you Rainier. Speaking French or Spanish is nothing like reading, which is very difficult, for me anyway. Because of Rafa I am getting excellent practice.
I decided to go to the original sources of Rafa articles [Rafa, Carlos, Toni, Dr. Cotorro] because I couldn’t find original English-language articles, only their translations. The originals are in French, Spanish, or Mallorcan which I would never attempt to translate.
RAFA ROCKS
Rainier, I read too fast….
Did you mean the Tennis Magazine-France, April issue? If yes, there’s a lot more of the interview but as I’m translating on my own it takes time.
It may be in English by now, I don’t know, but I find a lot of the foreign press articles are not translated to English for unknown to me reasons. Yuk!
Rainier, I’ll direct additional Q&A’s from the French article to you. Hopefully there will be material you can use. The following Q&A was really easy so I decided to post it straightaway.
Q: Your uncle Toni said that the Spanish train more intensely than the French. What do you think?
Rafa: I don’t know, it is difficult to compare. For me, the only thing missing in French tennis is to win a grand slam or to have a stronger presence at the highest level. But everyone knows of the important number of very good French players. That’s why it is difficult to judge so hastily. It is true that in Spain we are in the habit of training very hard and it paying off, especially on clay. But beware because the circuit is in the process of evolving more and more into . We must also adapt our game to that.
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Not long after Toni used kamikazi, that I know of, to describe the “new” game, Rafa used the same word in an interview. Now Rafa is starting to use Carlos’ phrases. Coincidence? I find it interesting.
RAFA ROCKS
Rainier, sorry. It should be “more and more into kamikaze”
stupid omission
Rainier, FYI
Rafa retired from the AO on 1/23. The Tennis Magazine interview took place at Rafa’s academy on Feb. 13, BUT the interviewer states that Rafa had already started training. I ask myself if he waited even 3 weeks before practicing.
I know you’re busy so no need to respond to Q&A’s. Hope they help.
RAFA ROCKS FOREVER
Rainier, another Q&A, Tennis Mag, France, April Issue
Q: Another thing that endures with you is your relationship with Babolat. Do you remember your first encounter with this label? And the first model that you played with?
Rafa: I first started playing with a Babolat when I was around 11-years-old; it was a Soft Drive. Then toward the age of 14, I changed to a Pure Drive. Following that, it was the Aero Pure Drive in 2004. After that, I always play with the same model, even if there were some small adjustments over time. Notably, we have added a little weight many times. We have tested different things; different racquets, different strings. I think we have done great teamwork, always in the spirit of collaboration.
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Babolat revealed [in a different article] that it’s very easy to work with Rafa. He hardly asks for changes and when he does, it’s minor.
RAFA ROCKS
Rainier, another Q&A.
Q: When you have to switch to a new model as you did with the Pure Aero Décima, does it take a long time for you to get used to it?
RAFA: If the racquet is not very different, no. If one is looking to change something specific, like what was done in the past in adding more weight to give me more power, that, yes. It could take weeks. If not, it is very fast. With the Pure Aero Décima, which is almost identical to its predecessor except for a different design, was very easy to adapt to: a matter of a few days.
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Glad I came across this Q&A. I was always worried about Rafa having sufficient time to adapt to a new racquet.
Rainier, Q&A
Q: Few players play with the same label their entire career. Is it this stability that has contributed to your success?
Rafa: There are also players who have changed racquet labels and have known great victories [smiling]! Novak, for example. Roger, he changed models, and with success as we have seen. In tennis, there are multiple parameters; the racquet but also the strings, the calendar, etc. As I always say, there is no sole formula, no sole recipe for success. Everyone has to find his own formula. For me, before everything else, it is my way of working. But perhaps with a different type of job, I will have had the same result.
Rainier, Q&A
Q: When one considers how you function, you appear to accord great importance to long-term relationships…
Rafa: The thing, when I play poorly, I don’t say it’s because of my racquet, my coach, or something else. No, it’s my fault. It is also because of that I am not in the habit of making drastic changes. Often, players [make a] change when something is not working. It is not my way of doing things. For me, when I play poorly, it is because of things I have done incorrectly. In those cases, I don’t look around me, but in me.
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Toni’s words. I remember Toni saying in an interview that you can help or teach a player but in the end it is up to the player, and only the player, what happens. Once the player is on the court it is the player who is responsible for a win or loss. Rainier, I have paraphrased Toni’s words here but the gist is the same.
Recuperate pronto mi campeon tu salud es primero esperamos verte en clay ya totalmente recuperado. VAMOS RAFA
l cannot wait to see you back on clay rafa,all the best for a speedy recovery by for now vamos rafa.
I think Rafa, his team, and Dr. Cotorro will have a very difficult challenge in deciding and agreeing upon which tournament Rafa should play coming back from this injury.
There is very little separating this interview from the one Dr. Cotorro held with ElEspagnol on January 24, following Rafa’s AO retirement. In both he recommended rest, anti-inflammatory physiotherapy; coming back slowly when training, being conservative, and no rushing back to the courts.
In this El Pais interview, Dr. Cotorro gives us a warning, of sorts. His last sentence of the interview, which was not included for unknown reasons, was “La medicina no es una ciencia exacta.” This could mean there is no medical consensus on a rehab protocol.
Already it feels as if he has been gone for ages. Waiting is not a problem as long as he rests, follows his doctor’s advice, and comes back healthy.
A healthy Rafa is a winning Rafa.
RAFA ROCKS
Hmmn, but as always, we’d see………………hmmm
M alegro d k vaya bien todo…k tu regreso sea seguro y sin prisas…adelante Rafa!!
Although i think he should come back in madrid. I think will turn back in monte carlo. Rafa has played only australia this year. And has no match practice so that is why i think he will come back in monte carlo. And i think its a good thing. It would have been different had he played acapulco, indian wells and miami
Yes, Madrid would be a wise choice. I think it would give him time to rest and also allow for a slow return to training.
I previously thought Rafa could safely try for Monte Carlo but if he wants to win this year’s FO I think he should be as conservative as possible with his return date.
RAFA ROCKS
Get well soon champ. Always with you <3
Get well soon Rafa. Have you tried accupunture. If you get a good Korean trained from a young age to do it, they are wonderful. I have had lots of disabilities and it worked for me and many others that I sent there
Give it a try.
Blessings
Kathy Kim
Rafa it is good to hear that your Doctor has a guarded approach and this will give you the much needed time for recovery, and as he says,”without rushing.”
All the best Rafa and rest and relax,
Love and prayers,
AlaineXXSydneyXXAustraliaXX
Vamos Rafa .. am sure that you will be back at the Top Top Top where you belong. Cheers Rafa . Get well !!!
Putting Angels 😇😇😇😇 on your shoulders Rafa
Love you Rafa. While you’re off and have the time, pick up a copy of Tom Brady’s TB12 on ‘pliability’ training. As you know, Tom Brady is 40.
Get well soon Rafa