A planned exhibition match between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in Saudi Arabia has been called off.
Rafa and Nole were due to take part in a one-off exhibition contest in Jeddah on December 22. They committed to the event over a year ago and were under pressure to pull out after Amnesty International condemned the plans following the recent death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The Serb told BBC Sport on Friday:
Nadal is injured, so the match is not happening this year.
Thankfully, the exhibition match is finally cancelled. And let’s be honest we all know it’s not just because of Rafa’s injury and Nole is likely to face more questions about the situation in the coming days. Anyway, it was a safe excuse to do the right thing.
Source: BBC
For Leigh and anyone else wanting an official Fundación Rafa Nadal calendar for next year – they are now on sale at the usual place. Here’s to a happy, healthy and successful 2019 for Rafa!
Thanks jas, that’s great.
On InstaGram:
ESPN Tennis
Paris, France
2018
Nadal was most effective in ATP matches in 2018. He played 43 matches, lost 4.
Nadal – 91.49%
Federer – 82.76%
Djokovic – 81.54%
DelPotro – 78.33%
Sascha Zverev – 75.34%.
Thanks for the info Margo. The world seems to be turning so slowly when there’s no imminent Rafa tennis to look forward to:)
I’m sending all the best vibes for Rafa to get well, and dominate the 2019 season.
You’re very welcome Mac. I’m with you re Rafa for a dominant 2019. Please, an injury-free season👍🎾💪🤗
Rafa has again ended the year within the top ten at world No. 2.
“The ATP World Tour today published the 2018 year-end ATP Rankings on ATPWorldTour.com after an exciting season of milestones and breakthroughs. The trio of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer finished in the Top 3 ATP Rankings for the seventh time (2007-11, 2014, 2018), the first since 2014. All three players ranked No. 1 at one stage during the year and it was the first time all three ranked No. 1 during the same season.
“Rafael Nadal (ESP) – Finishes in Top 10 for 14th straight year, second-best (w/Federer) all-time behind Jimmy Connors (16). Also 10th time in year-end Top 2, second only behind Federer (11).”
[Source: ATP email to me 11/26/2018]
RAFA STILL ROCKS
Exciting times lay ahead as Rafa and other tennis greats return from injury and the next gen try to wrestle control. Now the 2018 tennis season is over, I’m looking ahead and wondering how I’m going to watch tennis next year. I’ve been watching the men’s game on sky sports but had to do a free trial subscription to Amazon just to watch the US Open. The full effects will be felt next year because Sky overspent on football and lost their rights to the tennis. I liked Sky’s tribute to Rafa, Roger, Novak and Andy at the end of the WTF, but I felt sad as it signified the end of great tennis tv they provided. Left to me, I’d cancel Sky Sports as tennis is the only sport I watch, but others in my household are football fans. Amazon delivers a poor service, so it’s left me scratching my head as to how I’ll be viewing my favourite sport in the future.
Lorna, have you tried ATP Tennis TV? You have to pay a subscription fee ($14.99/month in the U.S., or a cheaper annual rate). But I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to watch Paris Master (on my iPhone) when I was visiting China.
Thanks for the info YB.
Whilst i’m Sad that Rafa couldn’t compete to try and capture his first WTF title, i’m glad it went to Sascha Zverev. The Lendl factor definitely played a part. It looks like finally The Next Gen is beginning to make a real challenge against The Great Gen.
Sascha has won his maiden Nitto ATP finals trophy beating Nole 6-4, 6-3. I can only try to imagine how happy his brother and parents are. WOW WEEEEEE
I m also very happy 😊. Second best thing after Rafa’s win is djoker / Federer’s loss.😁😁😁
LONDON — The ATP and Tennis Australia today officially unveiled the ATP Cup – a new team competition to kickstart the men’s tennis season from 2020. The tournament, which was announced during the Nitto ATP Finals in London, will be played across three Australian cities over ten days in the lead up to the Australian Open and will feature teams from 24 countries.
I wonder how many more months have been added to the already full ATP twelve-month calendar.
Margo, thank you for the info. I also question the wisdom of adding more team-based competition to the already full ATP calendar.
YB you’re quite welcome. I also was surprised to read that. I think there are enough “warm up” tournies for the Australian but unlike the singles this is a team effort.
To be political😂😂😂😬😬 it’s country vs country. LOL
I’m waiting to see how this pans out. It may give some underdogs a chance at “greatness” in the world of tennis. Good luck to all.
P.S. The “down vote” gremlin[s] has reappeared. Gotta laugh at the “deplorable[s]”.
Well..everything is for money only in my opinion
The ATP has a new logo for 2018. I don’t like it. The best, as far as I’m concerned, are the 1990 and 2001 logos.
Correction: The new logo launches in 2019.
I just hope that Rafa is fit to play and it’s not too early.
Yes, just watched a bit of the Nitto WTF match Nole vs zverev and saw fans with banners reading we miss you Rafa.
As much as I love the game it’s just not the same without Rafa.
😍💕🌹
Rafa adds so much to a tournament by his sheer presence…as he we all love his grit and determination for the love of the sport as well as his never ending competitive spirit to win!
He is surely missed in London and you’re right…it’s just not the same without him… One thing we know for sure…Rafa will not chance coming back too soon if he is not ready… He might have announced he will play Mubadala but as he rehabs now he will determine day by day …week by week whether that tournament will be a reality… Australia is the prize… and he needs to be ready for that…
Regarding Rafa’s cancellation of the exhibition match with Nole, I won a large bet on how it would unfold, it’s dénouement as they say in French.
Lorna, I must say, though, to confirm Mubadala so soon after pulling out of Saudi Arabia does seem like a bold move on Rafa’s part.
OR, perhaps Rafa felt Mubadala couldn’t be kept secret until much later and as such he decided to control the conversation by announcing it himself.
OR, Rafa knows he won’t be ready to play before Mubadala.
OR, he’s giving the Saudis the flip.
OR, who knows….
All we fans can do is speculate because the only ones who know anything are Team Rafa.
I’ll believe he’s playing Mubadala when he actually does. This seems to happen at the start of every year. I hope he’s absolutely fine by then, but I’ll believe it when I see it. And I really hope it was meant as a subtle message to the Saudis.
setinthepast, if I know Rafa as well as I think I do, Rafa gave them the flip. And subtle it wasn’t. But in a court of law, Rafa can’t be accused of anything. He has dotted his i’s and crossed his t’s. Bravo for him.
I’ve been watching the Nitto WTF and i must say that most of the matches I’ve seen so far have been disappointing and one sided. The matches are flat and lacking in excitement, so i haven’t given the tournament my full attention. It’s not the same without Rafa as wiin or lose, he always brings a match to life with his energy. I miss you champ!
I think I’ve cursed the World Tour Finals by getting tickets for the semis! I was desperately hoping to see Rafa, and also hoping to see del Potro, and they both got injured before the tournament even started. Then I thought, OK, maybe I’ll get to see Dominic Thiem and Sascha Zverev … but Thiem’s having a nightmare and now it doesn’t look like Sascha’ll qualify either. I must be a jinx!
Oh I’m sorry to hear that, setinthepast. How disappointing :-/ I feel for you. It’s def not your jinx, though!
What a bummer. Hope you get to see Rafa soon.
The news us out that Rafa and Novak have confirmed their participation in the Mubadala Championships in Abu Dhabi commencing 27th December, less than a week after their withdrawal from Saudi Arabia. Any sceptics in the house or does anyone care?
Oh, interesting. Thanks for updating us. I really hope that’s enough injury recovery time for him :-/ Maybe he feels he needs a spot of hard court practice before the Jan season.
What do you feel there is to be sceptical about?
To be honest Alex, I’m just relieved that Rafa won’t be playing in Saudi Arabia. I know some will find it strange that he’ll be fit enough to play just five days later, but as Margo said, who knows? It would be funny if it was a fingers up to the Saudis, but i know that wouldn’t be Rafa’s intention. He definitely needs pre-season match practice (body permitting), so it’s his prerogative as to when he gets back to action and if it’s Mubadala then great! Rafa will certainly try his hardest not to let down that tournament.
In the meantime, i wish Kevin the best of luck for the rest of the WTF, as i’d love him to win 😁.
Interesting debate. Have we all forgotten the fact that .Canada and USA deal with SA in arms trading! Tennis anyone?
Yep. And Britain, my country 🙁
Totally unrelated, sorry, but do any fellow Rafa fans know where to get his official 2019 calendar please? Can’t find it on the usual site and can’t live without it. Thanks.
If you look on google you will see plenty advertised.
The Serb always has to put his two cents of nonsense thought into everything! Obviously, it is the Amnesty International pressure which bears upon cancellation of this match, which was in the planning one year ago. Last year the Serb, struggling to stay in any match was lucky not to have Rafa in his pathetic path! So, why try to spin nonsense stories out of air? Get a life, Serb!
Obviously it was WORLDWIDE condemnation of the murder of Khashoggi that struck the death knell to this exhibition match before it even started.
What comments made by the Serb have inflamed you so? Please supply his comments you allude to. Thanks
As most know Rafa made this commitment over a year ago to play this exhibition in Saudi Arabia.
And a year later…times are ever changing. I never expected him to make a political statement and get involved in pulling out of the tournament because of what happened to the journalist. Not yet…. His recent surgery ends that speculation…decision is made…and that’s good enough for me…
It is unwise for athletes who travel the world to make strong political statements. This is a very volatile situation. Federer was threatened at one venue not too long ago, and, of course, there was the Monica Seles incident. No doubt Rafael has advisors who travel with him.
Roger was threatened anonymously on a blog in 2012. What political statements had Roger made before he was singled out as a potential victim.
Monica was physically attacked and sustained injuries in 1993. I can’t find her political statement either, got a quote?
I think that Rafa has a very good social conscience and thinks about issues. He is well informed and had made strong statements on several things. He knows when to resist comment too. He has been mentioned as someone who would be welcomed to get involved in politics. Heaven forbid!
Inside tennis he has made a contribution to changes as part of the player body. Look at the increase in money for players who lose in the first round. He and other top players advocated for this. I am amused that someone said that Federer is more diplomatic! Not convinced about that, Yes he too has advocated for better conditions.
Hi Elizabeth,
It was me who commented that Federer appears more diplomatic than Rafa. That’s not necessarily a compliment; just an observation of styles and approaches. It’s not about the good they’ve done or the improvements they’ve advocated. It’s about their communication styles. Of course, I don’t really know; I’m not there on the tour with them.
My main point in this thread was to say that I think someone can criticise Rafa, and remain his fan. I resist the assumption that any criticism means someone is stripped of their fan status! To me, being a fan doesn’t mean having to agree with every opinion Rafa holds or action he takes. I’d like to be free to disagree with Rafa without being censored for somehow being disloyal.
Best wishes,
Alex
This match should have been cancelled when the Saudi killing first hit the news. They have taken the easy way out and am not impressed with Nadal’s lack of backbone. Disappointing.
Neither of these two tennis greats are political in nature and haven’t let such things enter into the sport generally speaking. So, Rosie, why don’t you take your sour grapes somewhere else.
Dear Darrell,
I agree that Rafa is not political in nature. Inside tennis, he doesn’t advocate for things in a political way; instead he tends to go head-on with his views. Nothing wrong with that; just not very “diplomatic” in the same way e.g. Federer has been. Outside tennis, he declines to give opinions about what’s happening in his own and other countries.
But I understand, by contrast, that Djokovic *is* known for being political, both inside and outside of tennis. He’s expressed clear views about his homeland, and has long been discussed as a potential politician after his tennis career. I don’t have one source for this; it’s a general impression that has built up over years of reading journalism. If you have contrary sources, I’m interested.
I would certainly like to have been a fly on the wall for those two teams’ discussions about this issue. As a fan, I lack any real insight.
Best wishes,
Alex
Well said Darrell
Rosie, lack of ” backbone ” has never has never been an issue with Rafa. He has spoken out about a lot of important things. The exhibition in Saudi was not a political event but a sporting one> Personally I think it should be cancelled but more importantly what has the world done about this atrocious killing. Very little.
I guess you are not a Rafa fan, Rafa is a man of integrity
Well said, Elizabeth. Entirely agree.
Hi Rosie,
I see your point of view. I don’t know if you are a Rafan or not – but if you are then I still think it’s fine for you to criticise him on a point of disagreement. Rafa’s just a person, not a manifesto. Sometimes he will do things which appear wrong to some of us. It might be that they are wrong and we would have made a different decision with the same facts. Or maybe they aren’t and we don’t fully understand the situation like he does. Or maybe it’s subjective and he’s just reached a different conclusion to us. In any case, speaking out against him is fine in my opinion. We are all individuals and it’s healthy for us to have a variety of views.
Best wishes to you,
Alex
Its not a lack of backbone as you say,Rafa most likely didn’t know what to do because of the conflicting and confusing stories over several weeks surrounding the disappearance of the journalist. Everyone is confused about the facts.
After carefully reflecting on the situation I would have thought he would have pulled out of the match ,he’s that kind of guy but he should have done so earlier because of the injury anyway.
I am very happy and relieved that Rafa cancelled the exhibition. It was the right thing to do.