Nadal, the biggest fighter in sport history
Tennis 2022
- Thread starter saivet
- Start date
- Status
Nadal with an abdominal injury that prevented him to serve and hit with more power, and Fritz couldn't still win the match.
Much like Novak after his tactical toilet break yesterday?
While his serve speed started to improve in the fifth, he was still serving below normal and a lot of his service games were therefore a struggle. This match was also a record for the number of times he's ever been broken on grass and I guess it was understandable given the injury. However, his movement and groundstrokes were good and he used his FH as a weapon for a change. His return game was excellent ofcourse and Fritz rarely had a comfortable service game. He did his usual and get nervy though when he had the break at 4-3 in the fifth.
If he can fix his serve/injury for the Nick match, he's got a good chance but if he can't, then he's in trouble because Nick will and does serve far better than Fritz.
I actually feel if he can get through this injury and the Nick match, he may have a good chance vs Novak.
Most definitely the worst it's been since that 2002-2005 period.
All depends on the extent of the abdominal injury. I think he has a chance but it may come down to fine margins and having his serve impacted only a little bit could hurt him against Novak.
What a fighter Nadal is, unbelievable respect for his determination
True but also not quite true. He seemed to tee off more on balls, but his movement was noticeably hampered as he was trying to avoid hitting the backhand and he was trying to avoid too much waist movement when hitting through balls. It was noticeable as he didn't want to bend to reach things on many occasions or swing through the ball with as much force and bodily movement as he usually does on the forehand.
Nadal and Djokovic both struggled to get through the quarters, but predictably come through in the end. They just don't go down to players like Fritz and Sinner in big matches, good players though they are. The experience and mentality really get them there, especially Nadal today. If that match wasn't at a slam I think Fritz wins it
Kyrgios Nadal is a very interesting tie. Though he's never been in a semi final, he seems like one of few players who isn't overawed by someone like Nadal. And with Nadal struggling to serve well it could be great for Kyrgios. But he's such a wildcard, and it being his first semi makes it really unpredictable
Kyrgios Nadal is a very interesting tie. Though he's never been in a semi final, he seems like one of few players who isn't overawed by someone like Nadal. And with Nadal struggling to serve well it could be great for Kyrgios. But he's such a wildcard, and it being his first semi makes it really unpredictable
Yes, I'm sure Nadal decided today that, "you know what, just for the sake of it, I will pretend to be injured, serve 10mph slower than usual in order to give Taylor fecking Fritz a chance in this match. I'll give him set 1 and set 3 just to make it interesting."
I'm sure the player, who is known as the greater fighter and one who will try to win every single point just happens to decide he's going to dramatize an injury for the sake of it and lose 2 sets, while giving his opponent the chance to win every return game.
The 22 time Grand Slam champion decided to fake an injury, against Taylor Fritz......
Taylor Fritz, who has no real weapons against a fit Nadal bar for his serve. Taylor Fritz, who has never made it past the 4th round of a GS until today, where he showed why he never makes it past that stage. That guy. Nadal was so concerned, he faked an injury against a guy who never stood a chance of winning.
Make it make sense.
I was too young to recall anything about 2002-03. I thought it was competitive in 2004 and especially in 2005. Wasn't the 2005 Australian open where Safin produced a masterclass to beat Hewitt. Federer was there and you had aging Agassi and young Rafa coming up. You also had Roddick who is much better than the most of the young players in today's time. And the likes of Nalbandian, davydenko were more than capable of causing upsets.
Having said that, just watched Nadal's press conference.
Seems kinda down and defeated. Could be pain, but doesn't seem like he's optimistic he'll recover.
I imagine he'll play, but it may be a straight set thrashing from Kyrgios.
Similar to when he played Delpo with an abdominal problem before in the US Open.
Not really the way for his run to end.
Seems kinda down and defeated. Could be pain, but doesn't seem like he's optimistic he'll recover.
I imagine he'll play, but it may be a straight set thrashing from Kyrgios.
Similar to when he played Delpo with an abdominal problem before in the US Open.
Not really the way for his run to end.
Exodus' take on this thread is one of the weirdest things I've seen on this forum.
Unbelievable fight by Nadal today, made for an exciting watch. No idea how he got that over the line. Surely doesn't stand much chance against Kyrgios unless the injury improves so hopefully a day's rest will do wonders.
QFs predictable (…) outcome still shows best-of-five Slams are a truly different sport, yet that elusivity is what separates legends (like Fed, Rafa, Djoko… or Ronnie, John, Mark in WC snooker) from very good players. It might be a generational divide in terms of hunger, desperation or ambition?, something a serious academic / on-the-field research could investigate properly. I want to suspect “endurance” is not rewarding enough any more, nowadays, when instant gratification, bags of easier monies and a highlights culture just require occasional peaks to show?
Convoluted or distorted gimnicks in defense of an equally convoluted or distorted idol maybe? Djoko’s legacy as the best of the best, which seemed within his reach two years ago, is currently being obliterated by his most illustrious opponent, which leaves him in the role of representing just another covidiot, the utmost insult to his brilliance on the pitch. Mind, Novak only vindcation would be 3 billion people dying of vaccine-induced cancer in the next 10-20 years, so just let’s hope he is really an idiot and be it.
Classic interviewer trying to get a dramatic response.
Was the same in the on-court interview as well. He wasn't excited about his win and looked like someone who didn't have much faith about his continued participation.
Is the full match anywhere?? It's not on the iPlayer yet
Chances of Nadal pulling out?
Nadal isn't pulling out before the match, he'll give it a go and if Kyrgios gets too far ahead he'll retire, that's his MO.
Nadal is basically playing the same cards this entire season. At AO he complained his knee is banged up, for RG he complained his foot is the problem and now abdomen is the problem. At RG he was saying things like "this could be my last RG/ this could be my last match at RG etc, etc ... just to come up with ridiculous performances afterwards.
No, Nadal's plan isn't to get behind, Nadals plan was to distract an opponent who is playing excellent tennis. He succeeded. Nadal's first serve went from 85 to 115 mph between sets 2 and 5. Another miraculous midmatch recovery.
I despise Nadal for the fraud he is and despise him because everyone refuses to see it.
Without COVID bs he would never have gotten AO this year.
He is a fake GOAT, but probably tennis deserves a fraud like that.
No, Nadal's plan isn't to get behind, Nadals plan was to distract an opponent who is playing excellent tennis. He succeeded. Nadal's first serve went from 85 to 115 mph between sets 2 and 5. Another miraculous midmatch recovery.
I despise Nadal for the fraud he is and despise him because everyone refuses to see it.
Without COVID bs he would never have gotten AO this year.
He is a fake GOAT, but probably tennis deserves a fraud like that.
I think this might be the worst post I've ever seen on the caf.
He fecked your wife didn't he?
BBC, you fools! Upload the final set!!
Gotta love you just trying to find the match in the midst of this madness.
Wow, you need help.
The same Nadal who got destroyed vs Del Potro at the USO in 2009 when he was injured but did not quit, the same Nadal who played his Australia Open 2011 QF with a torn hamstring/muscle but didn't quit, the same Nadal who played on with an injured back vs Stan in the 2014 AO final despite getting a bit of a hammering, the same Nadal who just this year at Indian Wells got injured vs Alcaraz in the semis but played, was still injured for the final with a stress fracture of the rib, lost in straight sets to Fritz but did not retire, the same Nadal who got hammered by Shapovalov in the third set in Rome where he was clearly struggling but didn't retire and the same Nadal who didn't pull out despite being down in today's match and his box asking him to quit. Yep, totally his MO to give up and retire from matches. Makes complete sense.
I wish you were right and he did retire from matches because then there's lesser chances of him potentially making injuries worse and missing 2 months like he did after the final vs Fritz in March.
Why? Because of my strong dislike toward Rafaelo DiCaprio?
You need to be on MTF with all of your takes, which all get proven wrong. That’s the home of tards
Because of your strangely strong dislike for things that even Novak does. Did you have these strong feelings when Novak "tore" a muscle in his abdomen, also vs Fritz, last year in Australia and then miraculously thrashed him in the fifth set? Oh he also went on to win AO with his muscle tear.
O for sure. I am there mate. Trying to bring some of that tard spirit here before new season starts.
His dislike is that his idol is two behind in the GS count.
I can imagine that hit his sanity hard.
You can see a lot of this foolishness and silly takes on Twitter and MTF.
Heck yeah it does hurt. It hurts a lot more than Nadal's abdomen, knee, foot or whatever else hurts him lately. Seeing consistently injured Nadal winning 2 slams and playing semis of the 3rd, while players like Federer, Del Potro, Murray and Wawrinka are shadows of themselves (or retired) after their injuries, is becoming unbearable. It hurts the similar way as seeing half asthmatic LFC being so much better than United. Something doesn't feel right.
Any tard of any of the big 3, especially a Novak fan, complaining especially about the other 2 needs to have their head examined. They all have some question marks, which you would, when you have such a long successful career.
Djokovic is the poster child of faking injuries. Just to put it in context, Federer called him out for faking injuries in 2006, when he was still a nobody.
This is Roddick in 2008 (still before Novak's first GS win)
Obviously his 2011 US Open win against Nadal was the perfect example of "strategic MTO" usage. As was his win in the AO final against Murray in 2015 when even Murray who is seemingly a very nice person called him out on as well
Neither Nadal nor Federer have been called out for such behaviour by other GS winners.
Nadal obviously indulges in gamesmanship, especially with his serve where he will slow it down when in trouble. Both him and Federer have also used the MTO to change momentum while losing as well. Federer's fanbase has indulged in more gamesmanship, similar to what helped Norrie beat Goffin today.
As for doping, Djokovic's overnight transformation after moving to a "gluten-free" diet remains the biggest red flag in major sports since Lance Armstrong became the GOAT endurance cyclist after having cancer.
Nadal's endurance and strength have been present since he was 15-16 and way more natural. The biggest red flag with him are his return from injuries, which are an outlier even in modern sports science. Federer's return in 2018 was similarly suspicious.
And in terms of obnoxious behaviour in terms of bashing tennis rackets to abusing linesmen and umpires (and that's without counting the anti-vax stance and cheating with the Covid test), Novak is in tiers above. Federer was bad as a young adult but the only obnoxiousness from both him and Nadal as older adults is being sore losers and not really helping the lower ranked players in terms of prize money.
Djokovic is the poster child of faking injuries. Just to put it in context, Federer called him out for faking injuries in 2006, when he was still a nobody.
This is Roddick in 2008 (still before Novak's first GS win)
Obviously his 2011 US Open win against Nadal was the perfect example of "strategic MTO" usage. As was his win in the AO final against Murray in 2015 when even Murray who is seemingly a very nice person called him out on as well
Neither Nadal nor Federer have been called out for such behaviour by other GS winners.
Nadal obviously indulges in gamesmanship, especially with his serve where he will slow it down when in trouble. Both him and Federer have also used the MTO to change momentum while losing as well. Federer's fanbase has indulged in more gamesmanship, similar to what helped Norrie beat Goffin today.
As for doping, Djokovic's overnight transformation after moving to a "gluten-free" diet remains the biggest red flag in major sports since Lance Armstrong became the GOAT endurance cyclist after having cancer.
Nadal's endurance and strength have been present since he was 15-16 and way more natural. The biggest red flag with him are his return from injuries, which are an outlier even in modern sports science. Federer's return in 2018 was similarly suspicious.
And in terms of obnoxious behaviour in terms of bashing tennis rackets to abusing linesmen and umpires (and that's without counting the anti-vax stance and cheating with the Covid test), Novak is in tiers above. Federer was bad as a young adult but the only obnoxiousness from both him and Nadal as older adults is being sore losers and not really helping the lower ranked players in terms of prize money.
Liverpool are better than United because they have a better team, really sounds it's a you problem where you form conspiracy theories rather than accept something you like isn't the absolute best, really odd seeing someone who is supposed to be a mature adult speak this way but not a surprise since Djoko loves spreading conspiracy theories.
Last edited:
It seems that the BBC have FINALLY uploaded the rest of the match so huzzah!
Gotta love you just trying to find the match in the midst of this madness.
This is a very good post and some very valid points, but some are a bit exaggerated. Djokovic comes from Serbia. I am sure they would find out Djokovic is doping by now if that was the case. I can't guarantee that Novak is not doping or using something that is borderline legal. Maybe. As far as Djokovic doing stupid/bad things, I am in agreement. Abused MTOs in the past, antagonizes crowd time to time and does not do well with COVID (understatement haha).
I got no beef with Federer. Amazing athlete and clearly the most influential tennis player ever. Either plays or retires before the match even starts. I can't recall Federer using MTOs to change momentum in matches. It might have happened, but it is probably extremely rare.
Over the course of Nadal's career he has skipped more slams than Djokovic and Federer due to injuries and usually always comes back to winning without much issue. Djokovic while injured and in recovery was losing to likes of Istomin, Cecchinato, some South Korean guy whose name I don't even remember, while Nadal skips 6 months last year and comes right back to winning and is always talking about some sort of an injury. Supposedly was using injections to numb the pain in the foot but foot is all good now as there is a new therapy that doesn't require injections anymore. Cool story.
Radiofrequency nerve ablation is not really new and its not really a permanent solution, it just buys him a few months before major surger.
He did it vs Nadal in the 2017 AO Final and he's had other occasions where he's done. However, Federer's PR is just top notch and you won't remember when he's done things like this. As for coming back from injuries to win? Novak came back from arm surgery, which is fairly massive for tennis players, to win countless Slams. Federer, at 36/37, came back from a major back injury issues and six months to win the 2017 AO with back to back five setters, including against Nadal where he used his strategic MTO. With respect to pulling out with injuries, I've already listed down several occasions where Rafa has refused to retire and continued playing despite being injured and getting comfortably beaten by opponents. Your dislike for Rafa just seems to be increasing as he's increased the gap on Rafa this year, something most people did not expect. And as for his "supposed" foot numbing, that's a chronic issue he's had since he was diagnosed back in 2005 and has had to manage through his career. Novak and Federer may not have had ideal fitness records as opposed to Federer due to their styles of play so them getting more injuries and retirements is absolutely normal.
Also, Novak has perfected his tactical toilet breaks and looking dead to only come back and win matches. His 2.1cm muscle tear in his AO win last year is a prime example. You'd have long posts about it if Nadal won 3 matches with a torn abdomen muscle.
I'm not sure why you're so defensive, Nadal has retired plenty of times, always when his opponent is too far ahead. The same thing will happen here, but not as long as he's ahead or within touching distance due to the gravity of the occasion and his potential achievement.
- Status