Rafael Nadal

This dude deserves a space in Hub.

[html:a08a316881]<img src=http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/my_documents/my_pictures/2009/apr/F4A_nadal.jpg>[/html:a08a316881]

6 Grandslams and 4 consective French open's is an outstanding achievement at 22(now 23). I for long was waiting for somebody to open a thread on him, nobody did so here I am. All the best for Rafa in Wimbledon. More General information and other links will be updated soon. He is an Olympics Gold Medal winner for spain in Tennis Men's singles too.

Potential Career Grandslam Champion and many such honors are indeed possible.

Good luck to Nadal to win all the titles after Federer retires! :P :P :P

"All the best for Rafa in Wimbledon"

:twisted:

Rafa Nadal Career Statistics

Federer Nadal Rivalry

Rafa Nadal's official site

Rafa Nadal ATP Profile

International Tennis Federation Profile

Rafa Nadal Davis Cup Profile

Rafa Nadal Tournament's list

Take it easy guys! It's all in the game... Nothing personal! :notworthy:

Rafa Nadal fan club in orkut

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ajithfederer

Cha cha bay, naaanum avarum appadi than pesippom :P.

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Amaam Bay

"avanum en kudumbatha pathi rremmba kevalama pesuvaan.. idha naanga oru jolly-aave eduthukkaradhu" :lol:

And I also think rivalry is really important in any sport/event! It improves the quality of the event and the players by providing excellent motivation and competition, as well as provides more for the customers/fans! 8-)

Some of my favorites in Tennis amidst these great rivalries over time....

* Chris Evert over Martina N

* Steffi Graf over Martina, Sabatini, and Seles (though I loved Seles after the heart-breaker incident)

* McEnroe over Borg

* Becker over Edberg

* Sampras over Agassi

* Federer over Nadal

Please note that I do have a lot of respect for these latters as well! Just not as much as the formers... :D :P

Bala , :lol:

Bay :yes: :exactly:

Nadal-ae thavira ellam pesikittu irukom :oops:

Federer-oda ella recordum beat panna poravan...

:ty: Feddy

Rafa is not at his optimum fitness and it backfired in Rolland Garros. He might struggle as well in Wimbledon :(

Anyway hoping for the best!! Rafa's mental strenght is enough to overcome all this problems!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Plum

Federer-oda ella recordum beat panna poravan...

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:yes:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by crajkumar_be

"All the best for Rafa in Wimbledon"

:twisted:

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:lol:
neruppunnu sonnA vaai sutrumA

avaru kavarimaan parambarainga...:-)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Plum

Federer-oda ella recordum beat panna poravan...

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Highly doubt it.
All the very best for a speedy recovery Rafa.
We want a 100% fit Rafa to defend Wimbledon. Let the rivalry continue to get the best out of each other

PS--> Titlea venna Small Slam Winner Rafannu maathunga

omega, "naan apdithaan solluven" :-)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Plum

omega, "naan apdithaan solluven" :-)

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Ungal nokkam puriyuthu....
Pavam neenga ivalavu sonnathukke, payan mutti valikkuthunnu utkaarnthittaan. Paavamya chinna payan.

chinna payyana? yaaru, ivana? Malaiyave muzhungittu silent-a thiruvizhala kaanama pona pappa maadhiri look vuduvaan saar...

:lol:

Rafa Nadal Career Statistics

Federer Nadal Rivalry

Rafa Nadal's official site

Rafa Nadal ATP Profile

International Tennis Federation Profile

Rafa Nadal Davis Cup Profile

Some interesting facts about Nadal

In preparation for an event, tennis great Pat Cash played a clay-court match against the then fourteen year-old Nadal. Cash was reluctant to play against Nadal and took this arranged match as an offence. In the end, he was surprised to find himself losing by a close margin

Although Nadal plays left-handed, he is naturally right-handed. When he was younger, his uncle and coach, Toni Nadal, decided that his two-handed backhand would benefit from a strong right arm, so he taught Rafael to play with his left.

After the 2006 French Open final against Federer, Nadal started by praising Federer in his speech. The translator mistranslated the speech, leading the public to think he was praising himself. Nadal was thus booed and whistled at throughout the speech.

When Nadal beat Federer by 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 and won the French Open title last year, that was the quickest French Open finals since 1980.

It is common for Nadal to spend as much as 38 seconds, 18 over the limit, between points on his service game. The rules of tennis state that a maximum of 20 seconds is allowed between the time at which the last point is finished to the time at which the next serve is delivered. Nadal has picked up numerous time violations for this breach of the rules and has received a number of warnings from tennis authorities

Nadal is the nephew of former Spanish footballer Miguel Ángel Nadal, one of Spain's most capped players. Miguel's brother Toni is the coach of Rafael

In 2006, Nadal and Roger Federer became the only two male players in the open era to reach the Wimbledon final after having both played in the French Open final just a month prior. There have been several men to reach the Wimbledon final after making the French Open final, but never had the same two men accomplished such a feat at the same time

Nadal has "Vamos Rafa" ("Let's go Rafa") written on his shoes, a common exhortation by his fans

He can curl 30kg with his left hand and 25kg with his right

Read in Toni Nadal's wiki page

He actually makes Rafa to gut his own tennis strings.

He actually made him practice in bad balls and not so good courts so that he should get acclimatized to all conditions. Toni makes Rafa to do his own laundry.

Toni Nadal believes more in practice and that is why you see Rafa stretching limits of tennis.

Rafa is indeed a rare breed in Tennis :clap:

At 23, he should reap more laurels.

Rafael Nadal has either equaled or set various records in tennis history.

1. Longest single-surface winning streak (clay): 81 matches (2005-May 21, 2007)
2. Winning the French Open at the first attempt. Tied with Mats Wilander (1982)
3. Only the third teenager in history (since 1973) to reach world no. 2
4. Most clay-court titles in a single year (eight in 2005)
5. Most consecutive clay court winning streak: 81
6. Most consecutive French Open titles: 4 tied with Björn Borg
7. Winning French Open and Wimbledon in the same year. Tied-two others in Open Era history.
8. Only male player to have won French Open, Wimbledon, and Olympic gold medal in the same year (2008)
9. Won most titles as a teenager: 16 tied with Björn Borg
10. Won 24 consecutive matches, the longest winning streak of any teenager in the open era in 2005
11. Only male player to have held Grand Slam titles on three different surfaces simultaneously: French Open 2008 (clay), Wimbledon 2008 (grass), Australian Open 2009 (hard)
12. Nadal and Federer are the only No. 1 and 2 pair to play French Open and Wimbledon finals, three consecutive years
13. Nadal and Federer are the only No. 1 and 2 pair who have won at least 11 consecutive Grand Slam singles tournaments between them, starting from the 2005 French Open through the 2007 US Open
14. Federer and Nadal are the only two men who have played each other in the final of the same Grand Slam three consecutive years (French Open and Wimbledon)
15. Nadal and Federer are the only pair of men during the open era who had reached the Wimbledon final after having just played each other in the French Open final (2006, 2007, 2008)
16. Most consecutive French Open finals in the Open Era: 4 (tied with Borg, Lendl, and Federer)

:clap: Rafa

And not to forget the fact that Rafa has 15 Masters Titles, he is tied with federer and they both are short of agassi who is at 17.

Rafa's interview with John McEnroe after wimbledon 2008 finals

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnp9V...eature=related


Robin Soderling vs Rafael Nadal from Wimbledon 2007

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/spor...dominance.html


Rafael Nadal's knees showing wear and tear of his clay-court dominance
11:39 AM, June 11, 2009

Nadal Rafael Nadal was the man of the moment just a few months ago, from Australia to Paris. It appeared as if the tennis gods had blessed him with everything he could ever want.

But was everything so heavenly? In and out, back-to-back, he played on and on and on. Sometimes, he was masterfully striking. Sometimes, he made his body slog for his accomplishments.

He played, he won, he conquered.

And then came the clay season -- the time when Rafa turns master, his dominance of the surface so emphatic that he offers no leeway to any rival. Even the mighty Roger Federer couldn't stop him.

Rafa was invincible.

And this is where the dream started to flicker. The number of clay court tournaments Rafa packed into his schedule not even a recently turned pro could have managed to accommodate.

Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Rome and Madrid -- four tournaments as preparation for the "grand" Roland Garros.

It was unnecessary. His knees were still reeling from a lot of strain and there he was playing in all these tournaments, which meant two months of continuous, strenuous pressure, even though it was on his beloved surface.

As much as his knees were tortured, he tortured them even the more by winning three out of the four tournaments, finishing as a finalist in the fourth.

Who makes these decisions for him is unknown. But even common knowledge would tell you that playing four clay events for a person who is undoubtedly the best clay courter at the moment is blatantly foolish.

And what purpose did it serve? He lost in Paris and his overwrought knees have ended up getting inflamed again. His website quotes him as saying that he played most of the past months in complete agony and pain.

What was Rafa thinking?

-- Rohini Iyer

MAY 28 | 2009
BACK TO THE PAST?

May 28, 2009

Rafa, first of all I’d like to thank for the joy you bring [into our lives] every Sunday when you play. You are our pride and I have a question for you: If you could go back to the past and play the final of Roland Garros against a past winner, who would you like to face (and of course beat)? Borg, Wilander, Bruguera, Agassi, Kuerten, Moya, Agassi, Costa, or Ferrero...?

I wish you the best of luck at Roland Garros...

RN: Thank you very much. In regards to your question, I’ve always said that given that it is not possible to go back to the past, [you have to be] realistic and [for the record] I’ve actually faced a lot of the players you already mentioned. (Moya, Agassi, Ferrero and Costa).

Rafa, I would like for you to answer [this question] with total honestly: Have you read any of the statements made recently by your opponents in relation to the tactics they need to use in order to beat you? (Eg: Higueras, a former coach of Federer said that "just like he did in Madrid, Federer needs to shorten the points in order to avoid Rafa getting his rhythm back and therefore, take away his confidence”).

Is this something that Toni and you analyse and use as a pre-match strategy, or do you just focus only on what you have to do our there? I hope you answer me.

RN: First of all, I always answer honestly. I often read the newspapers but at the same time, I try not to pay attention to the kind of statements you just mentioned. I imagine that when the players make such statements it makes sense to them what they say, and nothing happens.

It is also clear to me that other players analyse me and the way I play, just like I can analyse them. It’s normal. But in the end, when we are out on the court, we have to run around and play and that is what we also analyse before matches. The best way to play.

Hola Rafa: You're one of the most loved personalities in Spain based on a survey published by ‘El Mundo’ in July 2008. Do you think people like you for your game, your success or for the way you are?

RN: Thank you very much. I do not know. I imagine that people [like me because they] know and see the way I always fight till the end and I try to give my everything every time I step out on a tennis court.

Hola Rafa, congratulations on your great achievements. I was wondering if you’ve ever played mixed doubles? And if not, who would you like to play with?

RN: No, I have not played mixed-doubles at a 'Grand Slam' (which is only tournament where you can play it). These tournaments involve a lot of pressure and intensity and playing other competitions, like the men's doubles or mixed can lead to complications later on, especially when it comes to my schedule.

Hello Rafael! Congratulations on your career. I just wanted to know how you are planning on spending your future once you retire from professional tennis?

RN: Thank you very much. The truth of the matter is that I haven’t really thought about it yet, It’s true.

I just want to know if you or your team have discussed the possibility of sacrificing a clay court tournament or a Master Series event (like Cincinnati or Canada) in the lead up to the US Open, in order to save up more energy and arrive better there?

RN: It’s very difficult to sacrifice a clay court tournament, as there are hardly any of them around. As to Cincinnati or Montreal, I do not think it’s possible because it is compulsory to play them. This year will be better without the Olympic Games, and therefore we should arrive [In New York] less tired. We will see how the season goes anyways. You should always go one tournament and match at a time.

http://www.rafaelnadal.com/nadal/en/...ck-to-the-past

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...RVO1183QJ0.DTL

Strokes of Genius
Federer, Nadal, and the Greatest Match Ever Played---------------

By L. Jon Wertheim

On a spring morning in Paris last year, Sports Illustrated writer L. Jon Wertheim was hoping to write a book about an incredible tennis match. Amazingly enough, one was served up for him a month later at the 2008 Wimbledon men's singles final - a five-set epic between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal that justifiably was dubbed an instant classic.

"Strokes of Genius" details the drama of this match in lively detail. Wertheim's grasp of tennis is informed not just by the many players and events he's written about for more than a decade, but also by a keen sense of its essential grammar. "They're out there alone, cordoned off from outside influence," Wertheim writes of tennis players. "Unlike golf, the competition is simultaneous. ...Tennis is the most gladiatorial sport going."

As naturally occurs in any competitive battle, the contrasts are most obvious. There's the right-handed Federer, the dominant, cucumber-cool, elegant Swiss who had won five straight titles on Wimbledon's velveteen grass. "This isn't Everyman," writes Wertheim. "It's Superman ... moving gracefully to deifying, classical music." There's Nadal, the contender, at once visceral and humble, out to win his first major title on a surface other than the rough-and-tumble clay where he had rapidly become a legend.

Wertheim's easily accessible match detail is richly supplemented with biographical portraits, covering such topics as Federer's youthful temper, Nadal's athletic family and, as each rose up the ranks, their similarities. As Wertheim writes, Federer and Nadal shared "a similar sports code, a shared sense of how a top athlete ought to comport himself."

Along the way, Wertheim deftly touches on all the defining factors of contemporary tennis. But most of all, it's the incredible match that's the centerpiece.

Why the 2009 Wimbledon Crown Will Be Rafael Nadal's

The Dream. The Vision. The Hope. The Desire. The Passion. The Conviction. It is this fire within that drives the best from oneself.

Few believed him when he said "I want to win Wimbledon."

Just a mere clay-court specialist, how could he?

The Tennis World laughed it off back then, when hardly anyone expected him to reach a Wimbledon final, let alone repeat it again, come even closer and finally, attain the glorious crown.

But yes, he did. “I would hate to lose knowing that I hadn’t given my all,” says the warrior who fights till the last drop of sweat.

July 6, 2008 bore witness to a magnum opus wielded by two tennis titans, who have carved their own niche, and etched their own significant place in tennis history.

And on a day the Tennis World shall never forget, a match that has been lauded the greatest ever, with a virtuosic display of patience and precision, dexterity and prowess, it was the Mallorcan who hung on in optimism, and emerged the victor, the deserving champion.

Indeed, it was a realization of years of perseverance and hard work.

He never dreamt too far ahead, he could not put all his thoughts into coherent articulation, but his actions spoke volumes for him, as dreams undreamt evolved into reality as he achieved the phenomenal, to rewrite for himself the annals of tennis, with the foundations laid on clay.

He was a man who built his game on precision, focus, and tenacity tinted with originality.

Rafael Nadal’s shock loss at Roland Garros 2009, the problem of a persistent knee injury and the possibility of a small but lingering mental setback, some seem to be fairly convinced to expect a below-par performance by the Spaniard.

And meanwhile, on the other side of the coin, the pressure is off and the Swiss Maestro is as ecstatic as his astronomical number of fans. Blissful in his demeanour and play. And so, Wimbledon 2009 shall be Roger’s, they say.

Fans, media and tennis pundits call clay ‘a favourite surface’ for Nadal, but his own words are put carefully as ‘a surface on which I achieved great success which I’m very happy for.’

But this formidable Spanish conqueror has also emphatically expressed his love for Wimbledon. His dream and desire to win it. And the journey and joy of the achievement, which he still reminisces with elation and bliss.

He may not like to compare grand slams—the French and Australian too have their own significance for him—but Wimbledon will may always have meant a trifle more than the rest.

As his first grand slam outside la terre battue. At the world’s beloved tournament, perhaps because of its uniqueness as the only grand slam on grass, tradition, audience or the name, whatever it maybe, one always considered the most prestigious. The consummation of a long toilsome race.

He gave his best. He chased each ball. He fought every game. He lingered till the end with a never-say-die attitude.

He lived to strive, he lived to fight, he did not assume, and so he continues on the trail of his quest to improve.

And despite all odds, the virile, vivacious Spaniard from Mallorca, who captured hearts round the world, shall emerge the winner once more, I say, because the will power and desire burning in his veins shall drive him there.

To relive that moment. Exhilarating but serene. Intangible yet lucid. Ephemeral yet everlasting.

Otra Vez.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1...rown-is-nadals

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJId40MvAX8

An thrilling semi final between Nadal and Djokovic in Mutua Madrilena Masters this year.

:clap:

June 19, 2009

Rafa played an exhibition match yesterday afternnon against Lleyton Hewitt at the Hurlingham Club where he lost 6-4 6-3 and will play against Stanislas Wawrinka today at around 2:30pm (local time).

"I love to play at the Hurlingham Club. Today's match was a real test, as close to reality as it could get. I will come back and play again and then make my decision about playing at Wimbledon or not," said Rafa after the match.

After the encounter, Rafa will hold a press conference.

Many thanks.

http://www.rafaelnadal.com/nadal/en/home

Nadal withdraws from Wimbledon

Friday, 19 June 2009

Written by Byron Vale

Rafael Nadal has announced he will not defend his Wimbledon title.

The world number one and top seed had said after the French Open that he would not play Wimbledon if he was not 100% and so it has come to pass.

"I’m here and I'm just not 100%. I'm better than what I was a couple of weeks ago but I don’t feel right," Nadal told a packed press conference on Friday evening at the All England Club.

"To not play Wimbledon is one of the toughest decisions of my career."

After suffering a shock defeat in the French Open to Robin Soderling, Nadal received treatment on his knees in Barcelona and skipped the traditional Wimbledon warm-up at Queen’s in an effort to be fit for The Championships. He was diagnosed with tendinitis in both quadriceps tendons as well as a small amount of fluid on the kneecaps.

"I tried everything. I didn't feel terrible but also not close to my best. When I enter a tournament my goal is winning and my feeling right now is I'm not ready to win.

"It's very painful for me but I can't play at the tournament this year. It's tough but it is what it is."

Nadal's absence will cause a reshuffle in the men’s singles draw. Number five seed Juan Martin Del Potro replaces Nadal at the top of the draw. The 17th seed James Blake moves to line 65 to take Del Potro's position. Nicolas Kiefer moves to line 56 to take Blake's position and lucky loser Thiago Alves takes Kiefer's position on line 61.

Nadal revealed that he had been playing with considerable pain and he didn't know how long he would be out of tennis. But he said he expected to fully recover from his knee problems and that he would have a "long career".

"I played with some problems on the knee for the last few months. I've been making efforts to play week after week. The truth is that sportsmen always play with pain and don't know where the limit is, where you can get to. I think I reached that limit now.

"I will work very hard to comeback as soon as possible. One of the problems is I’m thinking more about the knees than what is happening on court and it’s very difficult to play like that."

When Nadal was asked about his many fans and how disappointed they would be that he was not appearing at Wimbledon, the 23-year-old replied: "no more than me".

Nadal also said he was not concerned that his absence would open the door for Roger Federer to reclaim the number one world ranking. "If I lose the number one ranking I’m going to accept it like the four years I was number two and work hard to improve and recover."

http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/...395523523.html

Federer vs Nadal MS Rome 2006 Final


Nadal def. Federer: 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 2-6,7-6
Nadal had established himself as the King of Clay by winning his first French Open the year prior to this match, where he beat Federer in the semis. Two weeks before this Rome final Federer had lost to Nadal at the Masters series in Monaco in a somewhat lack-luster final. All the pressure was on Federer to show that he could beat Nadal on clay before the French Open.
Federer gets an early break in the 1st set but is unable to hold on to it. Nonetheless, it is clearly Federer who is in control of most rallies and he wins the 1st set in a flawlessly played tie-break.

However, Nadal raises the level of his game in the 2nd set and Federer's level drops slightly. With no breaks, the 2nd set goes to a tie-break, but Nadal is in the ascendancy now and takes it. In the 3rd set Nadal is dominating Federer in the rallies and Federer is missing some crucial forehands.

But just as one might expect that Federer is out the match, he returns to his better play from the 1st set. He breaks Nadal twice and takes the 4th set 6-2. He then goes on to get an early break in the 5th set, but just like the 1st set, he can't hold on to it. As things tighten up towards the end of the 5th set, both men have chances, but none greater than Federer, who holds two match points on Nadals serve at 6-5. Nadal survives to send the set to a deciding tiebreak. Federer again is up in the breaker on two occasions but can't hold on - and Nadal wins it 7-5 on his first match point.

This is no doubt the best ATP match played in 2006 and is in many ways the great French Open final between the two that we never had. The level of play is sky-high, Federer is attacking the net with great success and Nadal hits topspin forehands like no one but Nadal does. It makes for a nice contrast in playing style. My only criticism is perhaps that the match is a little monotonous with many of the points following similar patterns, and that the slow clay doesn't allow Federer to hit as many miraculous winners as you see on faster surfaces. Nonetheless, this match is likely to go down as the best match the two ever played, and it is highly recommended.

Stat of the match: Federer won 64 of 84 points when he came to the net (76%).

PLAYERS

Making History in a Hurry
Finals 2008
by Joel Drucker
| 07.11.2008


Getty Images
Rafael Nadal had legions of fans even before becoming No. 1.

It has been known for some time that Rafael Nadal will be regarded as one of the best clay court players the game has ever seen. But after one of the finest seasons of the Open Era, can there be any doubt that Rafa is destined to become an all-time great?

"Actually I walked up to Rafael Nadal. And he is probably my favorite tennis player to watch and I walked up to him and I was like, 'I just want to meet you and don't take a picture or anything, I just want to meet you.' And I told him, 'I watch you all the time when you play tennis and I love watching you play tennis.' I told him good luck."
— swimmer Michael Phelps, winner of eight Olympic gold medals in Beijing

Demonstrating the same tidal wave force with which he overwhelms his opponents, Rafael Nadal has sprinted his way into history. At 15, he won his first ATP match. At 17, he became the youngest man since Boris Becker to reach the third round of Wimbledon. At 19, he became the first man in more than 20 years to win the Roland Garros title on his main draw debut.

His pace accelerated in 2008. Amazingly, Nadal did not win his first tournament of the year until April 27. Capturing his fourth straight Masters Series Monte Carlo title that day with a win over Roger Federer, Nadal commenced a tri-continental performance that will leave tennis aficionados dazzled for years to come. In just under four months, he won eight tournaments, wracking up a 48-2 record and a 32-match winning streak highlighted by victories at the French Open and Wimbledon. Just prior to the US Open, Nadal took over the World No. 1 ranking from Federer.

It was a year that changed everything in shaping Nadal's mark on history, elevating him to pre-eminence as more than a clay-court specialist but perhaps placing him on a path towards becoming an all-time great.

What's interesting, though, is that once again 22-year-old Nadal has sprinted his way into the conversation. Over the last five years, talk of history, legacy and all-time greatness has been largely confined to Federer, all for good reason given the Swiss' massive achievements. Yet as much as Nadal continued to enhance his game, not until that final point at Wimbledon did it become clear that Nadal too could end up a tennis titan.

There were good reasons for this. A year ago, Nadal held three Grand Slam titles earned only at Roland Garros and a pair of runner-up efforts at Wimbledon. That's a superb, Hall of Fame-worthy resume, but as is the case with Gustavo Kuerten and Patrick Rafter, earning multiple Slams at one venue leaves a player perceived more as an occasional titlist than a champion for the ages.

By proving himself a man for all surfaces – besides Wimbledon, Nadal in 2008 reached the semis for the first time at the Australian and the US Open – Nadal has significantly upgraded his place in tennis history. In nearly doubling his Slam output to five, Nadal vaulted past the likes of Kuerten, Jim Courier, Guillermo Vilas and now stands but one Slam title away from such multi-venue champions Becker and Stefan Edberg.

While it's quite likely he'll earn his sixth Slam soon enough, as the 22-year-old Nadal nears his mid-20s, it's easy to imagine Nadal earning more Slams – figures that take him into the realm of such all-time top tenners as McEnroe (seven) and eight-Slammers Agassi, Connors, Ivan Lendl and Ken Rosewall. Start hitting doubles digits, and among Open era champions you enter the rarified air occupied only by Borg, Laver, Federer and Pete Sampras.

It's easy to forget this, but early in 2008 there were times when Nadal looked weary, most notably when he lost in the Indian Wells semifinals to Novak Djokovic and the final of the Sony Ericsson Open to Nikolay Davydenko. As recently as Masters Series Hamburg in May, he stood one set away from dropping to No. 3 in the world.

But in Paris, Nadal's tremendous sense of urgency and competitive fury was brilliant. His fourth straight French Open was his most dominant of all, the Spaniard failing to yield a set (a feat last attained at Roland Garros by Borg in 1980). At Wimbledon, he beat Federer in the greatest match in tennis history, 9-7 in the fifth. Again following in Borg's footsteps, Nadal that day became the first man since the Swede in 1980 to win Roland Garros and Wimbledon in the same year.

Nadal's other six 2008 titles included an Olympic gold medal in Beijing, as well as three ATP Masters Series events (Monte Carlo, Hamburg, Toronto). During this run, he'd snapped up multiple titles on clay, grass and hard courts.

"I know how tough it is to be No. 1," Nadal said during the US Open. "And I know for sure I can go back to No. 2 or No. 3 in next months, no? So you have to be ready for everything and try to enjoy this moment and accept everything."

How does Nadal's 2008 rank among the greatest years in Open era history? The pinnacle is Rod Laver's unmatched 1969 calendar-year sweep of all four Slams. Five years later, Jimmy Connors won 99 out of 103 matches and every Slam he entered, the only gap resulting when Connors' participation in World Team Tennis led to his banishment from Roland Garros (another mitigating factor: the extreme shallowness in those years of the Australian Open field). In 1988, Mats Wilander also won three Slams, losing in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon.

In a three-decade span from 1969 to 1999, there were 20 different years when a man earned two Slams in a calendar year, led by Pete Sampras accomplishing this on four occasions between 1993 and '97.

Federer has topped everyone but Laver, notching a trio of three-Slam years in 2004, 2006 and 2007.

So while certainly Nadal's 2008 has been spectacular, it joins a long list of other notable tennis seasons. But perhaps the most engaging part of Nadal's success is his youth – and the way everything from his success to his demeanor gives evidence of even more great things to come.

If Nadal's sprint up the mountain hasn't been quite as fast as Borg's, it's pretty darn close. The Swede is the youngest man in tennis history to have earned a fifth Slam, reaching that figure the week he turned 22 at the 1978 French Open. Nadal's fifth Slam, at Wimbledon, came a month after his 22nd birthday.

The two also share a stylistic affinity. Like Nadal, Borg burst on the scene as a precocious, understated prodigy graced with an alluring mystique, the hair of a rock star and an iron will. Having built a cult as tennis' "Teen Angel," Borg earned his first of six French Open titles in 1974, 10 days after he turned 18. As is the case currently with Nadal, Borg on clay was a human backboard, able to cover the court for hours on end with scarcely an unforced error. But just like Nadal, early in his career, Borg's dominance on clay threatened to overshadow his overall excellence.

Like Nadal, Borg at first was considered too much of a defensive baseliner to make an impact on the grass of Wimbledon. Everything from his grips to his volley skills was considered unworkable at the All England Club.

Soon enough, though, the Swede and Spaniard proved the world wrong. In the quest to win Wimbledon, Borg and Nadal each dramatically improved his serve, slightly adjusted his court positioning closer to the baseline and, perhaps most telling of all, displayed a willingness to shed innate defense in favor of selective offense.

"What's so impressive about Nadal is his increased understanding of how to play on grass," nine-time Wimbledon champion Martina Navratilova said on the lawns of the All England Club. "He's hitting his backhand earlier, he's slicing it intelligently and his movement is just incredible."

But in a less quantifiable, more emotional sense, Nadal and Borg part ways. Though Borg was unquestionably an all-time great by his early 20s, he'd also grown increasingly world-weary. The pressures of turning back such ravenous competitors as Connors, McEnroe and an ascending Ivan Lendl, the monk-like rituals he followed in practice, the demands of fame and, perhaps most painfully, the limitations of his attrition-based playing style – all of it made Borg more of a reluctant ruler than an ambitious, blood-thirsty warrior.

Nadal, of course, is just the opposite. There's nothing jaded or bored in Nadal's attitude, no sense as Borg displayed that the life of a tennis pro is a drain on one's soul. There came a point in Borg's career, for example, when the smaller events meant far less to him than the majors, a pragmatism that perhaps in some ways hindered his growth as a player – and certainly revealed his competitive fatigue.

"It's not a question of opting for quantity or quality," Nadal says about his active playing schedule. "You go for what there is, you play what you can play. There is no alternative but to play. Nothing more, nothing less."

In that sense, while Nadal's grinding game has its ancestral roots in Borg (and even more closely, another clay-court maestro, left-handed Argentine Vilas), his battle-hungry temperament is more like Connors. This is a man who loves to compete, day in and day out. Not content to merely peak for the majors, Nadal has already won 12 ATP Masters Series titles, third all-time behind Andre Agassi's 17 and Federer's 14.

How large a legacy Rafael Nadal will leave is one of the great questions of contemporary tennis. In large part it's a question that's been under a rock for many years but is now, much like Nadal, staring the entire sport – and Roger Federer most of all – right in the face. He faces many more battles. But while Borg waved his white flag and surrendered at the age 25, Nadal wouldn't have it any other way.

"I only want to progress," says Nadal. "That's what you have to do if you are No. 1 and want to stay there. I want to stay there and I will fight to do that."

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/DEU...o-History.aspx

Voted for Nadal in ESPY's best Tennis Male Athlete award for 2008.

15 ATP Master's 1000 series Titles @ 22.
8 ATP Titles in 2008
Snatched the world number one ranking after 160 weeks.
Won Wimbledon and Australian Open.
Olympic Gold Medal. Poor Guy will be dropping 800 points for that next month.
Has 3 ATP Master's 1000 series titles this year. Actually he has won 5 Monte Carlo 1000 series from 2005-09. And he won in Barcelona also.
Actually he will emulate Agassi's record(Not Roger's record of Career Grandslam) if he wins an US Open Title this year or may be next year or in the future until 2012. Since both Agassi and Nadal have Olympics Singles Titles and Roger has a Doubles Title.

:clap:

P.S: Anybody interested in voting go here

http://promo.espn.go.com/espn/specia...ys2009/#/home/
:D.

Nadal Targets Montreal Return
Player News
by ATP Staff
| 06.07.2009

Reigning ATP World Tour Champion Rafael Nadal is targeting his return to tennis at ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Montreal, beginning 10 August. The Spaniard is the defending champion at the Rogers Cup, having defeated Nicolas Kiefer in the final last year. He also triumphed in Montreal in 2005 with victory over Andre Agassi.

The 22 year old was not able to defend his grass-court titles at The Queen’s Club or Wimbledon due to knee tendinitis. At the time, the Mallorcan said: “To not play Wimbledon is one of the toughest decisions of my career. I have some time now to recover and will work very hard to return as soon as possible.”

Speaking to Matt Dickson of The Daily Mail though, Nadal’s spokesman Benito Perez Barbadillo confirmed that the Spaniard is expected back on the practice courts within the next few weeks. He is currently doing pure fitness work, while having treatment on the tendinitis in his knee.

“The plan is still very much that he plays in the Montreal Masters beginning on August 10. He is entered into it and that is what will happen if things go as we think they will,” said Perez-Barbadillo.

With his return to the court, Nadal will also look to win back the No. 1 spot in the South African Airways 2009 Rankings. The Spaniard’s 46-week reign atop the Rankings came to an end on Monday as Roger Federer reclaimed the No. 1 position after clinching his 15th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Ten...al-Return.aspx

Update on Rafa
RAFA UNDERWENT MED EXAMS TODAY. WILL RESUME PRACTICE ON MONDAY AND WILL PLAY MONTREAL
.
Manacor, Balearic Islands - Spain, July 14th, 2009
Rafa Nadal underwent further medical tests today in Barcelona. He is slowly recovering from his injury and will resume practice next Monday July 20th. He will back in action in Montreal where he is defending champion.
Rafa travelled to Barcelona yesterday and underwent medical exams to see the evolution of the insertion tendinitis of both Quadricipitals Tendons through an MRI and radiography under the supervision of his doctor Angel Ruiz-Cotorro.
"The evolution of his injury is positive and the player will continue with his physiotherapy and muscular work and will resume his tennis activity in a progressive way starting next Monday July 20th, estimating his return to competition on August 8th at the Montreal event" says Angel Ruiz-Cotorro, Rafa's doctor.
Rafa will travel back today to Manacor to continue with his recovery plan and will resume his tennis practice next Monday.
Rafa Nadal: "I am happy with the way the tests went and of the positive evolution of the injury as the doctors are saying. I am really looking forward to practice again and to do again what I most like: to play tennis. The event in Montreal is important and I expect to be there fit to play. Until then I need to continue to work on my recovery and practice well."
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http://www.rafaelnadal.com/nadal/en/home

stomach is churning already...vandhuttAnya vandhuttAnya!

Vaaamoss Rafaa :lol: :P

Plum/Others, FEI - Spain singam is the defending champion in Cincinatti.