i hope he plays too mr federer!!

What's the guy supposed to say when faced with the question 'do you want Nadal to be at Wimbledon?'?
This is just media fishing for cheap headlines - Of course he's going to say that!
On the other hand, Fed is showing a lot of skeptisism when saying = 'I can tell when he's in pain and when he's not'.
He might as well say. 'Yeah right, injured my ass!'

He will play ....no way he will miss wimby . NO WAYYYY .....

C'MON !!

Well, the doctors are supposed to give their opinion tomorrow so we'll see then.
It'd be a great pitty if he doesn't make it though cause, up until now, he's the only one that's been able to put Federe under real pressure in Wimby (even snatching one from the great man).
Fingers crossed. (if he's not there I don't know who I'd like to win - but not Fed again... give someone else a chance!)

I think what Fed means is that when he's in pain nadal will be slow and and will be so obvious since he's so fast.

I hope so!! it will be sad if he pulls out!! really sad...but we just have to wait till tomorrow...

It would be terrible for Tennis if Nadal missed Wimbledon. We need him in the tournament to spice it up!

Great analogy for Rog/Rafa I found in BBC news article:

"It boils down to whether you're a cat or a dog person, I reckon. Cats = Rog: Dogs= Rafa.
You get the impression if you were trying to stop either of them getting into your house, Rog'd sneak past while your back was turned while Raf'd stand there barking until you just let him by for a bit of peace and quiet."

i think that guy is secretly smirking on Rafa news.

doesn't surprise me that you think that pos...the eternal non-fed fan.....i think its you secretly hoping it aint gonna happen...cos of course fed would whoop his ass...right?!

It's a good job that there is a healthy respect between both roger and rafa...and that they both appreciate and respect each others game....NOT ONE FEDFAN would wwish for rafa to be hurt or injured in some way...and if they do...then they aint no tennis fan.....he is TOO important for the game and such a fabulous rivalry...not just between roger and rafa...but rafa and murray...rafa and novak.....rafa and.....soderling? (we'll have to wait on that one...see whether its a 'one off').....

All good wishes are sent to rafa and i just think (IMHO)...that he just needs a really good rest....he will have the BEST laser care on his knees...advice and he will play wimbledon and try to defend his title....but the pack are ready...as they always are when you are No.1 in the world...

but honestly pos....i think you are the only poster here who wishes fed bad luck and that says a lot about you as a tennis 'fan'....try to be more sportsmanlike and wish for a great wimbledon tourny with ALL players and let's see a repeat of RG! Fed to win!

C'MON!
Allez Federer!

Nadal will not be skipping WImbledon. I am 99% sure.

Grass is easy on the knees. A couple weeks of treatment and he should blast through the tournament like normal.

-Arvis

Hate to burst the bubble, but Nadal has a big problem on his hands, or should I say knees. It's not as if this is a little strain, it's quite clear that Nadal has serious knee problems, especially since he has already had tendinitis and now something new. If he was smart he would pull out. At least then he can recover properly and retain his pride. We have all seen how vulnerable an injured Nadal is even when the injury is not at red-alert level (Rotterdam 09, Rome 08, for example)...

I've been wondering for over a year now whether Rafa's incredibly physical game would come at a price. I must say that so far, except the season's end Master's Cup, Rafa has proven me wrong. He played without tape at RG, so I took that as a good sign for him, and now this. I hope he is ok. Wimbledon wouldn't be the same without him. I'm sure they'll do an MRI to see what the trouble is. Sometimes knee pain can be severe but not career threatening (i.e., meniscus tears can be very very painful, but yet they are easily repaired.)

I wish all you Rafans (and Rafa of course) best wishes for some good news.

As Jmac and Mary Carillo and the other commentator (don't know his name) said when talking of the news about Rafa possibly not playing Wimby......and I quote "Tennis needs Rafa!"

WOW
i hope it didnt hurt when he was on the Jet- ske or when he was seen swimming when you just think they can not top it after calling french crowd "stuipet" they come up with this? he is going to be fine and he will be at wimbledon but for a very long time i thought better of Nadal's team specialy his uncle but since he became number 1 things changed all a sudden when got beaten its not about the other being good but him being not SO good
greatness is not only about talent of having but about the talent of embrassing!
too bad Mr. Nadal

'I can tell when he's in pain, when he's not!' What a sarcastic guy, continuing with his arrogance, narcissism and long tongue, completely agree with posmatrac, Federer should be more than grateful to Nadal's performance in RG, cause his knee problem put him off the tournament, otherwise, Mr. 'Migty' would just dreamed of trophy, these days we can't live normally, Federer is here and there and everywhere, no other players, most probably, he'll play with himself virtual and certainly, he's gonna be a winner, for Haven's sake, it has to be like that, phew...
Once again, I'm praying for Nadal's health, wish him all the best, cause he's the guy, truly champion, without him, Wimbledon won't be as much as interesting with his appearance, God blessed you Nadal...

Nole should be thankful & grateful to Fed......coz of his Mono .....he could get his only slam !!!!

Lol.......I know people won't give (Non Fed fans) for his achievement in FO .......lol.......it was obvious & now we can see in comments ...... who cares .......wt we know that .... a guy who was called to King Of Clay ......lost back to back clay tourneys .........

A guy who was assumed to get his 5th RG ...was out in the fourth round ...... a guy who is not famous for giving excuses.......now his fans r giving .......lolzzz........

We know that Fed fought hard to get this ........we know that he played 3 ....5 setters ........worked really hard in his matches ......won the trophy ........we only know that he is now new champion at Paris ........we only know that he has 14 GS in his pocket ........ we know only that he has now all four GS titles .......

who cares wt people say .......WE KNOW THAT OUR R-O-G-E-R is a T-R-U-E champ !!!!


Go Roger Go..........

so gornada you gave up on djokovic now believing in Nadal now huh!shame on you at least djokovic is growing with time taking full responsibilty for his bad performences in GS you you should do the same!
honey ,history doesnt remember names of oponents or score 5 setters or 3 it only remember winners and Roger Federer won the FO 09 weather you like or not life is all about facts not assumptions not " if Nadal was in the finals" because he WAS NOT becuase of guy whome Nadal couldnt take to 5th set, and guess what everybody was saying that Nadal this year on clay wasnt as strong as last year.
Djokovic should be ashamed of you becasue personaly i think the guy has potentials never liked him though simply because he doesnt match the stander of elegance!

just reasd your post tomnjerry2
you are right Mr. Federer has the 14 including the FO which makes him one step ahead of Sampras which makes him simply the best what Laver and Rafter Sampras and Aggasi said make you know the value of seeing history under process, and being honored to believe in a guy who was so far away from this yet so close!

I knew it, you replied instantly, just waiting for a craziest fun, I even don't wanna mention her name, and tennishater, just for your information, better to say, reminding you, NOVAK IS MY FAVOURITE, MY SUNSHINE, MY LOVING BOY FOREVER, but after him all my support and sincere admiration goes to nice and humble Nadal.
tomnjerry2, despite of your bitter post, I'm not angry with you, sometimes you're able to be realistic, but Nole don't have anything to be thankful for, time will show all of us what's capable for, till then...

WHAT IS WRONG WITH FED HATERS??
I really don't get it....even when he wishes for Rafa's health,they still badmouth him.gordana: there is no sarcasm...why do u have to find a negative point in everything? what fed is saying is that,he is surprised because he thought Rafa was better,because he was not tapping his knees anymore...or he 's saying that he thinks Rafa won't skip Wimbledon because he did not seem to be in that much trouble...
the moment I read the article which stated that Rafa's loss at Wimbledon was really affected by knee injury,I thought if FEd said sth like this his haters would bash him for a year!wouldn't u really???? in my opinion there is NOTHING wrong with that statement but I just thought I was sure judgement would be different for Roger.I decided not to mention it there because it would be an irrelevant point when there is the issue of Rafa's serious injury. but now that once again I see how UNFAIR some ppl are about Fed I decioded to post this...and again i have NO PROBLEM with the statement!! it just that Fed haters judge him based on a different criteria!!
get a life ppl! what's wrong with u?????
I just wish the best for Rafa's health,I miss him and I hope he will be there in Wimbledon...and I hope the mutual respect between the two guys at least teaches the haters some lessons.

Hey people, give it a rest will you!
Just leave your rows aside and just talk tennis.
We all (almost) agree that Roger is the best player in the world, there's no question about that but we are also all entitled to have our favourites.
To laugh at a player's losses is just so lame not only as a tennis fan but as a person --> and I'm referring to you 'tomnjerry2' (with all your 'lols' when commenting about Nadal).

Shireling : yes!! we are entitled to have our own favorites..but we're not allowed to bash others'! I can't understand ppl who HATE a human so much,without having even met them. just look at the posts above ,it really hurts.

fed still isnt the greatest player.......
hope Nadal makes to the Wimbeldon and (keeping fingers crossed) wins it too.......

Meaning you have met Fed niloofar? lucky you :)
The thing is we fans only comment on the headlines that we see in the different media and more often than not these are put out of context.
I have to admit that when I read 'I can tell when Nadal is in pain and when he's not' (as I pointed out in my first post in this thread) supposedly coming from Fed, it did sound a bit condescending in my opinion but, knowing Fed (not personally) he probably didn't mean it in a bad way - no biggie.
I'm sure Federer wants Nadal to be in Wimby cause if he can beat him in the final and regain his throne it would just make him all the better. Isn't that what this rivalry is all about? :)

" fed still isnt the greatest player......." jaskarans, 6/9/09 11:55 AM

sampras , agassi , mcenroe and a few other greats said Fed is the greatest of all time at this point ....umm what grand slam did u win jaskarans ?

its difficult for any of ur arguments to carry any weight and thats simply cos the people whose views actually do matter have all agreed that Fed has made it .
Just cos you dont like the fact that fed has achieved greatness does not make it false .
Nadal can win Wimby ..or not ...still Fed will be the GOAT until someone beats him with GS counts on all 4 GS's ....and lets face it ...we are a long way from anyone getting there .

Shireling ,:
I don't get what u mean? did I say I have met Fed and I know he's really a good guy??!! I said I don't understand the hatred some ppl have against s.o. they have not even met! and yes,I agree with u,I'm sure fed wants Rafa to be there,and all the real tennis fans want it as well...I still don't see the negative point in what Fed has said,and I don't see how two ppl here are implying that he's happy.I read this on BBC:
"I was surprised to see him pull out of Queen's, and now the debate that he might pull out of Wimbledon is quite frightening," said Federer.
I wish we had the full interview,but u see ? he says he was surprised!! that's why he said:"I know when he's in pain nad when he's not..." he is surprised because he didn't realise that Rafa was in pain...it had not seemed to him that Rafa was injured.(that's what I imply) I'll appreciate if anyone posts the whole interview...I wonder how these ppl would feel if they were interviewed 1 million times a year,and some ppl took a sentence out of thier speech to make them sound bad. and why don't these ppl take out this one? .."you only want THE BEST to play the biggest events," said Federer, ...
by the way,I'm not refering to you Shireling,you are obviously a fair fan,I've read your posts before.

niloofar
What I meant is that perhaps you met the guy, that's all.
Following the same chain of thought you could say, why say nice things about the guy if you haven't met him?
In any case it's a know fact that Fed is a great guy, he's proven it time and time again. It's just that in sports everything is greatly blown out of proportion both for good or bad.
In my opinion not much else needs to be said about this issue.

"fed still isnt the greatest player......."

Yes he is. There are only three reasons for saying that Roger Federer is not the greatest of all time: 1) You're an idiot that doesn't know much about tennis. 2) You have an agenda and are not being objective. 3) Your opinion is public and so you'd rather not have an opinion at all.

Any reasonable person knows, objectively, that Roger Federer is now the Greatest Tennis Player Ever.

-Arvis

Fed is the greatest player of all time. No doubt about it. Just imagine this. The only current player who has a shot at his 14 Grand Slam is Rafa and he needs to win 8 more. GET IT? 8 MORE!! For sure, Nadal wont surpass it in the next 2 years. And with his knees failing him, He might go on a hot streak but to maintain it like Fed? I dont think so.

Hi fedfans! Just read the lovely gordana's comments...she really is a funny woman...gordana....you are so not objective......never mind...enough said....niloofar...stick to your guns...i understand what you are saying but there is no point arguing with G..cos she just pours out awful anecdotes about federer...she hates him...she reads things into his conversations which she 'wants to see'....federer is a lovely human being (based on all those great players who have met him, who are involved in his projects....the media...etc...etc..so really...niloofar...dont even bother trying to convince gordana...she having none of it...
for the rafa fans......Rafael Nadal has said he will do everything he can to shake off a knee injury and be fit to defend his Wimbledon title at this year's championships.


"I will give 200% to be at 100% for the most important date in world tennis," said the world No1 in a statement, adding that he faced two weeks of tough recuperation. "I have been playing with pain in my knees for several months and personally I cannot continue like this.


"The pain was limiting me physically in certain movements which meant I was also suffering mentally. I will not take to any court, and certainly not the Wimbledon centre court, unless I know I am 100 percent."


After his shock defeat to Robin Soderling at the French Open nine days ago, Nadal said he had been advised to rest by doctors and pulled out of Queen's in London, where he was also defending champion.


He said he would have physiotherapy in the coming days and Spanish tennis federation (RFET) doctor Angel Ruiz Cotorro confirmed the treatment would include anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle work.


Nadal has blamed his injury problems on what he calls the overloaded tennis calendar and last season missed the season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai and Spain's Davis Cup victory over Argentina. He will travel to London on 16 June. The Wimbledon championships start on 22 June.

I really think that he will be absolutely fine and i also think that the players will not drop their guard in respect of the media hype about rafa's knees...they will all still think they have a chance against him...as soderling proved in FO....

gordana you are right though honey...to describe...Federer as Mr. Mighty! This is true and really to try and devalue his achievements at the FO because both rafa and novak weren't playing just about sums up what you know about a fighting spirit....ZERO.
C'MON!
Allez Federer!

Niloofar, I do not understand it either, meaning the hate for Roger Federer but it lives on and on, on TT.

Arvis, Im chuckling at your post. You know that 'greatest player ever' statement has a fair chance to raise some cain.

Roger was trying to be positive about Rafa's knees in his comments. But the absence of tape from Rafa knees is NOT necessarily a good
sign.

i have to say a great tennis player is not one that push & abuse his/her body so badly just to win every single tournament but then have a short lived career....

Nadal have said that if he wants to stay at no.1, he needs to play that much. I have a feeling that he always have Federer to chase after and always feel afraid that he might get caught because Fed is so consistent but I think Nadal should relax now becoz Murray and Djoker are there to give Fed a run for his money which is why I think Rafa should rethink his schedule.

"I have been playing with pain in my knees for several months and personally I cannot continue like this."
So why no tape on those knees at RG, I wonder?

Zoey, I'm sure cain will be raised, but I didn't say anything incorrect in my post. It's just as much an objective fact as is the idea that Nadal COULD be the GOAT if he can stay healthy.

Federer = Current Greatest Ever.
Nadal = Potentially the Future Greatest Ever.

From where I am sitting, both statements are inarguably true.

-Arvis

I have been cruising net for Rafa news, genuinely hoping it's good but...it's still up in the air about Rafa and my opinion on what Rafa is saying is that he will try super hard to follow the 'plan' for recovery all "200%" however if his knees are still painful, he is seeing the big picture. It has to be devastating, an emotionally painful experience, to adjust to the possibility of not defending Wimby title, so big big kudos to him for comprehending a potentially serious problem. In the end, it's the star athlete's choice to chance further injury or not: it's Rafa's call.

Arvis-of course I know nothing for certain ( have not looked into it) nor have I had a chat w/ Rafa, lol, but the way Rafa's knees have been taped just looked like a support/preventative measure for a past sore knee due to wear and tear, side illeo-tibial band or other knee c/o. When the bands were off could mean everything has miraculously resolved tho he was not known to give it a rest OR there was swelling and more pain. that's all

Shireling ,:
sorry,I know u don't want to continue the topic...but two things I need to say:1) to me every human being is just fine,till it's proved otherwise,therefore I don't have a problem considering Fed a nice person having not met him 2) have u ever heard the comments former players,current players,membrs of WTA have given on roger's character??? there are so many of them,bringing the topic on Roger's character sometimes without even being asked...he 's just loved by most ppl who have met him...I've heard many of those comments over years..

for me these two reasons are enough to love Fed in addition to my own evaluation.but I wish I could see the crime that makes him so disgusting to some unbelieveable nonfans. I think it's clear what I mean.you can't compare love with haterd.

As I said before in another thread, the tapes on his knees were never supposed to be a permanent fix. They are to help provide TEMPORARY support but if you use them all the time, then your muscles can start to unwittingly rely on them and you can actually cause more damage. Many times he never used them when he was practicing. He only used them in matches. The fact that he wasn't using tapes lately does not say his knees were fine and he is lying now. It has just gotten to the point that the tapes made no difference. I just hope the treatment he is going thru will help him get better, whether he plays or not.

fedexfan: "still Fed will be the GOAT until someone beats him with GS counts on all 4 GS's ....and lets face it ...we are a long way from anyone getting there . "

Does Fed beat out all the other 5 four Slam winners in totals for every Slam? I always heard that fed would be considered the GOAT (which is not an actual award and is subjective) once he won all 4 Slams. It's not that far off that it could happen soon. If Rafa wins the USO, he will have won all 4 slams PLUS the Olympic SINGLES tennis gold.

niloofar...honey....your posts are just fine....whether or not shireling agreees with you is irrelevant......i think actually he/she comes across as okay.....the only reason people won't like federer is because he has everything.....SIMPLE...so it can only be jealousy....because even rafa and roger like each other and hey...isn't that what this is about....both are personable people......both are loved and respected....so hey....everything is fine...just chill and i totally agree with your evaluation in your second paragraph above......you are gonna beat the haters or change their minds...so dont waste your pure energy trying my friend...just glow in the glory of the fed...ahhhh!....now doesn't that feel good my friend?!

Zoey...mwah! xx

Nadal's game is 100% physical so if he lost this factor his chances will be sublim it is strange though to be problem now mid season usually he has problems in Paris ( the master) and Shangahai toward the end of the year, now is strange time specialy after perfect clay season until the french open,well i guess Agassi wasnt right he is human after all!

torres9
you quoted
Speaking of greatness, Nadal, 13-7 against Federer.
Even if Roger has won RG but still he could not able to defeat Rafa in 4 matches they played at RG. But Rafa has played far better against Roger in Wimbledon than Roger performance against Rafa in RG. RG is the toughest to conquer of all the grand slams. There is no cheap points like serve & volley in RG.

f4t, how bout year-ending titles where Fed won 4 and Nadal zero?

torres, I'm not looking for a stupid fight. I asked a simple question concerning FEDEX's comments (not yours).

torres9
You seems to have no answer to Rafa dominance over Roger.

Who is arguing with you FFT? IT bands are a common supportive measure, not saying a permanent cure. Soreness at anterior point where "da shin bone connected to da thigh bone" , where bones form a lever, is a very common spot runner's or athletes complain and going along w/ that is c/o patella "feeling" like loose.

Why do you get all riled up today? I said the absence of taping or below knee bands did NOT necessarily mean good news but did not say it meant bad news. As you say, bands off could mean a good thing but Rafa himself said the pain had been there and limiting his movement and hurting him mentally. My guess is the bands had crossed over into adding to the pain not helping, especially with a little edema. Whether or not his body or mind was relying on them, I dunno, sounds possible.

As to Rafa's knees FFT, we are on the same team here. I also mentioned how devastating if Rafa misses Wimby over this! But better to take a longer rest than keep having to play suffer, and make risk making it worse. I care about Rafa.

I know you are not a Federer hater FFT, Just a very passionate Rafa lover/ defender : D

Now that he has the record, I was hoping Federer gains a little humility and be nice to people. Alas, I was wrong. This arrogant guy claims he can tell if Nadal has pain in the knees or not. There is no end this guy's subtle insults to other people. He can't even be courteous to someone who is injured. What a narcissistic prick!!!

After Rafa lost to Soderling, when asked who will win FO, he graciously said if anyone deserves the title its Fed. Look at the difference between a a big baby and class act like Nadal.

I guess this big mouth thinks he can say whatever he wants.

I'm not riled up zoey. I just responded to torres (using his name to direct my answer to him) who responded to a question I asked fedex. I never said YOU said the bands were bad news. I just stated info about the usage of bands on the knees.

People.......why are we still bickering about whether or not Fed is the GOAT when the article is about Rafa's knees?!!!!...........I shudder to think what tennis will become if Rafa has to no longer play!!

However, if Rafa is not able to defend his title at Wimby, although it would be a shame.....i think it is his health that is most important. If he can recuperate enough so his knees get stronger and he tweaks his game so that he does not have to be so physical (as he has been doing), then he can always return to the circuit and kick some more a**!!!

I always was of the opinion that Rafa was not 100% after the hard court season.....he just seemed a tad slower and had seemed to lose some of his zing. Now, please Fed fans, that is not an excuse for his loss at Rolans Garros.........Fed worked really hard for his win and deserved it.......its just that it would have been a lot more of a significant win if it was against Rafa!!!......i think Soderling was a fluke and we will see thats the case with his future performance......i have seen this happen time and time again when a dark horse makes a final or wins a GS and you never hear from them again!!!!

Nevertheless, I think if Rafa recuperates nicely and gets himself in form for the US Open he will have a VERY good chance of winning because he has been able to climb a rung higher up the ladder every year.........i think if he gets back to form he WILL make the finals and win!.......thereby achieving the Career Grand Slam!!!.....and even if he doesnt do it this year he WILL eventually!!!.......look......how long did it took Federer?.........Nadal will achieve it even in a much shorter time!!!!

I just wish Rafa all the best and loads of R&R!!!.........he should not pressure himself to defend his Wimby title if he is not healthy........IMHO, i think he should just prepare himself for the US Open!

Vamos Rafa!!!

People.......why are we still bickering about whether or not Fed is the GOAT when the article is about Rafa's knees?!!!!...........I shudder to think what tennis will become if Rafa has to no longer play!!

However, if Rafa is not able to defend his title at Wimby, although it would be a shame.....i think it is his health that is most important. If he can recuperate enough so his knees get stronger and he tweaks his game so that he does not have to be so physical (as he has been doing), then he can always return to the circuit and kick some more a**!!!

I always was of the opinion that Rafa was not 100% after the hard court season.....he just seemed a tad slower and had seemed to lose some of his zing. Now, please Fed fans, that is not an excuse for his loss at Rolans Garros.........Fed worked really hard for his win and deserved it.......its just that it would have been a lot more of a significant win if it was against Rafa!!!......i think Soderling was a fluke and we will see thats the case with his future performance......i have seen this happen time and time again when a dark horse makes a final or wins a GS and you never hear from them again!!!!

Nevertheless, I think if Rafa recuperates nicely and gets himself in form for the US Open he will have a VERY good chance of winning because he has been able to climb a rung higher up the ladder every year.........i think if he gets back to form he WILL make the finals and win!.......thereby achieving the Career Grand Slam!!!.....and even if he doesnt do it this year he WILL eventually!!!.......look......how long did it took Federer?.........Nadal will achieve it even in a much shorter time!!!!

I just wish Rafa all the best and loads of R&R!!!.........he should not pressure himself to defend his Wimby title if he is not healthy........IMHO, i think he should just prepare himself for the US Open! Vamos Rafa!!!

And by the way........I am not pleased with Fed's comment:

'He wasn't taping his knees in Paris, he seemed fine to me and I can tell when he in pain and when he's not.'

How can Fed tell how Rafa feels in his OWN knees?!!!!!...........Ah!...i see!.....Fed can feel Rafa pain now?!!!.....wow!!!!.........not only is Fed a magician......he's also clairevouyant!!!!........lol!!!!!........Go Fed go!!!!!!

Good enough. Just checking, FFT lol... (we've a hx of misunderstanding) :D

therefore: IT band usage may help or may not be a good thing, settled.
As to Federer Nadalio, he was being nice, he was giving the thumbs up for Nadal being okay and good to go, if you read the entire interview but by picking and choosing just as Niloofar says, read her 8:09 post for more about what Federer actually said.

Since Federer is arrogant , a narcissist, a prick in your own mind and please enlighten us further about your opinion and where you came up with your opinion

Zoey,

I did not address anyone but since you asked a direct question, I will answer to you. First of all I can quote 100 statements by Federer where he insulted other players subtly. But you lack a basic level of intelligence to be enlightened.

My opinion is based on watching tennis for the last 25 years. I watched and read many interviews during my experience and no one including McEnroe is as arrogant as this guy He may be supremely talented but doesn't have class. So if you want a specific example, I can give you. But answering a generic question is difficult.

Actually Niloofar wrote about the picking and choosing, taking a sentence out of context to suit the slant or bias in the 3:15 post.

Thinking Johann did it all on purpose to stoke the old fires :D

Arvis- on the 'greatest of all time' , raising cain.

Nadalio, still curious if you have a real solid reason to consider RF all those ...not worth repeating

"First of all I can quote 100 statements by Federer where he insulted other players subtly. But you lack a basic level of intelligence to be enlightened."

This is trolling. Keep it up and you might end up banned from this site.

-Arvis

Arvis,

Mind your own f(*&ing business. Don't poke your nose where it doesn't belong. You ahole.

Zoey,

Ask Jankovic. She will tell you what kind of arrogant person Fed is. He insulted her when she became No. 1. He insulted when Djoko retired due to heat exhaustion. Everytime, the reporters asks Rafa about Fed, he replies very graciously and with respect. Go read the Fed presser after AO final. Read it completely and tell me if there are no subtle insults towards Nadal.

Like I said, I can quote 100 like that, You need to be open to be receptive.

Nadalio your response to Arvis says it all about you, doll.

Nadalio,

Posting your whiny bile on a public forum makes it as much my business as anyone's, troll. I wonder what Rafa would think is he read the garbage you've been posting here? He'd probably be just as repulsed by you as everyone else is right now.

*sigh*

Whatever. I'm ignoring you now.

-Arvis

Arvis,

Go love yourself. And zoey, you can do that to.

Guys stop it!!!!!..........Nadalio and Arvis, you guys have made such good contributions on this blog......please try to continue and dont go down this dark path of insulting each other.....it will not change the fact that one of you likes Rafa and the other likes Federer!!!..........lol!!!!

Vamos Rafa!!!!

RAFA out of QUEENS.....ROGER out of HALLE!

They BOTH need some REST ......FOR different REASONS!

Monalisa,

In my post I do not address anyone. Not sure why these fans of Mr big mouth need to poke in and talk to me. I have more tennis knowledge than these schmucks can ever dream of. You are right. It doesn't befit me discussing these things with these lowlifes.

Getting back to Rafa's knees, I hope he skips Wimbledon. It was my observation that Rafa was exhausted during Rome and Madrid. I was hoping against hope for Nadal to take rest. Did not know the situation was this serious. Its been a long time since I have seen a person like Nadal in sports. I followed Edberg, Sampras, Agassi extensively when they played in slams. But this kid is a cut above them. He genuinely respects and talks good about his fellow players. Thats why I wish him to take rest and come back when fully recuperated. If he rushes to Wimby, he might be jeopardizing long term health.

Hope he has a team of good doctors advising him!!!

I did read an article in British press about Roger Federer saying and this was months ago so only from my limited intelligence here, uhhh, Fed said something about someone not being #1 until the won a grand slam. But I felt the article was anti-Fed or at least written by someone trying to feed fuel to the Serbia v Federer feud. So, I dismissed the rag. You don't believe all you read and neither do I. There is still more evidence saying Federer is a super nice, sweet person in real life. And I do know 4 people, 1 a journo who knows Mirka and Fed and she says they are as nice as can be , beautiful inside and out. The 3 others simply had an opportunity to meet Fed, 2 were friends said he was awesome nice and the dissenter was a cranky guy I met on an airplane.

So Nadalio, I hope you write your article and get online: "100 Quotes and Reasons to Despise Roger Federer."

I am learning from you, Nadalio

Zoey,

Its not a press article. Read what Jankovic said about your Federer. Anyway, I thought you being a low life, would refrain from answering me. Now you know why I said, you lack basic intelligence.

I could give a flying saucer of crapcakes what you think of me but this is a forum where I have the freedom to address you for I found your word about Roger Federer offensive and senseless. You have not in your supreme intelligence and sheer brilliance managed to change my opinion BUT there is hope, I await your 100 quotes that will be a starting point for you if you are indeed ambitious enough to sway world opinion to your point of view on the matter. Dream Big!

And, if I had insulted Novak Djokovic in the same manner you and cohorts insult Federer, I would be "addressed" lol and wow

I'm a Rafa fan for the sheer hard work & determination he shows on court.
But Roger is a decent guy who plays tennis the way it should be played.

no doubt Roger is a world class tennis player but him being humble and gracious is a pure myth. I expect all sort of attacks from Federerjugend members.

Well, even Roger fans will probably agree that Roger is not particularly "humble". There is an added measure of confidence to him. He believes in himself above all else. That is his personality. He probable doesn't even notice it when he comes across as arrogant. However, so far it has worked well for him, obviously. A guy with 14 GS on his resumé has earned the right to be cocky. Still he's nowhere near as outspoken about his own greatness as, say Mohammed Ali or Babe Ruth, for example, and nobody begrudges them that.

This is the actual statement made from Team Rafa and presented on his website. Other ones that have been posted are from secondary sources and obviously added their own statements into an article (i.e. blaming injury remarks).

JUNE 09 | 2009
RAFA TRAVELS TO LONDON ON TUESDAY, JUNE 16TH
Rafa Nadal has confirmed today that he will travel to London next Tuesday, June 16th. For the past 36 hours, Rafa Nadal, has been undergoing in-depth medical tests under the supervision of Doctor Angel Ruiz-Cotorro.

Rafa Nadal:

"I have been playing with pain on my knees for some months now and I simply can't go on like this. The pain was limiting certain movements in my body, which affected me mentally as well."

"After the tests and with the appropriate treatment, we have decided to travel to London next Tuesday, June 16th."

"I am going to give my 200% to be ready for the most important tournament in the world. The tournament that I always dream about. I will not go out and play, especially on the Wimbledon Centre Court, if I am not 100% ready to play."

"I have 2 difficult weeks ahead of me, especially because I won't be doing what I like doing most, which is to play tennis, but I will be working on my recovery through physiotherapy treatments as well as recovery work on the specific muscular area."

Doctor Angel Ruiz-Cotorro, the Spanish Federation doctor and Managing Director of the Mapfre Medical Tennis Center:

"After the appropriate tests (MRI, Ultrasound scans and gammagraphy) Mr. Rafael Nadal suffers from insertion tendonitis in the superior end of both kneecaps with a light osseous edema.

His treatment will involve oral anti-inflammatories, physiotherapy as well as progressive muscular exercises for both quadriceps's.

Following the 48-hour treatment, Mr. Nadal will gradually get back into training."

There will be no further comments or statements today. For further information please contact (media only), Benito Perez-Barbadillo, Rafa's PR/Publicist.

Many Thanks"

None of the Nadal report was bothering me but thr part about "light osseous edema" FF. I know all about tissue edema but not so much on bone or osseous edema.

you've probably googled the heck out of osseous edema by now but I liked how this article described the basic process: osteoclasts overcoming osteoblasts, course I like
reading the case study.
http://www.orthosupersite.com/view.asp?rid=29618
made me think of Lleyton Hewitt too.

I had stress fractures from dancing and shin splints from skiing in high school. Treatment has improved in ten years, obviously.

Hope that too roger
nice words from him , he knows when Rafa is in pain , thats nice :)

Isn't it odd how after Verdasco lost to Nadal at AO he had bad ankles and missed a few tournaments, after Federer lost to Nadal there he had a sore back and missed a few weeks also. Now after Nadal lost to Soderling at FO he has so much pain in his knees: the same knees he doesn't bother to tape anymore. Now that Federer's won FO his back feels better. I guess winning cures all injuries while losing exacerbates them tremendously. Nadal is trying to use psychology on the field: he's playing around. He will play at Wimbledon......and lose.

Roger is the best we all know....
whoever wants to hate him can it doesnt bother roger or his fans...
as for rogers comments there is nothing wrong he wants nadal to play and rightfully claim HIS wimby title back....
Nadal fans need an excuse coz they know how great roger is....
if nadal played the beautiful tennis(like fed) he wouldnt have this problem...
But thats not his fault we all cant be FEDERED....
I would like also like to point out when nadal is playing how he always says PUTO to his opponents when under pressure which shows how humble he is..we all know what that means...
nadal will play at wimby ad i wish him recovery as chr 18 mentioned and get his ass kicked as the KING FED IS BACK.............
SO CRY ALL U WANT FEDHATERS ................SUCCESS ONLY BRING MORE ENEMIES

Nadalio, if you believe in the hype of the media then you will get offended like Jankovic did which is a total case of over-sensitive and over-reacting. Fed just answers his interview in the most articulate way. Nadal on the other hand, is not very articulate which is why he seems innocent. But to me, Nadal's humility is the same as Roger. When Nadal loses, he also always says 'i'm tired', 'i'm not playing my best tennis'. Same case.

i didnt hear nadal complaining about his physical condition when he won in monte carlo and rome...( I could be wrong)...
Federer had always said he was ready for the FO this year,he beat nadal in madrid with a classy display nadal panicked and got knocked out by the guy who said ROGER IS THE BEST EVER and he gave me a lesson in tennis.....
what does that mean soderling hates nadal and supports fed,the truth is knows and appreciates a genius when he sees one unlike u crying nadal fans

No zoey, I have not googled osseous edema at all--lol. I just know off the top of my head from my medical background that it means bone swelling. I just saw articles about Nadal's words posted and I knew from having already read Rafa's home page that what was posted on this site at least on 2 different threads, was NOT what Rafa's official statement was. I thought it would be better for all to see what Rafa and his doctors actually said instead of bits and pieces that some other person put together.

OMG, Fed is the biggest wanker and thats all there is 2 it.

I can't believe what he just said about 'I know Rafa, I know when he's in pain or not, it doesn't look that serious too me'.

What are you Rafa's trainer now?? Why talk shit about things that you obviously have no idea about, and just becuse you've won the French cos Rafa felt sorry for you for embarassing you in OZ that you think you are a psychic now as well??

Rafa didnt' have his tape on and he obviously has his reasons behind it, theres no need for your smartass comment, just keep it to yourself you little mutt.

And also, as if its not clear enough that you simply CANT keep up with Rafa if he's playing, and you only wish and pray in your dream that Rafa's injury will keep him out of Wimby and even better the reest of the yr. Well enjoy your 2 months of fame while you still can, cos you will go back to the shadow of the soon-greatest-of-all once he's back.

Rest Well Rafa, can't wait for you to whip that pathetic Fed's ass again, its just the calm before the storm for now, gotta be patient.

excuse me did i read correctly nadal greatest of all...
keep on dreaming he has won 6 GS and 4 on clay and 2 other and he is already been worked out on clay thats y he got knocked out....
The way rafa plays his body wont be able to sustain it and he will worked out as he is already
typical of u rafa fans to be rude and ignorant of federer it shows you all rafa fans come from the same school of thought:
CHEAP,RUDE,JEALOUS and No APPRECIATION FOR EXCELLENCE(FEDERER)....

The real fans of tennis worship Rafa, cos remember he's the one re-invented tennis and the way its played, not Fed. Watching Rafa playing, u just get the feeling of bloodin oozzzing out of ur veins and if it wasn't for Rafa pushing the boundary and limit of tennis, everyone would be still sitting there thinkin OHHH is that all there is in tennis??

I mean, dont u all Fed fans out there get bored of seeing how lethargic and uninteresting every time fed wins?? It makes me wanna fall asleep every time seein him play, GOSH I just cant sit there watchin him for more than 2 mins, it makes me feel at least 50 yrs older, maybe i'll start followin that old prat when I hit retirement age.

Rafa is also the most gracious person on and off the court, everyone loves him and adores him, he's not just a wonderful and modest person but also with so much energy and enthusiasm. If you dont like Rafa then you really need to get some help.

Appreication for EXCELLENCE?? Funy how u mentioend, well thats the reason why u follow Rafa, cos he plays the TRUE TENNIS. Fed's not bad and if he's in Sampras and Agassi period, might prolly be good enough for a top 5, but to say Fed plays better than Rafa is a joke, just look at their head to head.

ONe could only admire the luck Feds had in his whole life, if only Rafas borned a few yrs earlier, Fed's confidence woudl have been so shattered that he'd be lucky to have won half of the slams he has now, well I said it before, this is just life. Some ppls borned rich, others poor, Fed borned with fortune on his side, what a lucky bastard... I feel so sorry for Rafa...

Rafa didnt re-invent anything. His counterpunching game was invented by Jimmy Connors. And Fed didnt invent anything either but he made never-before-seen shots. AZN, go read more tennis history.

Not everybody is a fan of Rafa. Ask the French.

will someone remind me how many GSs Fed won by age of 23? once Fed starts losing he transforms into Federina while Rafa is a true, non compromising warrior no matter whether he wins or loses. Fed is selfish egocentric person obsessed with his own success, his trophies and his millions. I used to love his tennis but his true revealed "grace" was a total put off for me.

Well the boss is in town. LOL :) the FED is going to be FINe with or without Nadal. He has displayed more confidence, and relentless determination to win Madrid, and Roland Garros in 2009. Wimbledon is not going to be any different, as least from the point of view that the FED will put clear concentration into his playing. Roger Federer is a solid contender for the trophy at Wimbledon. He will display powerful accurate tennis playing (add a little "magic" for the/a complete recipy) Cheers FEDfans! :)

What AZN2NVY really means is , you are a "real" fan of tennis only if you are a fan of Rafa or anyone else but Federer. Its your personal opinion AZN2NVY and you can keep ranting but its not going to change others opinion about Federer.

Well saud POSTMATRAC, cant agree more.

Feds a selfish prick, a parasite that feeds on others, while RAFA is the true champ with the right manner and attitude to match.

Nadalio :

u keep repeating that Jankovic said bad things about roger's character! why don't u mention:Rafa,Lubicic,Blake,Roddick,Davydenko...Sampras,Henman,Laver... MArion Bartoli and some other players who have been very complimentory about Fed's character??
I think winning the sportsmanship award voted by PEERS is enough document as well.
by the way this makes Roger's statement in this case more clear: BBC:..."I was surprised to see him pull out of Queen's, and now the debate that he might pull out of Wimbledon is quite frightening," said Federer.
he's surprised because he did not realise rafa was in pain.besides he is being optimistic,he's saying that in his opinion Rafa is ok and hopefully can play,WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS??? he is not a CHILD!! of course no one lies about not wanting to play in Wimbledon!! Fed knows this,but ppl's problem is that they think we're dealing with some 10 year old kids here..".oh,Rafa lost and is looking for an excuse...or,stupid roger thinks Rafa is lying..!" Roger is not stupid to disgrace himself by tryng to say Rafa 's lying!!
Roger is just being optimistic about it,but let me tell u sth,when u hate s.o. u hate whatever they do and say,no matter what! did u read the Telegraph and Newyork times article about how NICE he is and his greatness comes with goodness??
AO pressor? insult to Rafa?? then was it insulting that Rafa said a couple of times that he was not at his best when he played Soderling?of course not! have u heard how many times Roger has said that Rafa's performance in AO was phenomenal?? (recent interview with CNN and BBC,also a presser during the FO)
s.o. here said that even fed fans accept he is not particularly humble....YES!! I DO ACCEPT that .but I also think he's genuine,honest,nice to peers and family and a good sportsman!!he's not humble,but not exactly arroagant as well.and that's why I have the ultimate respest for him..

Malteser how could I be chill about them!? I can't believe some ppl! look at thier comments!

and why not PULL OUT this part:"you only want the best to play the biggest events," said Federer.

Why do ppls keep on thinking i'm biased and has a thing against Fed?? The truth is i dont...

If only fed can just shut it up and let the racket do the talking like the mighty Rafa, i wouldn't be carrying on here like this, i just cant stand this arrogant a$$hole wants to have a say in everythin and thinkin he is always right and has the right to simply cos he happened to have won a few rare trophies lately. I especialy cant stand how he seems to be happy about Rafa's injury and is half celebrating and half teasin Rafa, what an absolute cockhead to be so arrogant like that.

Just play your tennis, and mind your own business!!

"I especialy cant stand how he seems to be happy about Rafa's injury and is half celebrating and half teasin Rafa"AZN2NVY , 6/10/09 6:10 AM

which parts of his statements shows this?? when he says it's frightening? or when he says you only want THE BEST to play in the biggest ones?? or showing optimisim about Rafa's injury? telling him come on you're fine,play the big one,cause you're the best?
celebrating and teasing?!?! where does your observation come from?

haaahaaaa AZN2NVY. "...he happened to have won a few
rare trophies lately." 14 trophies, my man, 14. So, Federer's racket has been doing the talking.

You are just having us all on. That's what I am choosing to believe about your latest masterpiece post lol, lol!

you are wacky wicked but never more wacky than when you do the rigged/ conspiracy theory stuff.

Like to read more of your eloquence but its bedtime

So if Fed is the greatest, what do you call someone who has a 13-7 edge over mr.big mouth? Greater than Greatest?

I am sure all the kool-aid drinking and with their half baked knowledge, fed fans would talk like this. Nadal is not the one that cried like a baby twice in the pressers.

And zoey, you are true schmuck and a lowlife. Keep talking nonsense and keep reading bedtime stories. Thats all you can read with your limited understanding of tennis (or lack of it)

Fed is too afraid to be cocky. He wants the whole world to think him as mr. nice guy. But tries to insult other players who can beat him. And to the fans defending him for talking nonsense about WTA, shame on you. Jankovic made it to No. 1 with hard work. No body handed it over to her. He should be the first person to know how hard it is to reach the pinnacle in tennis. Instead of congratulating someone, takes vile shots.

niloofar, please just ignore AZN and anything that it spouts out. AZN is not worth your effort and please don't think that all Rafa fans agree with it's views. Even as a Rafa fan myself, I just scroll past AZN's comments and I am just suggesting that you do the same. Your blood pressure will thank you!

Most of the true tennis fans agree with AZN. No one questions Fed's talent. Its just difficult to understand when a supposedly mr.nice guy trying to insult other through press comments.

AZN is right. Rafa and Murray talk through their racquets. Thats why they have a better H2H over Crybaby.

I dunno why some Nadal fans think just because they read text from Fed's interview they immediately know what he's thinking. So many times Fed has praised Nadal and they say he's teasing him. What is the guy supposed to say I wonder? And if he is such an arrogant fellow, why does he have so many fans including the tennis greats, the commentators? Are the people in tennis all so ignorant?

Fed definitely has the right to give an opinion on tennis 10000x more qualified than AZN, Nadalio. He is even the head of the Tennis Council. And too bad his answers are more detailed than Nadal's because his English is better and has a lot of opinion.

He has certainly has right to give his opinion. But not insults. If he comes out and says something nasty outright, lot of people would respect him as they did Ali. We respect Serena because she has the guts to be open about her thought. But mr.bigmouth hides behind his nice guy exterior to belittle and demeans others.

And I am sure I have a right to express my opinion Torres!!!

To answer your question about all the players, commentators being ignorant, no they are not. This is the classic case of 'Emperor's New Clothes'. No one wants to point out the obvious because they might be branded. And also there is this little matter of success. If someone has accomplished as much as he did on tennis court, people usually tend not to go against it as they might be called 'jealous' of his success.

Everyone knows. No one wants to bell the cat.

Torres, since ur such a self-acclaimed expert on anything and everythin tennis wise, y dont u answer a very curious question that i'm sure all Rafa fans around teh world would like to know, 6-13 head to head, 2-4Murray, whatever it is the ridiculous H2H against even the likes of Simon and Nalbandian. Not to mention Djokovic is also finding easier and easier to make fun of Fed on the court and makin him look like an amateur.

All you fed fans out there seem to think fed is perfect, OMFG, he's not just a senseless prick who has completely lost touch in this world and so self-centred and selfish, and the only thin he used to be good at e.g. fashion sense and funny ads are also gone, he seems to play some decent tennis only when the big boys are out, when the guys like Rafa and Murray and Djokovic are serous about things, Fed is just a shadow of himself, he's nothin more than just a showpony with fake tears.

But not to worry Fed, you will alwlays get some brainless fools like Torres jumpin up and down for you no matter waht u do, cos Torres will dig in hard into stats and prolly find a full dozen never-heard-of names and go HEY GUESS WHAT MR. BLAH BLAH HAD A H2H RECORD OF 4-0 AGAINST RAFA WHEN HE WAS 10....

And one last thing about fan4tennis......what an absoute ididot you seem to be as well, i'm ashamed to hear Rafa having such a disgraceful supporter like you claim to be one. Why would you go out of line and your own team start insulting others who' simply stating the obvious?? Dont tell me you are one of those typical hide-behind-the-monitor geek who is all to willing to tip shit on people just because he's safely out of reach. You are equally more pathetic.

LOL @ Nadal fans just dying to attack Fed or his fans then saying they have nothing against him :D
Its disgusting but I cant even say I'm surprised.
Of course I still dont understand why Fed is wrong.
He said Nadal ,'seemed' fine to him..he didnt state anything for a fact.
Nadal seemed fine to me too in Paris.But never did Fed accuse him of faking injurues or stg like that.
Obviously,when you play a guy 20 times you can tell if is he's in pain or not.
Nadal's movements could've been restricted but he did not seem to be in pain in Paris.Plain and simple.
If Roger had lost early then later said he'd been diagnosed of having severe back problems these same Nadal fanatics would've been trash-talking him.
Of course as I say this I fully expect a personal attack and name-calling on myself
but I'll say it anyway since now I can take any sh*t from Nadtards. :D

fan4tennis:
thanks
of course not all Rafans are like that...you,shireling and many more fans out there,reflect Rafa's character much better than those haters..
I know you don't really like Fed,but I was wondering what you think about this discussion? do u think there is sth wrong woth Roger's statement or you agree with Janhavi and me?(I'm asking for your opinion,I'm not trying to make you agree with us,I thought maybe there is sth I can't see,but I can't trust the other posters)

it's funny that Nadalio and AZN don't even answer my posts which is directed to them!! and about the h2h: 9 of their matches were on clay!

wowwwwwwwww there is an all out battle between fans here ..haha ....fedfans ...this page is about rafa's knees that are rumored to pop out ...wish the dude all the best and move on .....i see that the nice sensible rafa fans are not back yet ...what still remains are the rafa fans that are still in denial that he got knocked out in the 4th round of RG09 .

Anyways ....like i said before ...he will play wimby ....its ludicrous to think otherwise .
I just hope he makes it past the 4th round this time ...and of cause i need soderling to be on feds side of the draw for that.

Fed on the other hand will also play wimby ...but this time he will be going to regain the trophy to further solidify his status as GOAT as labelled by so many tennis greats over the last week . I Cant wait ...FedExpress rolling on to #15 .

C'MON !!!

p.s: I see malt is still in cloud 9 ...dissapeared all together :)

Nadalio ,: u mean they bring up the issue on roger's nice character without even being asked ,because they don't want to sound jelous?!? if he was such a wicked creature as u say,they would have kept quiet about him at the best! what about the sportsamnship award?!?!?!?!?!?

Yes, federer is the GOAT!
And Nadal is the GOAT slayer!!!
13-7 H2H will prove that.

On another note,though I miss wathing him play, I wish Rafa will forego wimby this year and concentrate on being 100% well again.

Niloofar,

Ask a direct question and you will get a direct answer. Or may be your bird brain can't comprehend the pressers by your mr.big mouth or may be the kool-aid is working fulltime in whats left of it.

I never said he is wicked. The only thing I said is he in an arrogant, narcissistic prick who can't look beyond his own shadow. Oh playing against someone makes him an expert on physical pain? Whats next 100 visits to the doctor makes him a physician?
LOL.

Get over yourself fed fans, he may have talent. But class, that he can never get.

Yes. Rafa lost to a better player that day in 4th RG. He gave full credit to the opponent and wished Fed would win and moved on. He never cried like a baby and tried to steal someone else's moment. Classic self-centred behaviour.

Who is in denial? 13-7 is what it is. You guys trying to make it clay/grass/hc etc. By that argument, his accomplishment is only with weaker player. When someone stands up to him, the record in slams 6-2. Go get more excuses for this stat.

Nadalio, you might have opinion but when you say Fed should let his racket talking and should say nothing is totally ridiculous. 1st of all, he is probably the most questioned player of all time because he gives different answers and detailed ones compared to repetitive ones from Nadal and Murray. 'I always give 100%'...'I always give 100%'. So of course he talks a lot.

2ndly, Nadal have insulted Soderling by saying Soderling didnt do anything special just that Nadal is tired. And Uncle Toni isnt innocent either. 'Parisian is stupid'. This is pure 'class' from the uncle who taught Nadal to be humble. It is just that you have double standards when you look at Fed's interviews and Nadal's interviews.

3rd, tennis greats need not fear Fed. Why would they? What has Fed got on them? Whenever you see people like someone you dislike, you say there's something wrong with the ppl but you dont look at yourself.

AZN, H2H is the only thing that a lot of Nadal fans point to say that Nadal is better. Considering 11 of the matches between them are on clay, Nadal's favourite surface, it's not really a good indicator but I'll give you this.

Nadal might have won 6 at the age of 23. Fed won 2 Slams at the age of 23. OK. But are we forgetting something here? After the age of 23, Fed went on to win 12 more Slams in the space of 5 years. That is a crazy rate if you ask me and Nadal has yet to prove he can win 3 Slams a year. Of coz he can do it but he will have to rely on something other than his speed because he will eventually get slower as he gets older and players like Delpo, Soderling can beat him when he is not able to play his usual game of returning every shot so still a lot work to be done by Rafa.

I just want to say to all the people who has wrote at this site that everyone has the right to think whatever comes to their minds. However, we must be respectful.

Tennis is such a wonderful sport, and all of those (including myself) who had play Tennis would not let me lie: Everyone has been prey to emotions. They all have been immature and had evolve, both in attitude and aptitude on court.

I'm a huge, everlasting, Federer fan. Will always be. But I have nothing but respect to all his colleagues and competitors. He would not have been anything without all the greate players he has found on tour. Federer himself was sometime very immature, even annoying at times. But he evolved and became a great, respectful and very humble player. Nadal was also very irritating, always disputing the points against him and finding excuses to his losses. I must admit that he has now changed for better, and has of course showed this gentlemanlike feeling on court and off court.

Numbers are numbers, they speak for themselves. But to say that Federer is better than Nadal, or is the greatest player of all time... I leave that to each individual, to each of you that find their best player "the best"... whomever he is.

Let's try to be more "sportsmanlike", than only "manlike". One sure thing is that they both have shown some amazing matches between them and among all players on tour... and thanks to that we all are great Tennis fans!!!

I think Roger and Rafa think a little more like this than the fights and struggles I've read.

Come on people!!! Love Tennis and love life!!

Have a nice life all of you!!

I guess sh1t taking from Fedtards is over. Someone is ready for Nadal fans.

Niloofar, we are not talking about Uncle Toni, Aunt Matilda here. we are talking about Nadal. He gave full credit to Soderling and said he played better that day. Don't try to fabricate lies on someone else to defend mr.big mouth.

Nadal and Murray know that their raquet talks louder than any of mr.big mouth's insults. Thats why they have better H2H against against this guy. You keep making excuses for H2H. But the record is still 13-7 and 6-2 in big matches.

Regarding the tennis greats, why would they pick a fight with the most successful player of the decade? McEnroe already declared him the greatest in 2005. Do you think he can go back and say anything negative? Agassi took a shot against against pete every chance he gets by saying Fed is the best he ever played against.
And Pete can't say anything negative due o obvious reasons. Who else?

Thank you pearlive. Thats probably the best post I have seen so far. Are you sure you are a Fed fan? LOL You don't look like the kool-aid type. Anyway, thanks for your post and I wish you the same.

Nadalio, How bout this stat? Grand Slam count = Fed 14-Nadal 6, Fed 14-Murray 0.

Go find excuse for this.

AZN2NVY
"Just play your tennis, and mind your own business!!"

Same goes for you ..

Fed is 5 years older than both. You are classic fed fan with no comprehension of facts. Compare Fed with Grigor Dimitorv, you will get a better record. When they played each other, both of them kicked Feds butt. That doesn't change.

Anyway, need to go. Will leave you with a quote from Rafa after his defeat. No theatrics, No drama, just a class act.

?Defeats never make you grow, but you also realise how difficult what I achieved up until today was, and this is something you need sometimes. You need a defeat to give the value to your victories.??Rafael Nadal

Nadal's whereabout during Fed's 14 Gs:

Wimby2003 -Baby Nadal lost to Sricaphan
AO2004- Baby nadal lost to Hewitt
Wimby2004-Stress Fracture
USO2004-Baby Nadal lost Roddick
Wimby2005- FO champ Nadal lost to Gilles Muller
USO2005- FO champ Nadal lost to Blake
AO2006-Foot Injury
WImby2006-Lost to Fed
USO2006-Lost to Youzhny
AO2007-Lost to Gonzalez *
WImby2007-Lost to Fed
USO2007-Lost to Ferrer
USO2008-Lost to Murray*
FO2009-Lost to Soderling*

*went to final and got beaten by Fed

Shows that in a lot of occasion in Grand Slam, people who beat Nadal got beaten by Fed in the final.

You keep making excuses for H2H-Nadalio

Fed is 5 years older than both. You are classic fed fan with no comprehension of facts.-Nadalio

Classic example of a double standard person. Asked other people to not give excuses but then give excuses himself and even got his 'facts' wrong. Fed is 6 years older than Murray.

Hey people,
Pheww, this has turned into some fight. Pitty we're always talking about the same thing...
I can't believe some of the comments I've seen from some people, really guys!
I mean if you want to troll away do it in other sites, this is a site for true tennis lovers. It's incredible how disrespectful some people are!

boss,

Your comment about Nadal calling his opponents "PUTO" it's just plain wrong - if you are not sure about something don't just post it here for everyone to see... document yourself.. ask around... (I'm spanish and I know what he's saying - it's more like cursign to himself ... sort of "son of a b***", but never against the opponent)

chr18,

I have to agree with you in a way when you say "winning cures and losing exacerbates injuries".
It's my opinion players like Nadal and Fed who are so used to winning need to take some sort of break after a loss - it's true that their discomforts are always there (anyone who practices sports knows that there's always something aching somewhere). Often these mental time-outs translate as referring to latent pains. The problem is the packed calendar that sometimes makes these pains too much to handle, but the players know this and they are prepared to accept it if the worst comes.

Nadalio,

About Fed's comment on Jankovic's Nr 1 - well....

The guy was right in what he said - WTA ranking system sucks big time , if you have the time go and read about it in this link

http://ontennis.com/news/real-one:-revising-wta-rankings

Bu t Fed should have known better than to talk about it in that way - I would have felt the same way as Jankovic. (Fed shouldn't have mentioned anything either about the Djoker's retirement due to heat problems... sometimes he just says too much, he should keep those comments to himself being as mediatic as he is... his words are always going to be used against him by anti-Feds).

torres9, with all due respect

You say Fed has brought "never-before-seen shots". I completely disagree with you there.
Tennis isn't cosmology man, we don't find new stuff every decade or so...
Ulteriorly tennis is about putting the ball over the net, whack it and if it looks good, so much the better :) There just isn't such a wide range of shots.
But Fed does seem to combine a variety of skills which are rare to find in one same player........... but the shots are there, they've always been there for people to make... the hard thing is to make them and moreover, to make them when it matters..
(jeez, I got a bit carried away there.... sorry guys)

Shireling, Sampras said the backhand cross court flick is Fed's copyright. But I agree that I may have not seen all the shots ever played by every single player so 'never-been-ssen' means 'never-been-seen-by-me' :)

Isn't it interesting how Fed fans like janhavi call Rafafans behaviour disgusting but theirs of course is perfect and never provoking trouble. No doubt her self-proclaimed perfect self has set such high standards that not everyone can reach!

And I couldn't agree more with posmatrac.

torres,

Look at the last two backhands here: ( I can find many more examples - this was an easy one :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpiRI42eGCg

NADALIO::::::::
TAKE A CAREFUL LOOK AT THE POSTERS NAME BEFORE U ADDRESS ME!! I did not mention anything about uncle toni,it was on s.o. else's post!! take it up with them!!

but about the one where u have addressed me correctly,did I insult u? no,I just tried to explain things to u but u certainly insulted me.

Shireling:
I totally agree with u saying that Fed says too much.he gives his real opinion on what he's asked but sometimes he needs to at least sugar coat it a bit! and I'm saying that as his fan.but still he 's a very nice person to me for many more reasons.there are some ppl who are sometimes harsh on how they comment but are still decent ppl,and I have many reasons to consider roger one of them.reasons that anti-feds seemingly don't want to see.it's just that in this particular case I don't see anything wrong.

fedex...you right buddy...still on cloud nine! drinking champagne....? well...may be a bit of wine...not to much tho' ....back at work......
am amazed at this jankovic/federer/comments situation........

Federer is media sassy....he has been doing this for years...and don't tell me the other players dont say things that are taken out of context they do...that includes roddick.....djokovic...but as for jankovic...yeah...well her comments were well documented and she has to be THE most jumped up female tennis player EVER...she made her intentions known that she wanted to become a movie star...which is why she smiles so beguiling a lot of the time...(especially at the US open last year)...she was doing the splits on court, left right and centre...showing off those yellow knickers of hers to all and sundry....she is an exhibitionist of the highest order....and she loves herself......too much....makes up her face more for cameras than she does spending time on the practice courts.....hence her slow decreasing in the rankings......so I wouldn't really hold too much importance in what this woman says.......turning to novak and her defence of him....it wasn't just federer who made a comment about novak's failure to get through a match in the heat....murray, roddick, rafa all said things about this....i have roddick's here about novak's overall condition and 'injuries' situation and let's face it.....novak has done this a lot....he does suffer from asthma and this is an ongoing problem which he really does need to try and get right......

This was an article that related last year.....nadal also made some comments on it as did murray and will try and get those too....and by the way...when an interviewer asks a player for his opinion...that's exactly what they give....

Roddick was asked on Tuesday about Djokovic's injuries and had some sarcastic, mocking comments towards the Serbian's ailments that included "a back, a hip, a cramp, Bird flu, Anthrax, SARS, the common cough and a cold." After the fourth set giveaway by Roddick last night, Djokovic pounded his chest and pointed to his shoulders (?) and then had this to say to USA Network reporter Michael Barkann. so it isn't just fed....fed is a CLASS ACT and always will be....the only people on this thread who think otherwise, show there lack of class by spouting their own jealousy of a player who is quite frankly a cut above the rest........
will c ome back in five when i have the other comments page...but the point is... that ALL PLAYERS make comments about others and am sure...sarcasm...plays a part I know...but am fairly certain that not one player would wish ill will on anyone...

The best part of this entire interview and exchange was how Barkann initially sees the opportunity to land some face time on all major sports outlets by tossing Djokovic under the bus and then decides the guy is just digging himself a grave.

After his thermometer cooled off, Djokovic talked about his outburst.

"Unfortunately, Andy made a statement," Djokovic said. "I don't think it was intentional. I don't blame it on him. I did react on the court. Maybe I reacted bad in that moment. I apologize. It was impulsive. I made maybe a mistake by saying that in front of 20,000 people in his city and his favorite tournament."
Roddick, always quick to make the best point, humbly replied.

"I decided to make light of the situation. I'm sorry he took it that way. I don't think I was over the line. It wasn't my intention. Maybe I did him a favor tonight."

jankovic also is a player who is quite two faced....next time you see her play...she plays up to the camera and absolutely loves herself.....if she put as much effort into her tennis then may be she wouldn't come across as seeming so jealous of federer....there is...as all fedfans know a massive long list of tennis greats who admire, respect and state for the record what a class act federer is in terms of his humbleness....his willingness to spend an hour after the final of the FO, signing photos/letters/giving autographs on baseball caps, etc...he appreciates his fans...this is the least he can do for them (is what he says)....if he is someone who is full of himself and arrogant....NO ONE...but NO ONE would spend that amount of time courting the fans and saying a thank you for all their support.....Its ridiculous to think otherwise......Fed could easily have gone back to the locker room, got his massage, bla bla...but he didn't...he must have been shattered after that match and he put the FANS first...NOT himself......

So those trashers on this blog who always come up with bullshine about fed's lack of class...you have no argument....it just comes out as PURE JEALOUSY......
C'MON
Allez Federer!

Whoa guys. Seriously what's with the hate? I don't usually want to venture into these kind of discussions (I glossed and skipped) but getting out of hand much? Pearlive is right, live and let live, there's a lot more to life, yanno.

With regards to Roger's comments - he said something else before the "I can tell when he's in pain and he's not" - before that he said "I have played him so many times, so I can...blah blah blah". So the way I see it, he's not even close to accusing Rafa of faking it (but I can see why anti-Feds will jump on that wagon immediately crying ARROGANCE). The way I see it, he's just commenting from his own observation that he doesn't think that it will hinder Rafa from playing. And he really does want Rafa to be in Wimby. A win is a win, yes, but to win over Rafa will be his dream. He pretty much said that during Roland Garros.

And in addition - tennis players are, surprisingly, ONLY HUMAN. All of them has come across as arrogant when they're being straightfoward (remember how Nole said that Murray cannot be counted as a favourite during AO2009? Is that arrogance or straightforwardness? Nole fans say honesty, anti-Noles say arrogance, isn't that the same for every statement Fed makes?). And things they say after a defeat is construed by the press as unsportsmanlike or bitter or whatever, but more often than not, quotes are taken out of context AND let's remember the only human part, shall we?

Imagine, you've suffered a great loss, you're terribly disappointed and you are sitting in a press conference room answering questions where you have to say how awful you are. Sure, one can handle that with class one time, two times, three times...but after many many times and after a VERY HARD LOSS, the guy breaks down and says a few words that are harsher than usual, and it's like OH MY GOD.

So Fed says he "pretty much gave Rafa the 5th set in AO", anti-Feds started screaming about him not giving Rafa credit. Okay, so when Rafa said Soderling "didn't do anything special, I wasn't playing my best tennis"...excuse me but isn't that in sort of the same context? Mind you, I am not saying that either player is refusing to give the winner credit, the way I see it, they are being honest and disappointed BY THEIR OWN PLAY and I don't see why the imploding.

Roger and Rafa get along very well, respected each other a great deal, and enjoyed a good friendship off-court. I don't know why their staunch fans, however, are bickering over the smallest things and dissecting every single word involved.

I'm first and foremost a Fed fan and will always be one, but I also am a Rafa fan, a Nole fan and I can't see why people can't just get along.

this is what novak said about murray....oooooh...it goes on!Defending Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic has spoken out against the bookies decision to rate Andy Murray, the worlds fourth-ranked player, as equal favourite for the tournament alongside Roger Federer.
Djokovic, who eased through his second-round match against Jeremy Chardy in straight sets, believes that the three leading contenders for the title are the same players who won grand slam events last year: himself, Federer, and Rafael Nadal.
Asked whether he felt that Murray had overtaken him in the public imagination, Djokovic replied indignantly What is his ranking against my ranking?
I have all respect for Murray. I like him as a person and as a player, but you cannot put him as one of the favourites next to Roger and Rafa and myself here at the Australian Open, he added. According to Fox Sports, Djokovic remains a long way ahead of Murray on rankings points, with 10,650 to Murrays 7190. But he will lose a significant number of those if he does not repeat his 2008 feat of winning this tournament.

?!?!?! again your rubbish expose as usual, insulting Novak is not enough for you, but just started with other Serbs, who do you think you are, who cares about your opinion especially about Jelena Jankovic, who ask you to debate about them, get lost and talk about your crying baby, oh God he cried again, actually he's crying all the time, and his face is even more uglier when he's weeping bitterly, give us a break with your never ending stories you little, tiny vermicule...

Shireling, the video you sent has no cross court backhand flick. Justine Henin's backhands in the vids used a full swing. Roger's flicks is a quarter-swing (I think)

Maltheser1,

Just make sure that you don't mix champagne with your meds. Your cloud nine might burst and will bring us poor creatures a downpour. :-)

Shireling, the 2nd backhand is almost like Fed's backhand flick but fed's flick is even shorter than that but gotta give props to henin for having this skill as a woman.

I think what Fed said was, 'I hope Murray gets his no.1 after winning a Slam, no disrespect to Jankovic'. Just one mention of her name, and she over-reacted so badly. He even said, ' no disrespect'. Totally over-sensitive.

roger ws also referring to the bad state of women tennis in comparison to men's tennis...actually even if u add 'no dissrespect' to jankovic..its never pleasent ..i mean for jelena she must have felt bad becoz no matter how u reach no.1...when u becum no.1 u have worked awfully hard...so that mite have been the case here...nt defending her...just an opinion..and i loved jelena when she praised rafa and said she ws a model for everyone to follow!!! lollz...lov u jelena for that only!!hahaha

torres,
I think I know now what you mean about the flick thing.... that's gonna be difficult to find, I agree :)
(whatch out when you say 'gotta give props to henin for having this skill as a woman - you're asking for it)
In my humble opinion, sexes aside, Henin's backhand was way better than Federer's in terms of accuracy and consistency.... but I'm not looking for a debate here... just my opinion - it was sad when she retired :(

gordana, c'mon! give the guy a break ;)

gordana...gordana....gordana....chill baby.......so its okay for you to knock the roge! to call him Mr. Mighty and Mr. Arrogant and people cannot say that of JJ? Get real! she is a ridiculous charlatan...someone who is actually arrogant...who has openly said that SHE WANTS TO BE A HOLLYWOOD MOVIE STAR and would GIVE TENNIS UP at the prospect of becoming one.....so don't have a go at me...lady....just go read the comments about JJ....problem is YOU wont accept them......

AND fyi...Novak did say those things about murray...they were reported in the press...and i have posted them here......so calm down and go back to ya drinking...oh arrogant...mighty one...you really are ridiculous......

danny...nice to see you can write two sentences.....your improving buddy...problem is you aint got any thing interesting to say even in those two lines.....keep practising.....i haven't said anything here that hasn't been reported already by the journalists and if you don't like it...either don't read them or move on.....

i agree shireling..even tho roger's bkhand is world class ..henis's bakhand ws more complete..mcenroe said 'she has the most complete bakhand ever in tennnis'...and given her height ..it ws incredible how consistently she used to hit those bkhands....and yes that flickd bkhand from roger is rare...highly deceptive shot and its ALMOST unique....

jyannis , 6/10/09 1:57 PM: what a nice post!! everyone needs to read it! I think the same way. to me both Roger and Rafa are nice,but NIETHER of them are PERFECT!!
there just human beings like the ones we know in our lives. no one is perfect. being a Fed fan I would say his comments are sometimes a bit harsh,not that he should not give his opinion but he 'sometimes' need to say it in a different way. Rafa is not an angel either,just like Roger he does become annoying at times.overall they are both decent ppl to me,but like EVERY other person they are annoying at times!(not this case though!!)

torres9:
is that really the only thing Roger said? are u sure? I always imagined more!lol... besides,I don't get why not consider all the positive things player say about Roger and just consider this one.

hi guys this the frst tym m writing here.but m a regular visitor of tennistalk.i read sme of the posts nd dose were quite interesting too.i wud lik to share sm views too.frst of all whn federer said "'I know Rafa, I know when he's in pain or not, it doesn't look that serious too me'. ", their might b sm reason behind it.he is not a fool.
evn elena dementivea said tht his (nadal) chnces of winning RG is less.acc to her he ws tired.i dont remembr her xact lines.but nobody(nadal fans) is saying nethng about this.
its not a big deal if roger said dose lines.u(nadal fans) r determined to hate him thts all.he played 19 matches against him.he cn judge atleast.
i wnted to a few mre thngs but ryt nw m in a hurry..ll write thm in my nex post.

tke cre

I admit that Henin's backhand is more consistent. For me, the best game in women tennis is Henin's and Kuznetsova's. Kuztny's forehand reminds me of Fed's forehand and the way she move around the court. I love when Henin beat Venus, Serena and Kuztny in a row. That is like Delpo beating Fed Nadal and Murray or Djokovic. 3 heavyweights in a row and Henin's so small and cute and she can beat them all. And I love when she owns MaSha not that I hate MaSha (she's super-hot).

Yep torres,
Kuznetsova has a very scary forehand - maybe she puts a bit more topspin in it than Fed. (to be honest I haven't seen so many of her matches).

LOL..The whole JJ incident made me laugh..the WTA wants equal prize money..but they cant win slams? A world no 1 with no slams? sorry but slams are the ultimate measure of a players sucess no matter how you twist it. I'd have said Fed was wrong had JJ proved herself at AO but he said what many had been thinking of.Also,what he said was related to the ranking system and not an attack on JJ herself.If JJ took it personally,it was due to what the journo told her and journos are first people to want a controversey.
Also,just like JJ hasnt Soderling said some not so nice words about Rafa?(esp.re the time wasting).And like JJ said nice stuff about Rafa , Sod said nice stuff about Roger.
I could put in a whole long list of all those people(including current and former WTA players,) who have only nice things to say about Roger and who know him far more than the tennistalk posters and have standards and status far higher than theirs.
Realy there isnt even an argument here.And when did Roger give a diagnosis of Rafa's health? Did he say-Rafa didnt seem injured ti him?He said Rafa didnt seem in pain to him.Big deal.
All in all-We have the same Raftards who want to make a mountain out of a molehill.

Anyway-For those Fed fans who didnt know this-Roger won the Prix Orange again.. :D

agree with homos... janhavi seems a hypocrite and a snob...

ROFL..Ok tejas..if it makes you sleep better at night ;D
Of course I'd like to know when I proclaimed myself as perfect.But whatever.
Anyway,my posts were directed at fanatics and not genuine fans like f4t or Shireling to name a few.

gordana,

it's a futile job arguing with Federerjugend activists, they've put their armbands and are on a roll, just sidestep.

5 times Prix Orange. Fed always gets the sportsmanship award confirms what I already that he's the best example for a sportman in tennis. 5 times WImby champ, 5 times USO Champ, 5 times Stefan Edberg Award, 5 times Prix ORange. :)

ROFL..thanks janhavi, but if you really want to know.."Evil is like water, it abounds, is cheap, soon fouls, but runs itself clear of taint." ~ Samuel Butler LOL..

Thanks niloofar and janhavi for your comments.

Just because I am a fan of Rafa does NOT mean I have to agree with everything another Rafa fan says. Since 2 particular posters (AZN and Nadalio) have been posting in this thread, it has reeked of pure unadulterated hatred. If because I don't agree with you nadalio, makes me in your eyes a disgrace to rafa then so be it. I could care less what you think. But if you think that Rafa would like you saying the things you have said in his defense, then you obviously don't know anything about Rafa's character! Everyone knows I don't like Fed much and that I am a Rafa fan. But I would rather kiss Fed than stand beside you!

fan4tennis...baby......!! are you coming over the fed side?!!!!!!!!! xx

fan4tennis:
THANK U SO MUCH!! what impresses me is that,for your own reasons u don't like Fed,but u don't think u have to crititcize him for every single thing that he does or say,sth that some ppl unfortuenately do...not all ppl like the same person but we have to be fair ,so just thank u! what I think in this case is that Fed is simply trying to play down the possibility of Rafa's pulling out,(he said "it's not 100% yet")...now the pressure is off of him as he said in an interview.he said from now on he can play for fun,I'm sure even if this was not the case he would not be so mean to be happy with Rafa 's pulling ou t,but considering him in this relieved situation it's just funny to think so...he is trying to say he thinks Rafa will play,as I said he is being optimistic about the case.

LOL malty

No, I am still a Rafa fan through and through! I was just trying to make a point is all.

Aloha, Administrators!!! May I inquire into your whereabouts? LOL!

Posy Boy (aka posmatrac the ukulele strumming, pig loving pseudo-Freudian tennis pundit) compares Federer with Hitler and his fans with the Hitlerjugend.

Posy Boy, you're obviously a High School dropout. Let's hope you're well endowed. Mrs. Posy Boy has to have SOME compensation.

Not all Fed fans Nylon, you and few others, sorry association is quite strong, insults, agression, poor populistic sense of humor etc ...

posmatrac..you ought to be VERY, VERY careful what you say...your comments are a little bit facist don't you think? and there's me thinking that you were gonna move over to the fed side.....grow up please and start talking tennis rather than every now and again directly personal insults which is what you do on a more than regular basis. you are always talking about fedfans being insulting posmatrac but somehow you can never see how insulting you are...just stop it please.

nadalio...don't you EVER be disrespectful to zoey on this thread...that woman is a fine, fine person...who always has something interesting and fair to say....

Why is it that people are still arguing about who is the greatest and the best when it has been made clear!!! Fed is the GOAT!!!........inst he?!......so what are we all arguing about?

Oh...i know!....I get this feeling that unless Fed beats Rafa in a GS then no one.....including Fed fans....... will feel rest assured that Fed is truely the greatest!!!!

Federer may be the greatest (in terms of slams) BUT there is some one called Rafa who has beaten him consistently and unless Fed beats Rafa in a GS.......as far as im concerned......Rafa OWNS him!!!!!!

I think thats why many people are eager for Rafa to defend his title at Wimby bcos NO ONE believes Roger is truely the greatest unless he can beat Rafa in a GS.....esp at Wimby!!!!!

So........lets see what happens!

MonaLisa, although Rafa admittedly owned the Fed in GS finals, Fed HAS beaten Rafa before...twice in Wimby. :) For Roger to "prove himself" (and I put that in inverted commas because I am not of that opinion), he needs to beat Rafa at Roland Garros.

that it Mona!.....you said it ! after all fed has accomplished with his 14 slams.
Rafa owns him!.....i like that!
that is what the problem is.....that is why everyone is so uptight!
until fed beats rafa nothing will be settled.!
federer might have his 14Th slam but in the back of his mine he did not get it by beating rafa........and he know this!

Rightly said MonaLisa. Rafa is really the GOAT SLAYER!!!

And that is hard to swallow by rabid fed mob, hence the discussion ad infinitum.

And maltosser, are we back to talking about your "high educational background"?. Posting kilometric sentences does not make you brilliant. It rather makes you a fool to post dissertations in a tennis blog. Two sentences eh? :-)

there is a huge difference between fadfans and fadfanatics. we all know what fanatics are capable of.

meant to say fed ....

hey...lovely dan....so glad you are back.....i never talk about my 'higher educational background' dan.....i'm just me....nothing more...nothing less...if you wanna put me on a pedastal honey...thats up to you...makes no difference to me......
missed you dan....xx

posy boy.......what about the rafa'fanatics' who keep going on and on and on and on about roger beating rafa at FO....honey...he didn't make it through to the final now did he? he was 'slayed' in the fourth round and roger more than deserved his place in the final....there really isn't much more to say about it...however you dress it up? Rafa wasn't good enough ON THE DAY.....
and fyi...i have said many times that i still think rafa is king of clay.....i dont see anyone on this post....disputing that? only you (yawn..yawn...) keep going on and on....dont you get tired?

malteser1, Rafa is king of clay and you are queen of blather and nonsense. take off your armband from time to time.

it's interesting that anti-feds make a big deal of Jelena's comments on Roger,
still talking about it,but they don't give the slightest attention to all the positive comments from memebers of WTA,ATP and former players...there are so many of them ,where they have been 'very' complimentory about Roger's character...the latest one I heard was from Rod Laver where he said that Roger is a great individual,besides being a great player to watch,and he was not even asked about roger's character.the same goes for the rest of the compliments.
one member of WTA does not like roger,ok but what about all these other ones ? I can post their comments,if u have not heard.
some ppl seem to hear and see just what they want. I don't think Roger is an innocent angel. but u could at least give it a slight thought when u hear sooooo many compliments about his character.

the same (picking the part u want) goes about roger's comment on Rafa. anti-feds never want to hear how many times Roger called Rafa the best in the world,or called his game phenomenal( already 3 times after AO),they just want to go on and on about roger's saying that he "handed the 5th set to Rafa"

Mona Lisa
Checkout the facts dear
Federer?s 14 GRAND SLAM titles came at the expense of 11 opponents ? Andy Roddick (three times), Rafael Nadal (twice), Andre Agassi, Marcos Baghdatis, Novak Djokovic, Fernando Gonzalez, Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Murray, Mark Philippoussis, Robin Soderling and Marat Safin.

morning pos...thanks for the comment...

actually....i just wanted to say a couple of things to you this morning....firstly i think that you wearing the rafa armband is really awesome...because you truly support rafa...and i applaud that pos...as i wear the armband along with millions of others....for fed...job done.....
secondly, the queen of blather and nonsense? how about princess rather than queen? and also if you dont like what i say...dont read the posts....as for you...well...how about the King of Crap and the Prince of darkness? how does that sound...you and i are never going to agree because we are on different sides of the fence...the DIFFERENCE between the two of us pos is that i have NEVER slagged rafa off...NOT ONCE....yet you have find huge pleasure in doing that about roger...so really.....the problem doesn't lie with me but your distorted ideas of grandeur about yourself really......good luck to you tho' pos obviously your wife finds you attractive so you must have something......

niloofar...LOVING your posts honey......xx

niloofar I'm LOVING your posts too! LOL Ditto accuracy. :)

malteser and sky: thank u both!! :D

malteser I totally agree with u on the fact that u never say anything bad about Rafa or any other player,but it seems that defending our own favorite is a crime as well.one just needs to take a look at the above posts to see which site was insulting.no harm meant to decent Rafans of course who consist the majority,like fan4tennis,shireling and...:)
by the way did u hear that Kuznetsova said Roger saved her career??!!:) I was very happy to hear that. I can post it as well...

niloofar...i had heard that about Kuznetsova...but insofar as she said she asked fed for advice.....but always interested to find out what our 'hero', 'role model', touch of class icon' said to help other players....of course......so wait to hear from you....xx

Look both Rafa and Fed fans, they are both great tennis players in their own right and will be remembered in the tennis history as having the greatest rivalry ever. Sure, Rafa will keep his H2H record over Fed, but I don't think he will come close to the record 20 semis or better at grand slams that Federer is still adding to.

Even as a Federer fan, I appreciate what Nadal has done to make this sport exciting. Without him, Federer would have probably won 20 slams by now, including 2 "GRAND Slams" and history may have judged Federer's reign as empty and having no rival. Their rivalry has elevated both of their status in sporting history, a win-win for both.

One thing that is rarely mentioned is that Federer is doing rather well without a companion coach. Doesn't anyone wonder how good he could be if he had one. As for Nadal, I would already consider him a tennis great just for being able to beat Federer on the biggest stages there is. He owes part of his greatness to Federer... I doubt if he would receive the same adoration from Rafafans if Federer wasn't around for him to beat. Rafa may yet be one of the greatest if his knees will allow him. You must remember that his game is very grinding physically and while he has won GS, the price he is paying for those titles is a knee that may not allow him to play as long as Federer has.

here u go malteser,it's not in full detail what Roger said:

from telegraph.com
ROGER SAVED CHAMP?S CAREER

NEARLY QUIT: Kuznetsova was persuaded to carry on by Federer
Monday June 8,2009
By Nigel Clarke NEW French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova admitted she was ready to quit tennis until Roger Federer talked her out of it.

After taking the title and a cheque for £900,000, Russian Kuznetsova, who beat Dinara Safina 6-4, 6-2, claimed that a year ago she was prepared to turn her back on tennis.

She said: ?It was the low point in my life. I didn?t want to train or think about the game. I didn?t want to go back to my work camp in Spain, I wanted to quit and go home to Moscow to just play for fun.

?Everything was on top of me and I had some big decisions to make. It was about this time I ran into Roger.

?We had a long talk. I?d never so much as spoken to him before but found myself telling him all about my problems.?

Kuznetsova, who worked out at the same Spanish camp as Andy Murray, added: ?I explained to Roger I wanted to go back to Moscow, but all sorts of people were telling me this and that.

?However, for me it has always been very important that I listen to myself.

?That?s what Roger told me, to be myself, so I took his advice and went away to work hard.

?Suddenly I was with my friends again and in my own country, which I?m very patriotic about and love with a passion.

?From that moment things began to change. I gave the game my very best. Now you can see the result. At last I can have a few glasses of wine and learn to smile again.?

Kuznetsova, who won the US title five years ago, went on: ?After so many near-misses this is finally my trophy. Nobody can take it off me.

?I love what I?m doing now. It?s my job and I cannot wish for more, but it didn?t happen just for that.?

malteser1 I read an article in the Ottawa Citizen dated June 7, 2009. The article is entitled "Inspired Kuznetsova Wins Title"

Russian says chat with Federer at Olympics renewed confidence... The 23-year-old said a meeting with 13-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer at the Beijing Olympics had been a turning point in both her professional and private like. She goes on to say is this article written by Danielle Rossingh "I spoke with him for about 10 minutes," In Beijing she had been prompted by some of her friends from the Russian women's basketball team to ask Federer for a picture and autograph. Kuznetsova said her low point came in Rome last year, where she lost to a qualifier in the third round. "I lost in Rome and I left for Moscow and my coach was not happy about it. "I said, I don't want to train. I don't want to think about it. I don't want to go back to Spain. I said a few times I want to quit playing tennis." Then came the meeting with Federer. "I was talking to him about the problems I had, he was listening, and I said: "Look, I want to move from Spain. I want to go to Russia. Everybody is telling me this but I don't know what to do". He said: "Look, you can only depend on yourself. You can control it. If you can concentrate and live in Moscow, do this. If you cannot, only you can judge." After Beijing, she decided to return to Russia later in the year. "This is a turning point", Kuznetsova said: "I came back to Moscow and I worked hard, and I had my time to do everything. I had my passion, I have my friends, I am in my home country. I'm very patriotic. I love being there... :)

cable, extremely well said, couldn't agree more. :o)

hey people,

Yep, cable seems to be a quite sensible chap/gal
but I don't agree with the part about how good Fed would have been with a coach... I mean who's to say? the guy does what he thinks is best for him. If he feels he doesn't need a companion coach is because he feels his game will benefit from it.

But I think you're totally right about the Nadal-Federer symbiosis :)

the same ...I also find cable's post very interesting...it's a credit for both to beat the other one. having this in mind and also the mutual respect between the two guys i think fans need to learn to respect as well!

best wishes for both guys!:)

I'm confused. A lot of people are saying things like "Rafa OWNS Federer" and "Federer will never be the greatest if he isn't better than Rafa." But... I mean, am I mistaken or didn't Federer beat Rafa rather easily the last time they played? Didn't Federer just win the French Open, against the same guy who took out Rafa in the first week?

Maybe I'm missing something obvious, but from where I am sitting, both Federer and Nadal are both the "best" at different times. They're both invincible when their respective games are "on." But neither of them are "on" in every single match they play.

-Arvis

thanks niloofar and sky for the articles........

cable....you probably know this already...but federer does actually have a 'coach'....have posted something here for you to read........

Officially the Swiss Davis Cup captain and in many people's eyes, Federer's 'official yet unofficial' coach, Severin Luethi accompanies Federer to practically all tournaments on the ATP tour and indeed acts as a full-time advisor to the former World No.1. Luethi worked with Federer for 35 weeks in 2008.


Offering additional eyes and ears for the player, Luethi provides refreshing and illuminating insight for the often stubborn superstar, reviewing Federer's previous matches and other contests involving future opponents.


When asked if he would prefer a different coach, Federer replied, 'I will just continue with the great team that I have.'


Clearly the Swiss connection is something that Federer considers highly important and a key quality for federer....

i remember when darren cahill was on the scene earlier in the year...and worked with fed for 10 days in dubai....the contract that was being offered was to work with fed 'part time' but that equated with 35 weeks of the year anyhow....this being the case....sven luthri...is already working this amount of time with fed...(and more...) so i guess he does 'really' have a coach...what do you think?
and.....i think we have all seen changes in fed's game regarding in particular, his drop shots and more volleying at the net....so his game is evolving and he definitely is preparing for a nadal final at wimby......! bring it on!

Arvis....i agree with your post as well.....

C'MON!
Allez Federer!

Posy Boy, poor populistic sense of humor?! Lol! Do you even know what populistic means? Didn't realize you were part of the Kansas elite, Sunshine. High school dropouts unite! Pothmatrac for prethident! LOLOLOL!!!

By the way, Posy Boy, have I ever said anything mean about Rafa? No? No. I don't want to stoop to your level.
You're the sad sad boy from Kansas who lives in mommy's basement, so don't get all high and mighty on me, k? If you do, make sure to look up those big words, Kansas Boy.

True, very true Arvis! :) Well put. Keen obvervation. Wimbledon should be very interesting this year, now that Roger is back on track. I expect Rafa will be reering up to go. Both should/will be a little anxious, and pepped up for the occasion having both taken some time off... Let the game begin... (Well in a couple of weeks). LOL

Cable wrote: " I doubt if he would receive the same adoration from Rafafans if Federer wasn't around for him to beat."

I have to disagree with you there. My respect and admiration for Rafa is NOT contingent on whether Federer did anything or not. When we make a list of all the qualities and reasons we admire and respect Rafa, Federer's name does not come up. It is well known that Rafa and Fed bring the best tennis out of each other. But for you to assume that Rafa fans would not have "adoration" for him if Fed wasn't there, is very presumptious and conceited.

For fedtards, its difficult to accept Nadal own Federer. In American slang, I belive they call it as 'Federer is Nadal's bitch'.

well...you would know all about slang...colloquialism...gutter talk wouldn't you nadalio...you foul mouthed yob....call yourself a fan? you are having a laugh.....

Both tennis players are champions.....unfortunately for you my friend....federer right now is something like 8 slams ahead of rafa and they are both joint 15 in terms of masters series.....and regarding federer's current overall career.....once again he is ahead...of course...give rafa another 4 years and then who knows......but to come out with your own lingo on this thread.....i think you need to go get some education boy.....

fan4tennis, what I was getting at is part of Nadal's fame and fan base IS due to his record against Federer. Those who dislike Federer would naturally gravitate to Nadal as their 'saviour'. Of course what I wrote doesn't apply to all Rafafans. It is directed more towards fanatics like Nadalio and AZN2NVY, who have to belittle Federer's achievements because of their hatred for him.

hear! hear! cable......nice one buddy....xxx

Ppl say Nadal is spoiler for Fed but Fed is also spoiler for Nadal because Fed just keep on showing up in finals that Nadal's only easy Slam was FO2008. Other than that, Nadal had to work extremely hard to win a Slam because Fed hardly miss a final.

Nadal had an oppurtinity to meet an opponent other than Fed in AO2008 but he got volleyed out by Tsonga. I wished it was Djoker Vs Nadal. Would have been an explosive match.

quote.....nadalio...For fedtards, its difficult to accept Nadal own Federer. In American slang, I belive they call it as 'Federer is Nadal's bitch'....unquote....'

Nadalio...where have you come from? do you have any idea of the history of the game between fed and nadal? or is this a pure hatred campaign from you? You and AZN....are the only ones here who belittle fed's achievements.....may be you should go and read more articles and get a better overview of what fed's achievements are over rafa...... and also read the first paragraph of torres' post which is absolutely spot on....

Nadal has had to raise his game to reach the bar that roger has set for so long and on some occasions he has surpassed that...we are all aware of that....equally....what about (more recently)....when rafa was beaten by fed at the madrid masters....and don't give me excuses of rafa was ill/tired/knee trouble....because we had exactly the same scenario..and in fact much worse at the AO this year when Verdasco 'almost' beat rafa in a five set thriller semi final and still rafa went on to win...so tiredness is NOT an issue......

You come up with some very lame arguments nadalio....which leads me to think that actually you don't know a lot about tennis but are just a 'pretender'.....you could learn a lot from other posters on this thread who do have a lot more knowledge about the game.....

Nadal has ALSO set a bar very high that others (including fed) have had to adjust their games to in order to beat him. Fitness and stamina have increased among the players (well....they ARE athletes, they SHOULD have it) and that along with Rafa's mental strength helped him recover enough to defeat fed at the AO. You hear now about alot of the players with "new fitness programs" and "new mindsets" to help them win.

malteser,
I didn't read all the posts up here (wow) but want to write about that win in Madrid.

At the AO Nadal had two nights and a day to recover from the longest match at a grand slam (if memory serves re the stat). He is extremely fit, yes, but there have been a number of occasions (esp. on hardcourt) where a very tough and long match the day before lead to a well-below par Nadal losing the next day.

(And there were other factors in Nadal not breaking Federer once that day: Federer's serv was strong, he played much better, although not at an excellent standard, that day, the surface - thin clay layer on top of hard surface, the weather conditions, the altitude... and Nadal being sub-par on clay compared to his usual level... perhaps due to that tendinitis we are reading about. A win is a win and Federer won in straight sets, unbroken. I'm just saying that with less then 24 hours, fatigue was a factor, as were other things.

Hey Malt. You are so great to stick up for your home-girl here, I do thank-you.

It's okay tho, really. Disrespecting is why certain posters are on this site and what is said to me is of no matter. It's the disrespect in the form of name-calling Federer that I took exception to and it's all here in black and white. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

morning zoey.....

chlo....i do like reading your posts but i don't always agree with what you say...whatever player is playing at any one time...he comes into the game with a whole host of strategies, game plans and a 'history' from previous matches......what they ate the night before...what they did with friends and family.....who they talked to regarding their opponents play....bla bla....

rafa plays one of.....if not THE most aggressive form of tennis out there on the circuit..hasn't got the biggest serve...but in terms of sheer grind from one side of the court to the other....it HAS to be rafa......

yeah...so he plays this way....that's his style.....EVERYONE is after him....more players now are sussing out his game, working out his weaknesses, federer, murray, del potro, soderling et al have all beaten rafa....this year...and tail end of last year to be fair....that would have been unheard of maybe 9 or 10 months ago...but it is becoming more frequent now.....

I don't buy the argument that rafa is/was tired...they are ALL athletes, ALL subject to the same weather conditions and ALL subject to a random draw (in terms of No.1 always being at the top half)...No.2 always being at the bottom half of the draw...and the other seeds....in the mix....

Rafa is in just as good a position as every other player in the top fifty in terms of being able to afford BEST care, BEST doctors, BEST advice, BEST radio ga ga......he chooses his tournaments so if he plays more then he has to sign for them and its his choice.....

If he gets tired....then he will have strategies to minimise that....not only sleep, but massage, infra red treatment on aching muscles....etc.....so i don't buy the excuse...he is one of THE fittest athletes out there...the simple fact is that rafa was beaten by better players in Madrid.....(Federer) irrespective of altitude, surface, all players are subject to same surface and altitude.....and better players at the FO (soderling) ON THE DAY.....Rafa has been playing with tendinitis for years and so however this affects his game in the future, it is something he is aware of and will need to manage which am sure he will.......many matches have been played throughout the tournys where all players have had less than 24 hours to recover...the same applies to federer, murray, djoker, del potro, etc.....its the 'luck of the draw'...but these guys have been on the circuit for years so will be used to this...i just don't think it should be used as an excuse......

Zoey...in respect of your post.....i guess we just got to ignore the fact that those posters who name-call fed are just projectionists....so ignore in future....we been here before...right?

Cheers fedfans!

C'MON!

Allez Federer!

Rafa level can go up to a very high level when he is 100% but when he's 70-80% fit or not playing well, he can get beaten especially by people who are determined to beat him. The last 12 months Fed's lvel has gone down but still good enough to push Rafa to 5 sets in Wimby and AO final and also consistently progress to Semis.

One of the reason why Rafa and Muzza beat Fed so much in the last 12 months is because they mould their game to beat Fed but sometimes they run into players with less variety but good 1-2 punch like Verdasco, Gonzalez, Soderling, they will find it hard because they are totally different from Fed and it will become a game of who hits the ball harder and convert their forehands better and not a battle of anticipation or variety becoz this guys will give no surprises but if they convert their chances, Murray and Nadal dont disrupt their rhythm like Fed does by doing slices and changing tactics. This is why Fed seldom lose before the Semis in Grand Slams.

wow!
I'm surprised that this thread is still going on!! I know the topic has switched to the games ,but I thought I post Roger's comments about rafa injury from the swiss newspaper,I think it might clear the doubts of some ppl here:

about Rafael Nadal: ' I wish Rafa only the best and hope he doesn?t skip Wimbledon. I was surprised that he explained why he had to skip Queen?s. I believe his injury is not so extremely serious. In Paris he did not tape his knee during his performance.'

u see? this one is clear. he says since he was not tapping his knees Roger was surprised to hear he is injured! not that he thinks it's a lie. and as I mentioned before he is playing down the possibility of pulling out,and is hoping that Rafa takes part...besides,in the same newspaper he called Rafa's tennis EXCELLENT.

niloofar....greetings....and thanks for that.....

the rafanatics still aren't going to believe you honey.....so really...don't even bother....we know what federer thinks of rafa...it's reported in all the papers...and what rafa thinks about roger.....deep, deep respect......so by all means keep posting articles and sharing your views....but do it for the fedfans...not the non-believers.......

see you at wimby niloofar! Get ready for the ride again my friend!!
C'MON!
Allez Federer!

Malteser: :D
it's so fun reading your posts!!!!!!!!! u always bring a smile on my face!:)
I know some ppl don't want to see any good in the one they dislike,but I'll do my job anyway!!
yeah! already excited for Wimbledon!!! it's a pitty I'm a bit busy with 'real' life,but I'll still enjoy it... good luck!!

Greetings FEDfans! (Malty, zoey, niloofar, fedexfan) you really do keep this site bubbling! LOL I come and visit from time to time to read your posts, but I'm not that excited about tennis at the moment. the FED is taking a break, so (for the most part) I feel the same . He should and will do well at Wimbledon. He will be (as usual) a GREAT challenge to anyone "A N Y O N E" for the WIN, and a treat to watch! It will be AMAZING to see him play again. It will be MAGIC on grass. Just Pure unadulterated Entertainment! Wow!! Nine more days for the beginning (and the countdown is ON...! :) For me Tennis is boring without the FED on the court...(most of the time). There is no real excitement cause I know the FED is not there to WIN! WIN! Cheers! :)

sky...mwah! I

do know what you mean honey...but remember we are here to chat and to DEFEND the fed! Like you, and the rest of the fedfans....without roger on court strutting his stuff...playing his game....things are just flat....i know there are still a lot of talented players out there...but...i feel we all need rafa back fit and healthy and fed all focused and raring to go as well........and that time will come soon enough.....

i have dipped in and out of the AEON championships at queens this week and halle in germany.....a 'light' field in terms of rafa not being there to defend his title at queens and roger not being at halle to defend his title as well.......thereby giving the other guys an easier ride......anyhow...not long to wait and it will be a big build up am sure.....
C'MON!
Allez Federer!

this is very nice to read,I love Laver's comments about Roger!!:

www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/5517604/Rocket-Rod-Laver- still-firing-on-all-cylinders.html

here is what steffi graff had to say about rafael nadal.... "If you watch Rafael Nadal play tennis, you can only respond with amazement and great admiration. He is an incredible athlete with so much discipline, so much concentration and someone who likes to put a lot of passion into every point?.

take that ppl!! those u think he isnt highly enjoyable to watch..hez the most entertaining player:P....i think he is training well now...signs are gud for wimb...m just worried abt the lack of practice !!

?Words fail to come out of me to describe his game appropriately. I've rarely seen anyone who approaches a ball with so much attention. With such passion and joy that it makes it great fun to watch him. With him, you can associate everything that makes tennis so beautiful,?

niloofar...nice post ...thanks for the article ...
that was wonderful what laver said ...would mean a lot to Fed im sure ...


C'MON !!!

torres9: re Andy M doesn't disrupt player's rhythmn. Hmm. Think u have been watching a different Andy M from me. His game is full of variety, change of pace, sliced backhand, drop shot lob etc.etc.especially designed to keep his opponents guessing.

deuce, of course he does, just sometimes he doesnt know what to do when this doesnt work out. Against simple 1.2-punchers, he needs to break their confidence by beating them at their own game. Maybe Murray lacks a lil bit of power, I dunno. I still dunno how he loses to Gonzalez.

torres..hi buddy...i don't think murray lacks power...i think sometimes he relies too much on power in his game and seems surprised/taken aback when his opponent hits a drop shot or a volley or a short ball...i have seen him run for the ball as if he is running for the hills....and when he misses that shot....he seems surprised for the next 2 or 3 points.....the reason why he loses to gonzalez is because gonzo is in his head...plus the fact that gonzo is an extremely good player who has a similar temperament to murray and also a similar game in terms of power and long rallies(gonzo probably a bit worse re: temperament...cos gonzo smashes his rackets where murray thinks about doing it...)....also gonzo can give murray as good as he gets...and more...in terms of lpower play and loner rallies than some of the other guys....

I might have misread this....but murray's game does have a lot of variety and he is willing to run for every ball...sometimes not wisely....but that's enthusiasm for you! so deuce...i agree with the variety angle you are using....but i think it is more mental with murray....as the media have been saying he's the 'hottest' player of the year..(arguable in my view).....i still think he has a long way to go...i dunno...just my gut feeling...and i could of course be entirely wrong.....

Murray had half a chance to win RG when Nadal and DJoker was out and if he made it to the final, Roger would have a tough time in my opinion. I thought Murray would have taken note of this and make sure he went to the final of RG.

I agree with you deuce. If Murray didn't know how to adjust his game accordingly, then when he played "Against simple 1.2-punchers" (as torres calls them), he would've lost to all of them. There is a reason he is Number 3 in the world. He DOES find a way to beat those 1-2 punchers and he plays great tennis. But let them keep underestimating him......that means less pressure and then he can surprise the hell out of them!

Nioofar. Thnx for the link. Not only great for what Laver says about Roger and the pic of them which looks like Laver could be thinking: love you too but uh, hey, my personal space is 6 inches back, champ. And for what Laver says about Rafa, plus I like his cabbage under the hat bit which maybe Nole should try!!

Here is a nice article about Rafa where he talks about Wimby and how he feels about it. (Part of interview was in Rome and over the phone after RG)
Very nice words also about Murray in it!
From The Times June 13, 2009
Simon Kinnersley

Rafael Nadal puts success down to home comforts and a quiet life


Rafael Nadal?s current dominance of tennis is such that his defeat at the French Open last month was greeted with shock and disbelief. Now, as he prepares to defend his Wimbledon title, the legend who?s never left home opens up about rankings, racket abuse and new rival Andy Murray


There is a scene that says more about Rafael Nadal than 1,000 documentaries. It is Paris, four years ago almost to the day. He has just won the French Open for the first time and is walking down the street; Uncle Toni, his coach, is on one side, and former professional player Carlos Costa on the other. Toni whispers to his nephew that he should afford Costa the respect and status he deserves by walking on the outside. The newly crowned champion obliges and quickly swaps places, and the three of them carry on into the night.

Today, Nadal has 30 titles and 6 grand slams to his name, including Wimbledon, and has banked around £17 million in winnings, with total earnings estimated at nearly £50 million. Despite that, those around him insist nothing has changed; the only difference being he wouldn?t need to be told to walk on the outside, he would already be there.

Arguably it is this surprising humility, conspicuous by its absence in so many sporting megastars, that has kept the tennis critics? faith in Nadal even after he crashed out of the French Open this year. ?It was a shocking, unprecedented, utterly unforeseen defeat,? says Times Tennis Correspondent Neil Harman. ?But in the press conference afterwards, Nadal proved his mental strength, calmly pointing out how one needs defeat to give value to your victories. He still has three or four years until he reaches his peak, but already he is in the top five tennis players of all time.?

In fact, it is a measure of Nadal?s dominance that his defeat sent such massive reverberations through the sport. After all, up until then, he had been busy rewriting the tennis record books. Last year, he finally topped the rankings after 160 weeks at number two, and won the Davis Cup for Spain, gold at the Beijing Olympics and seven other titles. This year he has gone on to win in both Monte Carlo and Barcelona for a fifth successive time, as well as the Italian Open for a fourth time, all at 22 (he?s just had his 23rd birthday). But, while his trophy cabinet and number of screaming fans have swelled proportionately, life for the boy from Majorca remains very much the same.
He still lives at home with his mother, father and sister at their flat in Manacor, still carries his own bags, looks after his own kit (his mother washes and irons his clothes), hangs out with his old friends, dates a local girl, 21-year-old Francisca ?Xisca? Perello, goes fishing with friends in a boat out of Porto Cristo harbour, and still has the threat from his Uncle Toni that, if he starts acting up, he can look for a new coach or find a new sport.

?He told me when I was very young that if I ever started throwing my rackets around, smashing them or hitting balls out of the park, then he would send me out of the park,? recalls Nadal. ?He used to say that there were many children and grown-ups who have never had the chance to play, so a racket should be loved. I have never thrown a racket in my life. It taught me that it doesn?t matter how badly you are playing, it is not the racket?s fault; you should always show respect.?

We are sitting in his hotel room in Rome ? perhaps the only thing that has changed is the fact that he resides in a suite rather than a standard room ? which, in spite of its abundant luxury and the fact that he has spent less than an hour there, is already more than halfway towards looking like a student bedroom. A few photos Blu-Tacked to the walls and the makeover would be complete.

Clothes are strewn around, trainers and socks form footsteps on the carpet as though discarded as he walked across the room. Half-unpacked cases spill their contents across the floor; two young Spaniards are lolling on the sofa playing a computer game; the television is on; someone is chatting on their mobile; and in the middle is Nadal, dropping his jeans, tucking in his T-shirt and hitching himself up. Only his rackets seem ordered, resting neatly in their bag by the door. It is a scene utterly devoid of affectation or self-importance.

Yet it is this man, with a physique that appears to have been hewn from granite and an almost terrifying determination, who last year usurped Roger Federer to become No 1 in the world. He would have been defending his title at the AEGON Championships at the Queen?s Club, London, this week, were it not for a knee injury. ?The doctors said I should rest if I want to be ready for Wimbledon. I watched my Wimbledon final from last year on TV recently. It was amazing, so amazing, and I am determined to be there again.? He identifies the principal threat to his Wimbledon crown as Britain?s Andy Murray. Murray?s own position in the rankings has gone from outside the Top 10 to No 3 in the past year. It is a mouth-watering prospect, and possibly the opening salvo of what may be a long-term rivalry. On one side of the net, there is the brutal power and never-say-die intensity of the Spaniard; on the other, the silkier, more diverse shot-making of the less demonstrative but equally determined Scot. It is a fascinating contrast in style and temperament, yet away from tennis, both seem almost untouched by their success.

?Why would I want to change anything, why should I change anything?? Nadal asks, rather disarmingly. ?The atmosphere in my home is lovely. Why would I want to get somewhere of my own, and then come back to an empty apartment, and worry about whether I had any food left in the fridge and things like that? It?s much nicer to come home to my family, where everything is as it always was, my mother telling me to tidy my room, my sister, Maria Isabel, teasing me. Stability is very important to me.?

?Of course, it?s good to have money, and it?s a privilege to be in a situation where I don?t have to worry about it, but that?s not the reason why I play tennis and it?s not a motivation. I had a wonderfully happy childhood and I am just as happy today, so I know that money doesn?t change anything or bring additional happiness. I play because I love it. For me, the most important thing is practising, trying to get better and improve every aspect of my game. I assume nothing.?

Unsurprisingly in view of his dominance, the tennis world sees things differently; last spring and summer he swept through tournament after tournament, becoming the first player to win the French Open then, switching from clay to grass, Queen?s Club and Wimbledon.

This year?s defeat is widely expected to be nothing more than a blip. After all, prior to France, he had dominated the European leg of the circuit, and few would bet against him repeating his Wimbledon triumph.

Nadal smiles and waves such notions aside. ?You can?t have the illusion of winning a tournament. I believe that if you start thinking like that, it is the moment that things will start going wrong, because you are not respecting how difficult it is and how focused you have to be to stand a chance of winning. You have to always remember there are a number of great players with the same idea as you. They are not thinking: ?Oh, Rafa will win this.? Although getting to No 1 in the world was the fulfilment of a dream for me, because it is a measure of consistency over a year, the euphoria of winning a tournament, and particularly a grand slam, is far greater. Winning Wimbledon last year, for instance, the first Spaniard for more than 40 years, was a very special moment for me; it was the realisation of all those years of practising, training and hard work.?

Nadal, as the game?s authorities are only too aware, is now the man selling tennis. His presence is critical not only for tournaments to shift seats, but also to the television rights holders. While Roger Federer makes a traditional entrance on court wearing a blazer, Nadal, with his baggy, knee-length shorts, bandana and, until recently, sleeveless T-shirts, is the modern face of the game. And his fame transcends his sport ? Lanvin has signed him up as the face of its new cologne, and he is collaborating with Nike on a new clothing line. He has also established a philanthropic foundation with the aim of using sport to help ?handicapped, immigrant and socially excluded people? all over the world.

There are now as many spectators watching him practise as there are attending early-round matches. Even the other players admit they love seeing him on court. ?He?s definitely my favourite player to watch,? says Andy Murray. ?He?s so competitive. You get this feeling he just wants to annihilate his opponent.? Andy Roddick concurs: ?He?s a beast out there on court.? Nadal, meanwhile, has been impressed by the rise of Murray. ?His game has improved a lot in the past year. Before, he would lose matches he should have won, but he has written that out of his game and he now wins them. The result is he goes further in tournaments. Can he win Wimbledon? Of course, why not??

Nadal laughs when I tell him of Roddick?s comment about him. ?I don?t know where my competitiveness comes from,? he says, having readily admitted in an interview last year that his bravery is confined to the court. At home, on the rare occasions he?s alone, he?ll sleep on the sofa with the TV and all the lights on. ?In tennis, it?s true that I will fight until my last drop of sweat, but not my last drop of blood ? I don?t want to die! It?s all about giving everything, because I want to win so badly. I would hate to lose knowing that I hadn?t given my all.?

He suspects his competitiveness is genetic. His uncle, Miguel Ángel Nadal, played football for Barcelona and Spain. ?We are a very sporty family, we all love to compete,? he says. There?s not a player on the circuit who would argue with that. After all, it was Nadal who reduced the previously unflappable Federer to floods of tears after beating him in the final of the Australian Open earlier this year. Mental disintegration, the Aussies call it.

Nadal?s own mental strength is exemplary. Few would be as grounded and seemingly unchanged after such a meteoric rise. He pauses and thinks for several moments: ?I am calmer and more tranquil in myself,? he says finally.

?I have achieved all my dreams. My desire to win and the passion is still there, so too is my wish to keep practising and improving. But I am aware that once you get to No 1 in the world, the only way is down. Whether it is tomorrow, next year or in five years? time, it will happen.

?But that is something that doesn?t worry me, because that is the nature of sport. If you are not prepared to lose and accept defeat, then you shouldn?t be playing. I know that I?ve been very fortunate, and if it all ends now, I?ve had a fantastic career and the privilege to live a life that most people never have the chance to experience. I will get my rod and go fishing.?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/ ... t=0&page=1

torres9: he lost on clay. End of.
PS Only big recent loss that I can think of was against Verdasco at AO and, although Andy would never use it as an excuse, I think he was ill/burnt out at the time.
fan4tennis: thanx, let them underestimate him, well said.

thanks for the ariticle fan4tennis , I am very surprised to read Nadal identifies the principal threat to his Wimbledon crown as Britain(s) Andy Murray. I believe Roger will take the WIN. I will be watching with utmost enthusiasm. Interesting that Rafa would underestimating Roger (this year) for the WIN! (Very interesting). Let's see what happens. Roger is READY. Whoever comes his way, better be "ready" too! Roger for the WIN! Let's go Roger, let's go! LOL Cheers! Greetings FEDfans :)

Hi sky! You bet, they all feeling unstoppable and Underestimating the Federer. He's a different man right now! I think the bad year ( to Fed's standard) he had last year has only made him stronger, he's been in about every situation imaginable...has had a whole year to contemplate the Wimby 08 loss....smiling here....let's wait and see!

ohhhhhh my goodness... read some of the anti roger posts here & just have to say.... can't believe some people can such awful things about such a nice guy like roger.... honestly!!

i don't think it's roger's fault at all for certain statements he made... it's the journalists' fault. i've heard some of the questions they asked roger & i just couldn't believe some of the things they were asking him... so prying... like they were trying to dig some dirt from roger. & yet mr nice guy roger so politely answers their questions. just wish roger would sometimes say 'no comment' to some of them reporters...

Hi Zoey!!! I'm smiling too! :) I have such a warm/comfy feeling right now when I think of the FED. He is coming into Wimbledon with a WIN in Madrid, AND a WIN In Paris! WOW!!! He is a different man right now! ABSOLUTELY! I could not agree with you more! He has gained a much stronger phych since he last played the likes of Nadal, Djokovic, and Murray. Not the same Roger at all. Another WIN at Wimbleton, and the tennis World would be beside-itself! I M A G I N E !!! :) Go FED go!!! Now that Roger has won Paris, and based on what he has been saying "I could stop playing tennis tomorrow and I would be happy." He has nothing to prove! No "real" pressure in the real sense of the word. Now he can truly play just for the LOVE of tennis!!! Just for the FUN of it all! In my mind this kind of demeanor will bring out many more "GREAT WINNERS" for the FED along the way. Why not start with Wimbleton?! After all, it is the NEXT BIG EVENT!!! Cheers FEDfans!!! Cheers!!! We have a lot to be happy about! The rest is all extra as far as I am concerned. It's "ALL" " EXTRA"! :)

Just to put some water on fire out here...........
FOR RAFA FANS---http://www.timesinline.co.uk/tol/sport/tennis/article645538
CH EERS!!!
VAMOS!!!

fan4tennis---thankx!

interesting article about nadal,we all fed fans never say anything bad about rafa,its the rafa fans that cant handle the achievements of the GREAT FEDERER....
also interesting that nadal thinks murray is his biggest threat,it just means FED can just go into wimby and not worry about anything and reclaim his title back...
FED has it all now,he will be more relaxed,he has got his mental and fighting toughness back and will play even better tennis i reckon.
i want nadal to be fit and be playing so that when FED takes wimby and the No1 spot again this year all the rafa fans can then watch and admire..
But i am sure they will find some other reason...
GO FED GO.......................
GO CHAMP....