SOMETHING IS VERY WRONG AT THE AELTC
Rafa? No, Can Wimbledon Cope?
It’s just not the same. It’s just Not… Watching the opening ceremonies at the All England Lawn and Tennis Club (AELTC), there was a glaring void in the men’s draw. The number one player in the world is absent from the 2009 Championships at Wimbledon. Rafael Nadal will be the first defending champion at Wimbledon to miss the tournament because of injury. Yes, there have been defending champions miss the tournament because of; war, boycott and because of defection, but never because of injury. This problem that Nadal has been dealing with is not career ending by any means, but as Nadal said at a press conference, “It must stop.” What Nadal was speaking about was this chronic injury that has hampered him since he was a teenager. His knees are the issue and the very thing that has made Nadal a tennis sensation has also sidelined him on several occasions. He has a very physical style and uses the entire court to design the matches in his style of play. He is a ferocious defender, never believing there are shots he can’t get to. Because he goes after balls that are, for most players unplayable, he puts a lot of stress on those knees made of gold. Rafa simply must change the way he plays the game of tennis if he wants a long career and he has said that he does. It’s almost as if he has two choices; Nadal can become the best competitor the game has ever known, playing every ball like there’s no tomorrow and every point like it is “game-set-match”, but it takes a toll on the “body” when you don’t understand its limitations. What Nadal is learning the hard way, is that “every man has his limitations”. Nadal plays the game like he has no limitations, but this philosophy, while winning championships and captivating audiences, has flaws. Every lunge Nadal makes on balls that most players just give up on, puts tremendous pounding pressure on his body. He is a supremely conditioned athlete, perhaps the best conditioned player in the sports history. It’s an imposing thing to watch Nadal on the court before a match. With his signature biceps and defined muscular physique, Rafa stands out, even among many other well conditioned players. When he walks out on court, he has an appearance more like a prize fighter or an Ironman triathlete than a typical tennis player. The Spaniard stands 6′2″ and weighs 188 lbs. which is not particularly unusual for a professional tennis player, but it is his chiseled frame and his powerful style of play that makes this 23-year-old Majorcan so difficult to beat in a best-of-five set tournament. Rafael Nadal never lets up and won’t allow his opponent to let up, either. He will play a very high level of tennis for three, four and even five sets. The margin for error is so thin playing this Spaniard, it’s practically nonexistent. There are a few players that can beat Nadal in the first set, sometimes even a second set in lesser tournaments, but take this man to a third, fourth or fifth set and you had better have your people book you a flight home early. You must keep your level of tennis extremely high and don’t make mistakes, because he won’t and he’s betting his opponent, no matter how great, will slip up and then he starts playing tennis downhill.
Rafa the Rough must Become Nifty Nadal to Survive
Unfortunately, this style of brawn and power tennis is taking its toll on the young Spaniard. Because of his maneuverability and stubbornness not to let any balls go, he’s putting an enormous amount of pounding on his quadriceps and his knees, in specifics the patella (knee cap) and patella tendon (tendon holding the kneecap in place). The game of tennis is played with practically every muscle and joint in the human body. Rafael Nadal relies on his athleticism and his ability to get to balls that most players just watch fly by. This means his knees are likely the biggest part of his game. He plays as hard on his first point of the match as he does his last. This high-level of energy and effort is one of the reasons it is so difficult to beat the Spaniard, especially in longer matches… his endurance and conditioning allow him to take that energy from this first set to the fifth without slowing down. However, even he knows this is a revolving door of chronic knee pain and damage. I don’t look for Nadal to drastically change the way he plays tennis. Frankly, because if he did I don’t think he would have a lot of success, at least not right away. His game is athletic and power and it will remain that way, other changes he must accept is that he cannot continue to qualify and play in every tournament that he would like to. Players have signed contracts with certain tournament organizations and they are bound by that contract to appear at those tournaments or they suffer fines. The ATP has control on how many events are conducted each year and they are increasing. In combination with the South African Airways Ranking System, the ATP determines how many points are earned at different events and how many points must be accrued to climb the ranking list which is used to determine draws at all the ATP sanctioned events. It’s a very important system and it has a very delicate balance that, Rafael Nadal and several other players, believe is drastically out of balance. I believe that Nadal will continue to fight to have this balance reestablished, reducing the number of events necessary for each player to gain enough points in the system to achieve higher levels in the ranking to find favorable draws for the best players in the world. Many great players right now are in agreement with Nadal and are fighting for less events and for more tournaments on grass and clay surfaces that are clearly safer for the players. Hard surfaces take a huge toll on tennis players bodies, in specific… the knees, ankles and back. It’s no secret that Rafael Nadal sustained his knee injuries on the hard courts in Melbourne, Indian Wells and the Miami Masters. Rafa has had success on the hard courts early in the season, but it does set up a difficult second half of the season for him and his record reflects that. Going deep into every tournament you play, which is typically the scenario for the best players in the world, the more wear and tear a player gets on his or her body.
Here is the $64,000 question; Can Nadal adjust the style of his game to lengthen his career and still have the same success with those changes? Well, here’s what we know; Rafael Nadal has improved in every aspect of the game and on every surface. First, it was said that Nadal wasn’t comfortable on grass, so he practiced and molded his style of play to be more versatile and on a variety of surfaces. He proceeded to go to the finals at Wimbledon in 2006 and 2007, Rafa lost to Roger Federer in 2006 in four sets: 6-0, 7-6(5), 6-7(2), 6-3, but in the 2007 Wimbledon final, many so-called tennis experts believed Nadal would have won that championship had he not injured his knee in an awkward shot when the Spaniard twisted his leg, and was barely able to finish the match. He was cruising and even had the usually unflappable Roger Federer shaken, blaming the Hawkeye electronic line keeping system for his poor play. Nadal fought hard to the fifth set, despite the injury, but lst: 7-6(7), 4-6, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-2 . In 2008, what is considered the “Greatest Tennis Match of All Time”, Nadal dethroned Roger Federer in a five-set thriller at twilight, on Wimbledon’s Center Court: 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7 . It was definitely one for the ages and it will take a mighty match to make tennis fans forget this one any time soon.
Never Far Is Uncle Toni, Rafa's Coach
Now, television and radio broadcasters are spouting off all sorts of predictions for Nadal. “His style of play will prevent him from having a long career.” Many are saying. Others are even saying that we have perhaps seen Nadal’s greatest tennis already and it’s downhill from here. These are the idiots, mind you predicting this, not the real tennis aficionados. The analysts and broadcasters of professional tennis know what a hard worker the 23-year-old Spaniard is. But all this jibber-jabber spouted by the talking heads who don’t understand what kind of fighter Rafa is. The negative press does nothing to Nadal but inspire him to overcome the obstacles in his life. He was born with a deformity in one of his feet, and was told; tennis was not an option for him by an incredibly shallow doctors in his early carrer. Thank God for the incredible family support he has had throughout his life. Rafa’s parents supported him throughout his youth and his uncle and only coach believed that this young kid could accomplish anything he put his mind to. When Rafa was three years old and just getting introduced to tennis, he had an obvious weakness in his serve. Nadal is naturally right-handed, but his uncle Toni encouraged him to try serving left-handed. The rest is history after that. The worlds best left-handed player, isn’t left-handed at all. Rafa throws right-handed, writes right-handed, bats right-handed, swings a golf club right-handed, he eats and brushes his teeth right-handed, plays darts right-handed and kicks right footed. He fishes right-handed and even plays ping-pong right handed… Table Tennis… He even plays table tennis right-handed. The only thing Rafael Nadal does left-handed is play professional tennis and he does it so well, he’s ranked No.1 on the planet!
Rafael Nadal has had his share of challenges and setbacks in his life, but his philosophy about challenges is that they are there to be conquered. This is how Nadal approaches every slight weakness in his game. He masters his weakness instead of allowing the weakness to captivate him. He eliminates a challenge and turns it into another strength in his life and in his game. Sports broadcasters used to talk a lot about Nadal’s week service game. So, he with his coach and uncle, went to work to improved his serve and drastically. What was once a slow and predictable service game, Rafa began changing the placement of his serves making him that much more unpredictable and aggressive. Next, it was said that he had a weak net game.
“Oh, Nadal has great athleticism and he can get to the net, but when he gets there, it’s as if he doesn’t know what to do with the ball.” Broadcasters would say. Nadal then hit the court with his lifetime coach to work on his play at the net. Rafa started playing doubles tennis and his net game was vastly improved. This is just the way that the Nadal team approaches tennis. “Own your weaknesses and make them your strengths”, his uncle said to the press through an interpreter. Improving his serve and net game are just two more ways that the 23-year-old has improved his game and he’s already the best player in the world. Complacency is just not in the Nadal family dictionary. They live by a code: “The only losers are those who fall and never get up to try again.” Little Rafael Nadal, the three-year-old boy who took a tennis racquet out of his right hand and dominated tennis at 20 years old with a racquet in his left hand. The greatest left-handed tennis player in the world, isn’t left-handed.
Wimbledon needs Nadal back, the U.S. Open needs Nadal back, the Australian open needs Nadal back and the French Open needs Nadal back. The game of Tennis needs Rafael Nadal. Anything less is just not the same… this is surely Nadal’s agony to watch Wimbledon on television 3000 miles away with his racquet in his hand but no grass to walk-on. But this is a gigantic loss for the Wimbledon tournament and the loss is particularly felt by Roger Federer. “Of course I’m disappointed that Rafa isn’t here. He’s my main rival and we’ve had some fantastic matches. Of course, last years Wimbledon final stands out the most.” Federer said to interviewers in London. “I’m looking forward to him returning from his injuries. He’s a great player and person. He’ll be back.”"
As countless newspaper and magazine articles have said; “Nadal’s loss is Roger Federer’s gain.” It is universally believed that with Rafael Nadal out of the way, this is Federer’s tournament to win or lose. His biggest rival is absent laying a much clearer path to a sixth title at the All England Lawn and Tennis Club. There are players that can threaten the world number two player from a record setting championship, but no one in the class of Nadal on grass. Andy Murray is probably Federer’s hardest matchup. Last year, Murray advanced to the semifinals where he lost to Nadal, but in the quarterfinals he had a very memorable five set match against Frenchman Richard Gasquet. Murray was all but out of the tournament as Gasquet sped to a two set lead at 2 sets to love. Much criticism was made that Andy Murray didn’t have the conditioning necessary to compete in the longer matches including all four grand slams. His conditioning was subpar for a top ranked pro tennis player. Murray fired his coach at the time, Brad Gilbert for Miles Maclagan, and his strength and conditioning coach and hired a new one in Matt Little. Murray has had a history of nagging injuries along with a reputation as a player that peters out in long matches. In that Wimbledon quarterfinal last year, after coming from behind to beat Richard Gasquet, Murray made a memorable scene after the match. He walked to the net flexing his biceps and kissing them, in a sort of … “You say I’m not in shape? Well look at me now” gesture.
Well, Andy Murray has definitely improved his conditioning, but even more importantly he has learned how to manage a five set match with that conditioning and endurance. He’s not the only player however that can threaten Sir Roger and his quest for a sixth Wimbledon trophy. Novak Djokovic has had his difficulties on the grass at the All England Lawn and Tennis Club. Conditioning has been Novak’s Achilles’ heel throughout his career. Born with a respiratory disorder, he tends to suffer during long matches particularly those in high temperatures and humidity. Unfortunately for Djokovic, many of the tournaments around the world are played during the spring and summer seasons when temperatures often eclipse the 100°f mark and over 95% humidity. These are trying conditions for even the best conditioned athletes in tennis, but for Djokovic and his problems breathing, it’s even more daunting. It is said that Novak had surgery to repair a deviated septum, giving him a more natural method of breathing, but his respiratory problems go beyond that. He very noticeably starts to suffer during long matches and has had to retire from several tournaments including Wimbledon 2005, versus Rafael Nadal. He also retired in 2006, but not for respiratory issues, he had severe blistering on his feet and was unable to maneuver well enough to be competitive, and to make things even worse, he was playing Rafa Nadal, again. Could things be worse? Djokovic was never known for his grass court prowess, but he has been training to improve his grass court game and is playing well on the surface. Last year he advanced to the final at the Queens club tournament, but lost to Nadal. It was obvious that he is becoming more comfortable on the surfaces of Wimbledon. He could be a dark horse in this tournament, he has all the tools to win, he just has to start believing he can win on grass and utilize his, sometimes stellar service game, and perhaps the best two-handed backhand in tennis. He’s a talented player and could threaten players at the top of the list of great grass court players.
My dark horses to win Wimbledon and crush Federer’s dreams include; Juan Martin Del Potro, Andy Roddick, Jo Wilfred Tsonga and longshot Fabbio Foggnini.
Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro has potential up the, “well you know what.” But, the problem with the 20-year-old Del Potro is that he’s streaky and loses concentration during big matches and that has led to his undoing in key moments of huge matches. Del Potro recently had a two set lead on Roger Federer in the semifinals of the French Open. He had Roger pinned and ready for defeat, but Roger elevated his level of play, like he often does, and Del Potro lost concentration and the match as he committed countless unforced errors and allowed his service game to deteriorate. It was a shame for the 20-year-old from Buenos Aires. He’ll have his chances again, and he has all the tools to go anywhere he likes. He needs to mature and develop a sense of caring. Yes, I said caring. This player plays without passion or fire. At times during big matches and in big moments, Del Potro looks as if he’d rather be anywhere but on a tennis court. I can get on board with Juan, just yet. I want to see more consistency and I want him to at least look like he cares. As Roger Federer dispatched him at Roland Garros, Del Potro walked off the court as if he didn’t have a care in the world. I don’t like that. It’s good to be a gracious loser, but he puts that way past my comfort zone for losing. If there’s any part of losing the you can with, you’re not ready for grand slam tennis in the ATP level. I’m sure he’ll improve. He’s 6′6″ and moves around the court like a cat.
Andy Roddick is ready to win right now. His game has improved at lightspeed under new coach Larry Stefanki. Whatever Stefanki is doing for Andy, keep doing it. His serve is great and he has developed an all court game that he didn’t have under previous coaches; Jimmy Connors and Patrick McEnroe. Stefanki also has Roddick down about 15 pounds. He was never really overweight, but losing that 15 pounds has really added a new sense of maneuverability for Anndy that he didn’t have before. He looks sharp and ready to challenge for a Wimbledon title. He has the experience necessary for the finals, also. He’s faced Roger Federer twice in the Wimby final and played very competitively in both matches. Experience can be very important when advancing in a huge tournament like Wimbledon. I think the last dark horse I have is Fabbio Foggnini of Italy. He’s young, at 20 years old, and has all sorts of potential and has even looked brilliant at times. I don’t think he’s quite ready to win a grand slam, but who knows. That’s why they play the matches.
This tournament won’t be the same with Rafa, the defending champ at Wimbledon and it’s all the buzz around AELTC. Roger looks poised to take another title, which if he does, he will also regain his No.1 ranking, and you know he wants that badly.
There's a shadow missing from the Greats of Tennis
