ATP - Rafael Nadal

[jacques9]

It is the third time Nadal has claimed the Roland-Garros title without dropping a set. He previously did so in 2008 and 2010. Both times he went on to win Wimbledon. It is an ominous warning.

[jacques9]

Wimbledon will be complicated, says clay king Rafa

Rafa Nadal says winning a French Open-Wimbledon double for the third time in his career will be "complicated" but is highly motivated to have a go as he prepares for the grasscourt season.
The 31-year-old captured an unprecedented 10th Roland Garros title in sensational style on Sunday, thrashing Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka in the final after a faultless fortnight in Paris.
It maintained a return to form and fitness for the Spaniard who also reached the Australian Open final at the start of the year and who climbed to number two in the rankings on Monday – his highest mark since 2014, since when he has often been battling injuries.
Inevitably thoughts are already turning to Wimbledon and the prospect of Nadal repeating his 2008 and 2010 victories – both of which followed hot on the heels of winning French titles without dropping a set as he did this year.
Nadal, never one to fuel the hype, warned against installing him as a favourite on the Wimbledon lawns where he has also lost three finals; especially as his recent record there is dismal.
"Since I have had problems with my knee, since 2012, playing on grass has been very complicated for me," Nadal, who lost only 35 games at Roland Garros to become the first player to win the same grand slam title 10 times in the professional era, said.
"We'll see how my knee behaves. Playing on grass is very special. You need to play at a lower level. The body posture is down. You have less stability.
"But keep in mind I played five finals in Wimbledon. I like playing on grass. On grass, anything can happen. I'm motivated."
After steamrolling through the European claycourt season, compiling a win-loss record of 24-1 with titles in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid before regaining his French Open crown, Nadal will spend a few days relaxing at home in Mallorca before playing in the Wimbledon warm-up at Queen's Club.
After weeks spent on the bouncy red clay, it is a tough transition and Nadal is well aware of the dangers having suffered early defeats at Wimbledon to the likes of outsiders such as Steve Darcis, Lukas Rosol and Dustin Brown.
Since losing in the 2011 final to Novak Djokovic he has not gone beyond round four while last year he could not play because of the left wrist injury that curtailed his French Open. He also pulled out in 2009 when his creaking knee prevented him from trying to defend his title.
"I could win the first two matches and then things could change," Nadal, whose first grand slam title for three years took his total to 15, said. "The fact is that the two first matches could be very dangerous.
"I need to feel strong, low, and have powerful legs to play well in Wimbledon. If I have pain in the knees then I know from experience that it's almost impossible. If I am healthy and I am able to have the right preparation I'll have my chances.
Nadal's incredible form - he is 43-6 so far this season - means there is also the strong possibility of overhauling Andy Murray and ending the year as world number one for the first time since 2013.
"Winning these kind of titles, then you have chances to become any number on the ranking. I don't know. I am playing well. If I am able to keep playing well, why not?" he said.
"I am right now seeded No. 2. We will see what happens during the rest of the year. It really depends on me."

[Stefan-kobe]

Dajte neki link, video, sta god, da pogledam ove emisije na Eurosportu koja je bila posvecena Nadalu.

[Sarafa]

Nema, a ni ja nisam uspela da odgledam Nadjoh samo na ruskom, nadam se da ce da uploaduju na inglisu.

[jacques9]

Juče sam odgledao ovu emisiju LA DECIMA the story. Iskreno baš ništa posebno od emisije. Očekivao sam puno bolje.

[jacques9]

Roland Garros 2017 Rafa Nadal Wins La Decima in Suitably Dominating Style

Rafa Nadal achieved the greatest ever feat in men’s tennis Grand Slam history when he won his tenth title at Roland Garros and the champion marked that milestone in fitting style with one of the most dominant runs to the trophy ever made at the tournament.
La Decima at a slam looked like it might never happen when a shadowy Rafa Nadal was beaten by Novak Djokovic in the Roland Garros 2015 quarters and it looked even less likely to happen when the game’s best ever clay courter withdrew before his 2016 third round match with a wrist injury. Aged 30 and suffering yet another injury, the common consensus was that Nadal’s at times grinding game had cut his life at the top short, even in this day and age of 30 being the new 20, and that the sport would have to make do with Nine as the record number of men’s singles titles won at a slam, a record already held by Nadal at Roland Garros.
This season, however, La Decima became a realistic prospect once more when Nadal finished runner-up at the Australian Open final, his first slam final since Roland Garros ’14, and his first time past the quarters of a slam since that event. With new coach Carlos Moya court-side and armed with hard court and energy friendly flatter shots, Nadal was healthy, wealthy in confidence, and wise, a wisdom he showed after losing the Miami final to Roger Federer when, with La Decima questions coming at him with the ferocity of Federer net attacks, Nadal would not be drawn into discussing his La Decima chances, saying he would take his clay season step by step, knowing only too well, after his run to the Monte Carlo and Barcelona titles a year before only for injury to force him to out of the French Open, how temporary form really is.
Nadal’s form kept up throughout the clay clay court season as did the career slammer’s class, one of the game’s most permanent and legendary. Few clay court specialists have managed to adapt their games to other surfaces quite the way Nadal has, the Spaniard winning the Channel double in both 2008 and 2010, and he demonstrated his diversity this European Clay court season once again by hitting topspin heavy, deep strokes, displaying the depth which marks his best form, and which, added to his highly effective, high percentage serving, earned him a few easy points here and there and helped out his 30 year old body, enabling him to put together a 17 match winning streak, taking the titles in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid, and reaching the quarters of Rome, and then cruising to the Roland Garros final without dropping a set.

Back into the slam final closest to his heart, Nadal played as ruthless a match as it he ever has, his clay court game in the eyes of some experts as good as it has ever been, a performance becoming of a man on his way to becoming the first player in tennis, male of female, to win ten singles trophies at a Major.
In his 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 win, won in 125 minutes, Nadal marked a record reflecting his dominance at Roland Garros with a performance becoming such a champion. The Spaniard hit 27 winners to 12 errors, won 83% on his first serve, 65 on his second, and won 18/20 points at the net. The Spaniard’s controlled aggression, tailor made for clay courts, was patient, consistent and relentless, and his defense asked Wawrinka, who had won, with his own explosive brand of aggression, all three of his previous slam finals, too many awkward questions, forcing either errors or sending the Swiss on the defense, Nadal ever-ready to turn the tables, his aggression ready to be unleashed whenever Wawrinka fell on his backfeet and his shots fell short, the Spaniard overwhelming the man to beat at slams the last few years to win the Roland Garros title for the first time in three years and achieve La Decima.
La Decima takes Nadal to 15 slams, second of all time, behind Pete Sampras, and three behind Roger Federer, and while the greats can decline at the unfortunate twist of a wrist or a sudden letdown from the dizzy heights of slam wins and No.1 rankings, if Nadal can stay healthy and continue to make the brave decisions he has regarding his team and his game, in a year’s time La Decima, now considered as the greatest, in the eyes of some, achievement in the history of sport, might be surpassable, #LaOnzieme the game’s next big feat, Nadal, the Clay Court Great even greater, and it is awe-inspiring for his fans, and scary for his rivals, to imagine in what fashion he will choose to mark that number.

[Marija81]

Čestitke. Uživajte u velikom uspehu .

[jacques9]

2005: RAFA BEGINS AT ROLAND-GARROS
Ten days shy of his 19th birthday, Rafael Nadal played his first French Open match, making his first and last appearance on No.1 Court. Not yet a legend but with all the ingredients of one, Nadal’s first appearance at Roland-Garros paved the way for a new era in tennis.
For most players, the outside courts at Roland-Garros are a rite of passage. Vilas, Lendl, Wilander, Kuerten, Agassi and Djokovic were all put through their paces as unknowns before being allowed to set foot on Centre Court. Not so Rafael Nadal, whose reputation preceded even his first Porte d’Auteuil appearance. Such hype had not been seen since Björn Borg burst onto the scene in 1973, a situation possibly exacerbated by Rafa’s absences in 2003 and 2004 due to elbow and left ankle issues.
By the time Nadal finally made it to the French Open in 2005, his position as a perfectionist prodigy was firmly established. After winning Les Petits As at 13 in 2000 and turning pro at the tender age of 15, Rafa was billed as the next big thing in tennis, along with Richard Gasquet. According to Toni Nadal, his uncle and coach, he was even “a little worried” about Gasquet being in his half of the draw.
Uncle Toni was not the only familiar face back then – Nadal’s long-serving team has stayed more or less the same over the years. Carlos Costa was already his agent. French Open 1998 champion Carlos Moya, Rafa’s former hitting partner in Mallorca, was his “big brother” and example to follow. Speaking on French television after his first match, Nadal said, “Carlos told me there was a great atmosphere at Roland-Garros and that I would love it.”


At just 18, Rafael Nadal had all the professionalism of a title-winner plus the poise of a veteran. Starting off the year ranked world No.51, Nadal’s first exploit came in March, when he took a two-set lead against none other than Roger Federer during the Miami final. His hunger unsated, he went on to take titles in Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome. After a spring spent striking fear into his opponents – including the 2004 and 2003 Roland-Garros champions Gaston Gaudio and Juan Carlos Ferrero (he defeated the former 6-3, 6-0 in Monte Carlo and the latter 6-1, 7-6, 6-3 in the final in Barcelona) – he appeared in Paris ranked world No.5.
His own worst critic
Ultimately, there is very little difference between the baby-faced teenager of 2005 and the international superstar of 2017. He has the same predatory glare for his opponents, the same intense focus, the same desire to do well. Back during his first French Open match in 2005, his serve was perhaps less assured and his net play more unreliable. But he still sent off Germany’s Lars Burgsmuller (the 29-year-old world No.96) in three sets without conceding a single break point.
Nadal, as always, had a more negative view of his first and only performance on No.1 Court. When asked if he was happy with his win he said, frowning, “How could I be? My game was so full of approximations and hesitations. In any case, after a match like that, I can’t be considered one of the tournament favourites.”
During an interview on French television on 23 May 2005, interviewer Nelson Monfort asked him if he was tired after such an eventful season on clay. Rafa raised an eyebrow, in what is now universally recognised as his expression of surprise. “Tired? I don’t know…”
This short scene sums up Rafael Nadal in a nutshell. Tired? Him? Very few people have since bothered asking such a question.

[Mrkela]

Rafa otkazao Queens, pametno...

[jacques9]

Rafael Nadal to skip ATP Queen's: 'I'm 31, my body needs to rest'

At the Roland Garros he played seven matches in only ten hours in total and without losing any set, but Rafael Nadal is forced to take a break. The Spaniard player has announced he withdrew from ATP 500 Queen's which takes place next week in order to be as fresh as possible at Wimbledon. 'I am sad to make this decision because I love Queen’s, I won the tournament in 2008 and every time I reached the Wimbledon final it was after playing Queen’s', Nadal wrote. 'I was hoping to take some days off and then be ready, but at 31, and after a long clay court season with all of the emotions of Roland Garros, and after speaking to my team and doctors, I have decided my body needs to rest if I am going to be ready to play Wimbledon.

orry to all the great fans in Britain and to the tournament organisers. I hope to see you at Queen’s next year.' Actually on Monday afternoon before coming back to Mallorca Rafa went to Vitoria to visit his doctors, and then they decided to skip Queen's and back to compete only in Wimbledon in July, which means playing no official matches on grass before the third Grand Slam event of the season.

Though, Rafa will probably play Boodles exhibition event the week before Church Road event so that he can see how he feels on grass. It's not the first time he takes a similar decision: also in 2013 he had skipped Halle before Wimbledon.

It's his second withdrawal this year after Rotterdam, a forfait that came following another tough event like Australian Open

[Marija81]

[Mr. Wolf]

'La Decima': Rafa's Journey to His 10th French Open Title

Ovde imate celu emisiju:
http://tennischannel.com/news/top-st...nch-open-title

[Velikiajnstajn]

Hvala Vuče

[jacques9]

From Mallorca to Roland-Garros: the Nadal-Moya story


He's the chosen one to succeed "tio Toni". At the end of 2016, Rafael Nadal brought Carlos Moya on board as his co-coach alongside the ever-present uncle Toni, who will step down as his coach at the end of 2017. These two Mallorcans, fellow Roland-Garros champions with a 'big brother-little brother' bond, are as natural a pairing as they come. We take a look at the link between the long-standing friends-cum-foes, which goes all the way back to Rafa's teenage years and has centred on Mallorca and Paris. Now their relationship has entered a - successfull! - new chapter with the win of the "Decima", the tenth Rafael's title at Roland-Garros.
Episode 1: In Moya's footsteps in Majorca
"I wish you a career just like mine."
"No, I want more."
As recounted in Rafael Nadal's autobiography, Rafa: My Story, this was one of the exchanges when the fresh-faced 13-year-old – at the time billed as the next big thing in Majorcan tennis – first met Carlos Moya, then the reigning Roland-Garros champion and freshly crowned as the world number one. This encounter was the starting point of a long history between Moya, who put his homeland on the tennis map in the 1990s, and Nadal, who has become practically synonymous with Majorca – a shifting relationship that began on the pair's native island and was destined to continue on bigger stages.
Moya was a childhood hero and role model who became, in Nadal's words, more like a "big brother" than a mere mentor. Indeed, despite his status as an ATP star, Moya took it upon himself to do whatever he could to aid the development of this budding teenager who dreamed of conquering the world. "Everyone in Majorca knew that this kid was one to watch, and not just because he was the nephew of Miguel Ángel Nadal, the Barça player," Moya recalled. "He won the island's under-12s championship at the age of eight! My first coach, Jofre Porta, had worked with him a little back then and had told me, 'This guy could be the real deal.'"
Despite – or perhaps because of? – Nadal's conduct on being introduced to his older compatriot (a show of cockiness for which, incidentally, he was grounded by his parents), Moya enlisted young Rafael as his hitting partner whenever he came back to Majorca thereafter. "People sometimes tell me that I helped Rafa, but it was actually reciprocal," Moya stressed, "He was already good enough to push me in practice. When we played sets, I couldn't afford to go easy if I didn't want to be beaten by a 14-year-old!" As for the youngster, he was certainly in good hands: how many teenagers have the chance to regularly rally with a top-ten player?
Episode 2: Under Charly's wing on tour… and a swift coming of age
Ironically, the man affectionately known as Charly was also one of Nadal's first big-name victims on tour: the starlet's victory in their meeting at the 2003 Hamburg Masters gave him his maiden top-five scalp. "Up to that point, I'd win most of our practice sets," Moya went on. "In fact, I'd say that whenever I really wanted to win, I won. As you would have expected. But during that match, I felt incredibly nervous. I was a top-ten player, while for all his promise, he was only 16! Losing would be embarrassing for me and that feeling really got to me. It was cold and I had the impression that I couldn't quite get my game going, while he seemed to be in the zone from the very first stroke of the warm-up. He played a remarkable match, keeping his focus from the first point to the last, and I lost in two sets."
This upset did not represent a power shift – at least not yet – between the duo, who also love to compete off the court through video games. Nevertheless, "That day, I realised what sort of player Rafael could become: someone who, with his reading of the complexion of matches and his ability to block out everything else, could be a cut above the best that I was capable of – even though I'd won Roland-Garros and reached the Australian Open and Masters Cup finals by that point. We walked up to the net and, as we hugged, Rafa said 'I'm sorry'. But he had no reason to be. I was philosophical about it – more so than I would've thought. I knew that it was the first of a series of defeats to come. He was the future. As for me, though I was a long way from finished, my decline had begun."
Episode 3: Moya unleashes Nadal's inner beast
Fast-forward a year to 2004 and Moya remained the Spanish number one and the undeniable leader of the Davis Cup team that had qualified for the final of the competition. However, it was 18-year-old Rafa who had stolen the show in the semi-finals against France, shining in the doubles win over Arnaud Clément and Michaël Llodra that put La Roja in the lead and then sealing victory in the tie by overcoming Clément in the fourth rubber. Yet, although they say 'don't change a winning formula', Nadal's place in the team for the showpiece was no foregone conclusion – on paper, Juan Carlos Ferrero, who had been the world number one just 12 months earlier, or even Tommy Robredo, who was up at 17th in the rankings while Nadal was hovering around the 50 mark, seemed safer picks.
And so it was that a selection debate raged in the lead-up to the final against a United States team spearheaded by Andy Roddick, a regular thorn in Ferrero and Robredo's sides on tour. Moya was no idle spectator and subsequently threw all his weight behind captain Jordi Arrese's brave decision to plump for the comparative rookie, despite the stir it caused within the camp and Nadal's own misgivings: "He came to me and said that he couldn't just usurp Juan Carlos and Tommy, two established champions, like that," Moya revealed. "And Toni felt the same way. I had to hammer home to them that Rafa wasn't taking anyone's place, that he was a totally legitimate choice to play the singles and that he had my full confidence. He'd played a part in us getting to the final and there was nothing undeserved about his presence in the line-up."
It was a calculated gamble – "I'd got to know Rafa. I knew that that shy, well-mannered boy in everyday life was the sort who would be galvanised by the crowd and the occasion" – and it paid off. Feeding off the 27,000 fans at Seville's Olympic Stadium (a record for a tennis match at the time), the youngster delivered in majestic fashion, outfoxing and outlasting Roddick – then the world number two – to help Spain towards their second Davis Cup crown, with Moya clinching glory. "In a way, I unleashed the beast that day," the 40-year-old quipped with a smile.

Episode 4: Roland-Garros role reversals
2007 brought a swansong for the then fading Moya, as the old warhorse worked his way back into the top 20 at the age of 31, thanks in no small part to quarter-final showings at Roland-Garros and the US Open. Fittingly, his last hurrah in Paris – this would prove his final run to the quarters at the tournament where he had once been the kingpin – was ended by Nadal. In a match full of symbolic significance, Rafa pulled no punches and cruised to a 6-4, 6-3, 6-0 victory over his "big brother", whose attacking game was gradually tamed by the extraordinary court coverage of the younger man, then on the march towards a third French Open title on the bounce.
Ten years since their lone clash at Roland-Garros, the pair has returned there in tandem in 2017, with the 1998 champ having joined his former protégé's coaching team. In the interim, Nadal has emerged as the leading contender for the crown of the best clay-courter of all time, having achieved unprecedented success on the fabled red dirt of the French capital: his previously unthinkable tally of nine titles in ten years (2005-2014) was three more than Björn Borg managed and two more than Chris Evert racked up on the women's side. But Rafa had two difficult years in 2015 and 2016, plagued with injuries, two years without winning Roland-Garros - an eternity for him!
Moya, meanwhile, has never been too far away from the scene since retiring – he could even be found serving as a heavyweight hitting partner for Rafa before certain French Open finals. Even more pertinently, perhaps, he completed his coaching apprenticeship with flying colours in 2016, contributing towards Milos Raonic's breakout campaign, which saw the Canadian finish the year ranked third in the world.
A legend seeking to continue earning his coaching spurs and a star searching for a second wind after two hugely disappointing seasons by his own lofty standards. It has all the makings of a match made in heaven. After all, given Nadal's well-known loyalty to his 'clan' (his team consists almost exclusively of Majorcans, most of whom have been in the picture since the early days), it was entirely logical that, having decided to bring in a new face, Moya was the chosen one.
Indeed, they seem such a natural fit that arguably the only surprising thing is how long it took to happen. Whatever the case may be, as he enters what are likely to be his twilight years at the highest level, at 31, Rafa has gone full circle by reaching out to the champion who took him under his wing when he was just a teenager. This is perfectly in keeping with one of the credos underpinning Nadal's career: only by looking at where you've come from can you know where you're going. And with the win of the "Decima" of all the records, the logical choice was clearly the right choice.

[Sarafa]

Poceo s treninzima, dosta je bilo odmora