http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-07-11-wha...on-nadals-knees

What's riding on Nadal's knees
STEVE BIERLEY - Jul 11 2008 10:28

A recent article in one of the United States's leading tennis magazines had the temerity to describe Rafael Nadal as "one-dimensional". It can only be assumed that the writer does not watch the game much.

No doubt attitudes across the Atlantic will change now that the 22-year-old Spaniard has added the Wimbledon championship to his four consecutive French Open titles.

Nadal, unlike Roger Federer, who has won the past four US Opens, has yet to build a big following in New York, principally because he has not gone beyond the quarterfinals in five attempts and last year lost in the fourth round against his countryman David Ferrer, the world number four in the post-Wimbledon rankings.

The top three in those rankings remain as they were, headed by Federer, with Nadal and Novak Djokovic, the Australian Open champion, tucked in behind.

Any one of this trio may finish the year as number one, although there were many after Sunday's astonishing men's final at the All England Club prepared to hail Nadal as the "unofficial" world number one.

He now holds a 12-6 career lead over the Swiss (9-1 on clay, 2-3 on hard, 1-2 on grass). This was their 14th overall meeting in a final, with Nadal now leading 10-4, and their sixth meeting in a grand-slam final, with Nadal 4-2 ahead.

Counting from the 2005 French Open, when Nadal won the title for the first time, 13 of the 14 majors have been won by either Federer (eight) or Nadal (five), the one exception being in Melbourne this year when Djokovic, the 21-year-old Serb, broke through, beating Federer in the semifinals.

Such statistics, underlining the mighty battle that has been raging at the top between Federer, the world number one since February 2004 and Nadal, who has trailed him as the number two since July 2005, are crucially important after what is generally perceived to be the best Wimbledon men's singles final of all time.

Yet barely had the feast been digested before two questions were being asked. Can Nadal do what Federer has failed to do, namely win all four slams? And is Federer a spent force, having won 12 majors since the first of his five Wimbledon titles in 2003, but none this year?


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To nobody's surprise Nadal pulled out of this week's clay-court tournament in Stuttgart, though it was typical of the man that he flew to Germany to make the announcement in person that his right knee, a cause of concern throughout the Wimbledon fortnight, was not up to playing.

Obviously he was exhausted after becoming the first man since Björn Borg to win the French Open and Wimbledon titles back to back. However, his knees, which have strapping support for every match, remain a worry, particularly on the US concrete hard courts, which are murder on anyone with the slightest physical problem.

Nadal was suffering from tendonitis at the US Open last year, and the hard courts almost jolted him into submission, or as near to submission as he ever gets. "It's like putting miles on a car. Eventually the car will wear down, and Rafa is not the lightest guy out there," said Pat Etcheberry, a Florida-based fitness coach who worked with Pete Sampras and Justine Henin.

On the plus side, Nadal has significantly improved his serve, which is giving him more free points, while his overall game is also developing, as was only too obvious against Federer. It is not so much that the Swiss has faded but that Nadal is constantly improving -- and that has shaken Federer's confidence.

Toni Nadal, Rafael's uncle and long-time coach, monitors his nephew's physical condition constantly, while modifying his style. There will be the opportunity perhaps to ease his schedule between the slams: this should help prolong the Spaniard's career, although many still fear that he will burn out prematurely.

Nadal has been compared to Borg, who left the sport at the age of 25. But Borg was a different character, his exit having more to do with loss of desire. It is hard to image Nadal losing his competitive edge, assuming his body does not break down.

As for Federer, he is still only 26, so he has time on his side to win three more slams and beat Sampras's record of 14. But should the US Open title slip from his grasp in September, that record will look an awfully long way off. -- © Guardian News and Media Ltd 2008

Moved this here if that is OK Laurie as it is an interesting article that could get lost in the other thread? :ok:

I can't look at the title of this thread without thinking that there are a few posters here who would probably like to be riding on Nadal's knees.

:giggle:

(It is a good article, though.)

Not for me. I am more into Goran's knees. :D


This bit is interesting:


"Nadal was suffering from tendonitis at the US Open last year, and the hard courts almost jolted him into submission, or as near to submission as he ever gets. "It's like putting miles on a car. Eventually the car will wear down, and Rafa is not the lightest guy out there," said Pat Etcheberry, a Florida-based fitness coach who worked with Pete Sampras and Justine Henin."

I remember discussion in the past on here and the BBC where many folks felt Nadal would not have the long career some folsk were predicting, and it was more likley to be the case that he'd retire through phsycial wear rather than reitring when he chose to. This was because his game was phsyically intensive and he relied on much running around to win a point rather than a quick, decisive attacking shot. I Federer n comparison folsk said had a more economical game that relied more on shot making skill than physical strenght and running. Yep, I agreed with this and I still do. Teh question is justa case of when will these knees wear out? And all that can stop that is modifyign his game. I see changes have been made but I don't think he can make enough changes to enable him to 'save' hs legs as it were. He'd need a pretty radical overhaul and I just don't think he'd be effective if he did make the radical adaptatiosn needed.

Any thoughts?

I'll stick with what I believe of nadal as phenomenal as he is.25 and he will have played his best tennis.It happens particulary to great defenders and claycourters,just a downside of the style.

Him and Federer will basically leave the scene at the same time,when Federer will be 29 by then.

So that's why he has tape on them all the time I hope Rafael takes care of himself. This article made me think of my father, who recently had a total knee replacement. The rehabilitation was very painful for him, and he still moans & groans when he stands up. I do realize that a twentysomething professional athlete is in a lot better condition than a 65-year-old polio survivor, but it's still very scary. I wish Nadal the best.

Nadal only used to have taped knees on hardcourts (I believe) but the strapping seems to have got tighter. :unsure: I remember I had a knee injury at the place where Rafa wears the tape and it was so painful for two weeks.

My grandad is a polio survivor but thankfully he can live a normal life. He only retired a few years ago and can still drive, walk upstairs etc.

It could be when he is 25 but also can he actually play on hard at all now? He seems to suffer a lot every round of the HC season. I m curious to see how he will do this summer. Maybe this year will be different but the pattern has been the same the last 3/4 years. In fact his best hc season was he was younger and still injury freeish.

He has made me pause to think.He is obviously Federer's equal on medium paced surfaces,and his superior on slow ones,but I still think he won't reach or beat Federer on fast.

He probably will do better than previous years,but as we saw at Wimbledon and his ongoing injury scares that he will playing second fiddle behind Djoker and Federer and quite possibly Roddick,Davydenko,and even Ferrer.He's top 6 on fast courts at best.

Perhaps he is due one out of the ordinary fast court season,but no more than that.

The last time wimbledon / FO was won in the same year, was when they were playing with small frame/wooden rackets. Back then the rackets and technic were not fast enough to outpace Borg who also had a good serve. Nowadays, had wimbledon been played will smaller balls as it used to, it would still be by far the fastest surface but as it is now, it's closer to the French than the US HC.

On the Olympic website says : "Balls must be yellow or white, with a diameter between 6.54 and 7.3cm and a weight between 56.0 and 59,49g." There is a big difference in diametre and speed between the "allowed sizes" and this difference is amplified by today's spinny games.

There's no doubt great players define their era by the style of play which they choose,but conversely on other hand,we can't doubt that Wimbledon for example as you say here has been changed.

Interestingly they showed some brief highlights from the 2001 final,when the grass was already rye,when Goran&Rafter were playing S&V.

However through the tournament again Jason Goodhall took great delight this time in comparing Federer's serve and the height of the bounce from 6 years ago,compared to this year and it was higher.

All the players say it is harder and with a heavier ball it's bound to be slower.Wimbledon was faster than Flushing Meadows and I still think Grass should be the fastest.It's to equal across all surfaces,but then we get closer matches,and too many players unfortunately playing the same style.

I will greatly lament the passing of the one handed backhand,so it's up to us old codgers to keep it alive Tenez ;)

The one-handed backhand is indeed a thing of beauty, both on the men's and women's side.

Mauresmo, Henin, Gasquet, Federer, to name but a few.

I will also lament its passing. The way that things are going, the only one-handed tennis shot in matches will be the serve itself.. :(

I don't think his game has changed enough to save him much time either.
His serve is apparently a little better (quicker) but it's hard for him to make big changes because part of the key to his success is his speed and ability to position himself so well etc.
I've been predicting he's gonna succumb to some sort of injury or burnout for sometime, so only time will tell-but i still can't see him lasting the long haul though.
it'l be interesting to see how Nadal plays during the hardcourt season, which is famously demanding on the athletes body.

The volley and the One-handed backhand almost extinct,who would have thought that in the 80's :shrug: