For the record: Nadal has won 93 of 95 matches in the French Open and his last 21 in a row. Sign up for a new account in our community. Back to back 5+ hour, 5 set matches, isn't a sign of weeakness though. He's too injury prone. I think the OVER at 33 looks pretty easy here. My mythical tourney will give the older players access to today's training & equipment(racket tech in particular) technology. ... like Nadal, gaining on Federer. X9 in a row. But Djoker has a chance. Nadal can pull even with Federer for most Grand Slam singles titles won by a man by collecting No. More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/apf-Tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports, FILE - In this June 8, 2014, file photo, Spain's Rafael Nadal holds the trophy after winning the final of the French Open tennis tournament against Serbia's Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros stadium, in Paris. donation If not, going to be impossible. 13 in Paris, https://www.registercitizen.com/sports/article/Nadal-can-tie-Federer-s-20-Slams-with-lucky-No-15596185.php, Hear the latest episode of our new podcast. Especially the final, Federer had won 13 Grand Slams, zero on clay by the time he was 25, Djokovic is 24 and has won 5 grand slams and none on clay. He can win 2 sets, but 3, he's not winning. Those matches were epic. There is, of course, another great of the game playing during this era and, like Nadal, gaining on Federer. By Thiem has no chance. Welcome! That’s it.”. Go Federer! Angelman Also dropped out of a match with Feds a month or two ago with some BS injury probably because he knew he’d lose again since Feds has owned him the last few years. Federer, the oldest of the crew, is the closest to the end of his career. That dude is made of crystal. Nadal is the best ever, by a landslide on clay. “That makes it not easy to go into the match,” Thiem said. Thiem cannot play a best of 5 match against the top players. Nadal is 20-10 against federer. 20 at the French Open, when play begins on Sunday, Sept. 27. In Rome, for example, two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep and one of her coaches, Artemon Apostu-Efremov, caught one of Nadal’s training sessions. IMO, if you took the 8 or 16 best players ever, at their primes, Fed, would consistently make the semi's, but wouldn't be coming home with the trophy very often. ***I'll be playing on clay next weekend when I go visit my folks. When main-draw competition begins Sunday at Roland Garros, Thiem and every other player in the men’s bracket will be pursuing Nadal as the 34-year-old from Spain pursues history. Manchester Country Club in Manchester Ma. I don't hear anyone talking crap about sampras cause he won harf of em at wimslepon. Nadal has had his number on clay and hardcourt over the years. Roger DNP, finished 5th, finished 9th and finished 5th. point being, Nadal is the greatest ever on clay, possibly the greatest athlete ever on a single surface of anything. “I just want to keep enjoying tennis. Nadal won 7 of his 11 at the French. 19-14 against djokovic. Did Nedal get another major title? “We were watching the way he hits the ball, the acceleration, the energy he has on the court and the way he practices 100%. Highlights of an amazing encounter between Federer and Nadal at Indian Wells 2017 R4. “Roland Garros is the last Slam, the last opportunity of this season. Surely now that Federer is on the downhill side of his career, Nadal must be #1 in the world, right? Take Nadal off of the clay surface, and he's just a top five player. Gawd that hurt to say, but a credit to Nadal who's just crazy good in this Era. Naturally he would win most of their meetings. 1) In the last 4 majors, Rafa's won, finished 3rd, finished 3rd, and finished 2nd. “He’s left-handed, which makes it very uncomfortable. “I know that you put a lot of attention on all of this,” he replied when the topic was raised last week at the Italian Open, Nadal’s first tournament since February because of the coronavirus pandemic. GettnHuge, May 16, 2010 in The Geek Club. Asked recently about the possibility of catching the 39-year-old Federer, out for the rest of the season after a pair of operations on his right knee, Nadal expressed a sentiment he’s uttered before. If Nadal manages to claim a 13th French Open championship — extending his own record for the most singles trophies won by anyone at any major tennis tournament — he would, more significantly, also collect his 20th Grand Slam title overall, tying Roger Federer’s record for a man. Nadal will be trying to win his record-extending 13th championship at the clay-court major tournament when play begins on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020. Take away that sh1t and it's pretty even. I think Djokovich(sp) has won 7 in a row vs Nadal. This is not a forum for general discussion of the article's subject. Federer is going to hit towards nadals backhand majority of the time and win it. Ask questions, get answers. If I am playing well, I know I normally have my chances. 6 wimbledons, 5 us opens and 4 australian opens to go with his 1 french. Are you kidding me? Better than all of that, isn't Nadal the one with Olympic gold? Federer is a good looking guy, also elegant (except for the amount of arm hair maybe), just like his style of play. “He’s an unbelievably great tennis player. I can say Federer had/has the most pure swing and game probably in the history of the sport - does that make hithe best ever thats up to opinion. It affects his appearance more than … That’s about it. Nadal has won 13 of their 15 encounters on clay courts, 9 of their 15 encounters on hard court, whereas Federer has won 2 out of their 3 meetings on grass courts. That's what makes these debates fun. Nah I think nadal would be fave. NCCC offers series of tax planning, preparation seminars. Fed's a great player and maximized his career, but I don't consider him the GOAT. And you were implying we shouldn't consider Sampras the G.O.A.T cause he won half of his slams on one surface...just saying, you know if you want to be consistent and all.. yeah, if I were pimping fed, I'd ignore those numbers too. hth. It's easy. Is grass a real surface? 20 at the French Open. 1-ranked Novak Djokovic, who had won five of seven major titles to raise his total to 17 before being disqualified at the U.S. Open for accidentally hitting a line judge with a ball while walking to a changeover. Personally I think the best age of tennis was in the late 70' to mid 80's when it was Borg - Connors - McCenroe all in their prime. Nadal is at least even with FEDERER now IMO. I don't hear anyone talking crap about sampras cause he won harf of em at wimslepon. He wins on clay. And that’s it. Nadal has some more Slams to win to be breathing Federer air. Nadal has won 13 of their 15 encounters on clay courts, 9 of their 15 encounters on hard court, whereas Federer has won 2 out of their 3 meetings on grass courts It's not Federer's fault Nadal never made it far enough on Grass to play Feds. Naturally he would win most of their meetings. The Federer-Nadal prime has miraculously lasted this long, but the future of it is unclear. Nadal has 1 us open and 1 australian open and 2 wimbledons. $20 In this oddest of years, the Grand Slam season will drawing to a close in France; the clay-court major was postponed from May until now because of the coronavirus pandemic. Still, Nadal at the French Open is unlike anyone else, anywhere else. On the wimmens side theres only 2 Martina and Steffi - in their primes both were basically un beatable but I had to choose Steffi was the best ever womens player . I wasn't up in time. ; New to Wikipedia? And everything that he has achieved there, losing maybe a couple matches in his entire career on that court ... is probably the most impressive record that anybody has on any court,” Djokovic said. I feel that if Nadal had made more US Open finals/hard court masters event finals during their peak rivalry years, then the number of Federer wins would likely be much higher on hard courts. He spoke Friday in Paris about what “probably are the most difficult conditions for me ever in Roland Garros” — a lack of matches in 2020; a new brand of tennis balls ("super slow, heavy"); cooler weather and plenty of rain in the forecast. “Regardless of how he feels, I’m sure he’ll find a way,” said Stefanos Tsitsipas, a 2019 Australian Open semifinalist seeded No. Click here to start a new topic. “You go into the match knowing that even your best tennis, even if you play it over three, four hours, might not be enough. I'm here to pay my respects to RafafockingNadal. Nadal is the best ever, by a landslide on clay. 02/17/2020. Straight Gift? 5 years younger and 5 majors to go. Of the three guys, Fed is the only one I would say doesn’t have much of a chance. 9 straight victories in a row without a loss. It’s always an inspiration,” Apostu-Efremov said. He exited the Aussie Open early while Nadal got to the finals. I guess if that's how you want to judge it,. So we all know who the main favorite is there: Obviously, it’s Nadal. While Federer is looking as strong as ever, Nadal's body is starting to break down at 5 years younger. Clay is a joke anyway, it's not a real surface. as far as the Best mens to ever play I would say Sampras but it's too bad he really never had anyone to really play against -- Aggassi was good but not a top 10 caliber player, Correct. Just not sure how you can say Nadal is better right now. 5 years younger and 5 majors to go. 1) In the last 4 majors, Rafa's won, finished 3rd, finished 3rd, and finished 2nd. Clay is his surface. The equipment, courts, training techniques and other variables are too different to make that claim for anyone. Without nadal Federer probably completes 2 grand slams in the same year in back to back years. As for level of competition, I know the names of the 80's were better known (Bjorg, McEnroe, Conners, Lendl, etc) but I find it hard to believe that athletes in every other sport are faster and stronger and have better training techniques than their predecessors with the exception of tennis. That would be No. Not sure I’d agree with that he’s the better player currently. FILE - In this June 8, 2014, file photo, Spain's Rafael Nadal holds the trophy after winning the final of the French Open tennis tournament against Serbia's Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros stadium, in Paris. “He always finds a way, every single year. You play on a lot of grass courts? Nadal will never be underdog. With where nadal stands he can serve on bolley very easily to get free points on serve, Fed will get killed if he serves and volley. If Nadal wins this Australian, both he and Rog will have won 11 majors before the age of 26. we are about to find out again tonight. Probably on clay, a little bit better than on the other surfaces,” Thiem said. Not even in the greatest of all-time discussion. New restaurant brings street food, ‘New York City vibe’ to. According to the opponent Nadal beat in the last two finals in Paris, anyway. So while Federer is the best all around player ever, Nadal is the best clay player ever. 5 in Paris. Are you guys high? ; Please sign and date your posts by typing four tildes ( ~~~~). “And that’s the mental part, I guess.”. No good american has ever been good on it, clearly it was invented to keep the good players down. 20-9 head to head? Ain't happening. Nadal just got knocked out of Wimbledon by the world's 100th ranked player. Longevity also plays a role when discussing 'best ever'. i think joker will be slight fav, can't wait for the final to see joker beat nadal. Even though he's no longer the best in the world, I actually think that Federer's consistent trips to the semi-finals at his advanced age is just further cementing his legend. Nadal and Federer called for "unity, not separation" after reports their longtime rival was spearheading a breakaway union of tennis professionals. It was embarassing. Tennis is hard to judge who was really the best. So unfair. He's a clay specialist. “But you know what?” Nadal said. Climbing the Grand Slam list, Nadal said, is “not an obsession at all.”. Opens, two Wimbledons, one Australian Open. Rafael Nadal can pull even with Roger Federer for most Grand Slam singles titles won by a man by collecting No. Edit: Nadal is 13-2 against Federer on clay, and is 10-8 against him on other surfaces, though Federer held an edge on other surfaces until recent years. stepaside777 gave cincinnatikid513 1 SBR Point(s) for this post. Nadal is 5 years younger, Nadal should be embarrassed to lose to Federer at this point. I’m sure he’s going to do well.”. I mean, if you do it, you maybe have a little chance, but you have to go to your limit on every single rally, every single point,” Dominic Thiem, who won the U.S. Open less than two weeks ago, told The Associated Press. Lionel Cironneau Facebook Nadal's domination of Federer isn't recent. And then his forehand, the topspin on the clay, it’s cruel to play.”. Thiem got smoked last year in the finals by Nadal. : Put new text under old text. They are calling it the biggest upset in tennis history. Here was the score the last time Joker played Thiem at RG in 2017, French Open Semi Finals: Nadal -950 over Federer +600. Just my .02 cents. Nadal is 20-10 against federer. Nadal was initially scheduled to pair with Federer in that match but pulled out with a left wrist injury. If Nadal had Federer's amazing luck with injuries, and Federer had Nadal's horrible luck with injuries, Nadal would have 25 slams and Federer would have 10 slams. We'll never know the answer. Nadal got clowned at the Aussie by Joker though. He makes too many unforced errors. There is something odd about his mouth and teeth though, you barely see them, even when he laughs or speaks. For all of the many qualities contributing to Rafael Nadal’s unprecedented superiority at the French Open — the bullwhip of a high-bouncing lefty forehand, the reflex returns, the cover-every-corner athleticism, the endless energy and grit — there’s one element that stands above all the rest. in 2004, 2006 and 2007 he won every major but the french. Thiem takes notes and hopes to emulate aspects of Nadal’s game. I wouldn't say Federer looks as strong as ever, but his slide his much more gradual than the one Nadal appears to be starting on. You cannot finish 3rd in a tennis tournament, only exception is the Olympics. Nadal wound up losing his third match in Italy, which is neither ideal form nor the sort of prep work he is accustomed to ahead of Roland Garros. I’m going to keep fighting to produce chances, and then when I finish my career, let’s see, no?” he said. Nadal can tie Federer's 20 Slams with lucky No. “I am here to fight and to play with the highest intensity possible.". Nadal is known for starting matches slow, so I won't be surprised to see the first set go the distance or Federer to even win it. 2) In 2019, Federer is 27-3 and Rafa is 30-5. “This dedication on the court and focus on court,” he said, “it’s something that, for sure, could be transferred to Simona.”. You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. “So, yeah, of course you would put him right there in front as a favorite to win it.”. This is the talk page for discussing improvements to the Federer–Nadal rivalry article. The Vegas odds on this 10 years ago would've been through the roof I imagine. Thiem has a chance too though. He hasn’t really done anything of note in the last year or so. Since then I haven’t seen anything that makes it seems he’s better. Wow. It's not Federer's fault Nadal never made it far enough on Grass to play Feds. Forum. Roger DNP, finished 5th, finished 9th and finished 5th. Federer has to hit 70% 1st serves to have a chance. the dude is 32, ancient by Tennis standards and not done yet Sampras had just turned 31 when he retired. “Of course I would love to finish my career with 25, but (that’s) something that probably will not happen. 19-14 against djokovic. Business briefs, Sept. 13, 2020. So that makes it what? Nadal’s tally elsewhere: four U.S. First of all, you won’t find any elite players or tennis writers call anyone the GOAT. I take in a number of factors, slams, level of competition, head-to-head, winning percentage and eyeball test. AP Sports Writer Andrew Dampf in Rome contributed to this report.