CAMELOT FANTASIES

Yep. Another super post general.  I guess I forgot bike training might put too much stress on the knees for him. Swimming is probably the way to go.

Here is something I just saw on ESPN general that is making me wonder...

    ESPN Staff
 
Rafael Nadal says he is not focused on winning grand slams this year and has set his sights on qualifying for the ATP World Tour Finals at the end of the season.

Nadal suffered just his second ever defeat at the French Open last month when Novak Djokovic knocked him out in the quarter-finals, but he has made a blistering start to the grass court season by winning his first title on the surface since 2010 at the Mercedes Cup.

After falling to No.10 in the rankings, his next target is a place back in the top eight and at the O2 Arena in November. "That's my main goal," the 29-year-old said. "Winning grand slams or not, I have won enough in my career. Fourteen is enough.

"Right now, I am the No.10 in the world and I only played six months, with half of them being very bad. But I am sure that I'm going to keep trying.

"I have the motivation and I feel my mentality and my body are ready for it. Then, if I'm able to play the full season, I hope to finish in a good position on the rankings and then have the chance to start 2016 stronger."
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What do you make of this general?  That stunned me when he said, 14 slams is enough.  Hard to believe that he would have that perspective. Do you think he is just taking pressure off himself?

Respectfully,
masterclass

It's not weird to me. So much depends on someone's mindset. I would never be battling to be, stay, or hankering after the number one spot or trophies. I can't even say if I admire that. At some point we get sated. I know I do, and I can truly understand how he feels. In the end, what's the point? There will just be someone who comes behind you to take all your "glory" away.

Look at Pete. Everyone thought he would have a record that stood forever, but in just a few short years it was eclipsed. If I was in a competitive sport I would only be comparing my achievements to myself, not someone else. So, if I started a career and did well, I would be satisfied. Maybe that's what many people don't understand; contentment.

I don't think Rafa had dreams to be the greatest. I think he just wanted to play the game, but then all the titles, the money, the status came along, but is that really how you should define yourself as a player?

I actually respect him more for saying that. Nothing that we do will stand the test of time. Fifty years from now, when we're not here people may not even remember this era. Who talks about Renfrow now? Nobody.

Everything we do on earth is temporal. People, IMO, tend to make much ado about nothing.

As a fan I can only be grateful for the last decade of superb tennis. But, if he's not feeling it right now. I'm OK with that too. First and foremos I want my player to be happy, not just on the tennis court, but in his life.

I know it's weird, but I really don't like the idea of competition. I don't get the point of it. I only want to be happy. Bettering my fellow man just doesn't appeal to me. It never has.