CAMELOT FANTASIES

This is the best article I've seen about Rafa's issues right now. I've never thought it was as nuts and bolts as many other people seem to believe, but that it has everything to do with the person themselves. Personally, I've always seen Rafa as a reluctant, someone who wanted to do well, but didn't look at tennis simply for the glory or status. To me, he's always been driven by his own beat and what's important to him, not the world at large. If a person cannot understand who Rafa is a person, then I don't think that they have the necessary wherewithal to say what he should or shouldn't do. Everyone who wants to be rich doesn't want to be famous. Every great player doesn't want to be a champion. For some people such rewards are intrinsic, rather than extrinsic and the world has led us to believe that power, status, and in this case titles are the things that should tip the balance.

I don't agree with this, because as we can see clamoring for things outside of yourself can cause people to sometimes compromise themselves in search of status and prestige, (See Maria Sharapova, whose story I don't believe for one second. The more I read about it, the worse it gets, IMO). Some people have their own value system, one that is not set by the world, but set their own inner standards and it is hard to be false to yourself when your heart and mind are not geared that way.

This writer actually gets Rafa and doesn't speak to him as someone who should follow others' examples, but who has to find the correct path for himself. I totally get that and I firmly believe that Rafa doesn't take motivation from others, because he has always marched to his own beat. People can rail, protest, and criticize all they want, but Rafa is going to do things his way, not for the satisfaction of others. He will play if he wants to, but it will be on his own terms. He has already surpassed his goals and he owes no man anything. I personally, am glad to watch his trajectory because to me it is the purest form of self love and reality. It is the same qualities that I see in Andy. Their motivation is for themselves, not so much for the world.

For Rafa Nadal, a new coach would spell disaster

By Daisy Cousens, 10 Mar 2016 Daisy Cousens is a Roar Rookie

http://www.theroar.com.au/2016/03/10/rafa-nadal-new-coach-spell-disaster/

The draw for Indian Wells is complete, and Rafael Nadal is looking at a bit of a doozy.

With the big-serving Gilles Muller a distinct threat in the second round, a potential rematch of the Australian Open with Fernando Verdasco in the third, and the almost-giant slayer Gilles Simon a fourth round possibility, it’s a tricky start to say the least.

In addition, Japanese sensation Kei Nishikori is in his quarter, and the juggernaut that is Novak Djokovic is looming in the semis. On paper, Nadal certainly has his work cut out for him.

In the past, the tennis world has assumed he would cut through these foes like wheat. However, after a seven-month absence in 2014 owing to a broken wrist, a back injury, and appendicitis crushed his confidence, calls for a new coach have been flying for quite a while, after his less-than-perfect 2015.
Every tennis expert, critic, and worried Nadal-partisan fan is throwing around ideas; he needs to uproot his current coaching team, or hire a guest coach, or change his game completely, or any other myriad of options. After all, tennis players hire new coaches all the time, and in Nadal’s situation, it would come as no surprise.

We can argue it certainly worked for Roger Federer and Andy Murray. The additions of Stefan Edberg and Amelie Mauresmo catapulted them back onto tennis’ top tier. And we all know what happened when Novak Djokovic brought Boris Becker on board. But here’s the thing; Federer, Murray, and Djokovic are not like Nadal. Very few people are.

There are two key differences between Rafa and every other top player, which would render a new coach potentially disastrous.
Firstly, Rafa thrives on consistency. Every aspect of his life is compartmentalised in such a way as to retain a particular through-line, to prevent his anxious mind from wandering. It extends beyond his water bottles routine (they must be placed diagonally, labels facing out, in front of his chair), walking across the ‘Melbourne’ sign on Rod Laver Arena, and his famous wedgie-pulling scenario when returning serve. It goes right to the heart of the enigma that is Nadal.

The reason he has had the same coaching team from the word go is not simply because they collaborate well, or because head coach Toni Nadal is his uncle. It’s because their collective, familiar energy calms and settles their charge. And it’s not just the coaches; Rafa has also had the same physical therapist, agent, press agent, and doctors for the majority of his career. Put simply; big change does not aid him.

Adding a new team member, a new soul to the Nadal fortress may very well topple it, rather than fortify it. Aside from anything else, the inevitable guilt at sacking or sidelining his uncle, generated by the huge emphasis he places on family, would add further disquiet to Nadal’s already fragile psyche. Not the correct ingredient when looking to rectify a crisis of confidence.

Speaking of confidence, the second key difference is Rafa relies on winning to maintain it. Unlike Federer and Djokovic, Nadal does not have a healthy ‘champion’s ego’ to fall back on when times are tough. In order to be confident, he has to win. However, in order to win, you have to be confident.
It wouldn’t matter if a super coach flew in from Mars with a book containing every secret to tennis, Rafael Nadal is not going to start winning consistently while he’s caught in the confidence-trap. No amount of new coaches, or tweaking his game plan, is going to change that. It’s simply how he’s wired.
For Rafael Nadal to maintain a consistent winning streak, he has to break out of the confidence ‘chicken and the egg’ cycle. For every other athlete in the world in Nadal’s position, I would clamour for them to change something. However, Nadal is not every other athlete. He has a uniquely formulaic mind, and his way of doing things is as driven by psychology as much as practicality.

Throwing big change at him would tip the balance. The formula would be corrupted, his modus operandi compromised, and he could spiral into a pit of anxiety and guilt very hard to come back from. His team has thought this through. They know shaking up the natural Nadal-order is not to be advised.
If Rafa Nadal can navigate a tricky Indian Wells draw, and play competitively against Djokovic in the semis, it will have an infinitely more positive effect than a change to his coaching team. And if somehow, propelled by his killer instinct and a thirst to prove himself, he manages to win the tournament, the backpedalling by his critics will be extraordinary to behold.

Great doubles match with Rafa and Verdasco. Too bad they couldn't win it, but the match was exciting and well played.

It looks like more information is coming out about the Sharapova case. I think she knowingly cheated. For one, it doesn't make sense that you would live in America and your family doctor is in Russia. Who does that? Secondly, I don't believe that for ten years she took a drug that was banned by the FDA. Sometimes things just don't make sense and this is one of those times.

Then, she came out saying that she was "taking responsibility" but then she goes on FB saying that it was so hard to read the information because it was hidden in various links, blah, blah, blah.

Maria admits to ten years, but I think it was her entire career and even the manufacturer said that the drug was only supposed to be used for a 4-6 week period. I remember when her father brought her a smoking potion in a brown bottle on court and the announcers were saying that the drink was supposed to be approved.

Too many people in the USA suffer from diabetes and heart problems and no one is being treated with Meldonium. Anyway, those are my thoughts. I'm not buying this story at all. I'm just surprised that for whatever reason they gave her up. If she isn't given the four year ban it will be a travesty. Many players have served hard time for taking cough syrup. This is serious business, it gave her an unfair advantage and she should be punished just as if she was a lower ranked player.

Jennifer Capriati is ticked. Rafa, Andy, Wozniacki, and Judy Murray have all spoken the truth. If this was anyone else, forgiveness wouldn't even be on the table. Justice needs to be served.

I don't think she "knowingly" cheated. I think she was negligent and expected other people to look after those affairs.  I do think she was "knowingly" taking the drug to aid performance, but it was legal before the year began... and I suspect all players take "legal" stuff that might be frowned upon.

I don't buy the heart and diabetes stuff, particularly when she's got business interests with "Sugapova" - the drug is performance enhancing but was legal.

Interestingly, Reuters have reported that the manufacturer says it can take months to leave the system... which puts another spin on the whole affair.

there is nothing wrong with Rafa.

he simply faded in the subtropical heat.

he is so out of shape.

absolutely nothing is going to happen unless he starts producing large blocks of work on the fitness front and then compliment that with long hard hours of work on the practice courts on clay.

Quote from: britbox on March 21, 2016, 09:15:50 am

Quote from: thetruth on March 13, 2016, 11:50:57 pm

It looks like more information is coming out about the Sharapova case. I think she knowingly cheated. For one, it doesn't make sense that you would live in America and your family doctor is in Russia. Who does that? Secondly, I don't believe that for ten years she took a drug that was banned by the FDA. Sometimes things just don't make sense and this is one of those times.

Then, she came out saying that she was "taking responsibility" but then she goes on FB saying that it was so hard to read the information because it was hidden in various links, blah, blah, blah.

Maria admits to ten years, but I think it was her entire career and even the manufacturer said that the drug was only supposed to be used for a 4-6 week period. I remember when her father brought her a smoking potion in a brown bottle on court and the announcers were saying that the drink was supposed to be approved.

Too many people in the USA suffer from diabetes and heart problems and no one is being treated with Meldonium. Anyway, those are my thoughts. I'm not buying this story at all. I'm just surprised that for whatever reason they gave her up. If she isn't given the four year ban it will be a travesty. Many players have served hard time for taking cough syrup. This is serious business, it gave her an unfair advantage and she should be punished just as if she was a lower ranked player.

Jennifer Capriati is ticked. Rafa, Andy, Wozniacki, and Judy Murray have all spoken the truth. If this was anyone else, forgiveness wouldn't even be on the table. Justice needs to be served.

I don't think she "knowingly" cheated. I think she was negligent and expected other people to look after those affairs.  I do think she was "knowingly" taking the drug to aid performance, but it was legal before the year began... and I suspect all players take "legal" stuff that might be frowned upon.

I don't buy the heart and diabetes stuff, particularly when she's got business interests with "Sugapova" - the drug is performance enhancing but was legal.

Interestingly, Reuters have reported that the manufacturer says it can take months to leave the system... which puts another spin on the whole affair.

I think she definitely "knowingly" cheated. She lives in the USA and the drug is not available here. It's been banned by the FDA, so why would you take it? That's taking a big chance. That's enough to make you wary of any drug, I would think. It wasn't illegal in Russia and Latvia, but she doesn't live there so why would anyone have their family doctor in another country?

She was notified five times that the drug was going to be banned by WADA. Five times is a lot. There's no way that's an oversight especially when you have a team. For all of the people on the men's and women's tour, the overwhelming majority weren't taking it? Most of those players are wary of cough medicine and refuse to take medicines for headaches, etc. There is no excuse for her. Now she's saying that it was within links and difficult to find. This has to be the weakest lie I've ever seen in tennis. Why are people making excuses for her? She only told because WADA was going to broadcast it.

I remember years ago Yuri brought her a brown potion on court that wasn't approved by the tour. Smoke was coming out of the bottle. I thought then that she was a cheater and that never left me.

I think she thought she was going to get away with it, like Andre did. Why they didn't "protect" her is baffling to me, but IMO, she must've ticked someone off and they pulled the protection. I also didn't like the way she acted like she was taking responsibility, but then on her fan pages she's acting like the organization was wrong in hiding the information from her. That's bull crap.

She deserves the same treatment as any other pro who has been caught and served their bans. Period. The favoritism needs to go and shouldn't be a part of the game.

The drug was never legal in her country of residence and considering that she makes her money primarily in the States, she should've been more diligent. I would think that a top player has people in charge of that and there is no way that everybody missed the memo...five times. I can't buy any parts of her story. I think she did it to gain a competitive edge and she did so knowing the potential risks.

Have they found out if she listed it yet? That will be interesting to know.

I really don't think she "knowingly cheated" but I definitely think she used the drug "knowingly for performance enhancement" and there is a difference.  The drug wasn't banned before Dec 31 so it wasn't cheating until Jan 1... and I'm not sure she was aware it was banned... her fault however, and her team was negligent. She deserves a 4 year ban IMO... negligence isn't an excuse.

Rafa arriving in Monte Carlo tomorrow.

great to see roger back in action. he needs clay to get better.


I have high hopes for roger at Wimbledon this year. that is the only place where somebody like roger can knock off djokovic.

roger has been knocking at the door.


thanks for posting the video general britbox.