Why Did Rafael Nadal Withdraw From Wimbledon 2009?
Rafael Nadal has announced just a three days before the Wimbledon 2009 that has will not play. While withdrawing from a tournament because of an injury is the right thing to do for a professional tennis player who plans to play many more years, Nadal said a few things that don’t sound very professionally.
He just lost an exhibition match to Stanislas Wawrinka and said:” Today was the last test. I didn’t feel terrible but not close to my best. I’m just not 100 percent. I’m better than I was a couple of weeks ago, but I just don’t feel ready.”
Rafael Nadal withdraws from Wimbledon 2009 - Photo by AP
Nadal also lost an exhibition match a day before against Lleyton Hewitt. If it were only the knees holding him back, that would make nothing controversial but this statement in my opinion may be controversial: “When I start a tournament like Wimbledon, it is to try to win,” the No. 1-ranked Nadal said, “and my feeling right now is I’m not ready to play to win.”
This is something a top player should not say.
If Nadal feels that he cannot play well Wimbledon for ANY other reason than his knees and just wants to avoid the disappointment of a loss, then he succumbed to the fear of losing.
Imagine how many players would compete in Wimbledon if only the players who FELT that they could win would enter the tournament… I’d say we’d have 5 or 6 players entering the field…
But that’s not how a professional tennis player should approach the game. Fine, if you don’t feel in good form, then you may drop Casablanca or another minor ATP tournament, but to drop Wimbledon because you feel you cannot win is not a very brave decision.
Again, if Nadal is afraid for his health and feels pain in his knees, that’s fine. But his statement above also adds another tone to this withdrawal and I really wonder whether Nadal would withdraw had he won both exhibition matches.
Do you think Nadal withdrew ONLY because of his injury problems or did he lose confidence which started with the loss at the Roland Garros 2009 and continued with two exhibition matches he lost recently – and didn’t want to compete to avoid further disappointment?
- Related posts:
June 20th, 2009 at 12:37 pm
I think that Rafa has nothing to prove on the tennis court or to the world as to his ability to play the game. I personally think that confidence is a fragile thing in tennis for sure and he lost two consecutive clay matches that were important as everyone hypes him to be the King of Clay. I think that he is a much more gifted human being than just an athlete. He has a humility about him that is rarely seen in a post game interview. Who knows this may lead him eventually on a greater quest in his life, the quest for inner truth and enlightenment rather than just an external greatness which is fleeting and temporary at best, such as a Wimbledon winner or a World’s Number 1 player. There is much more to this life than the tennis court and I think he is beginning to realize this, his knees, disappointment and insight, nothing to do with lack of courage to play a game that he excels at and has already proven himself in……………….fans and critics are ever present few of us would deal with the physical stresses and demands of a Nadal tennis lifestyle. The key here is to find that hero within ourselves and not to raise the outer heros or take them down at a moments notice, because they don’t say or act as we think they should, comfortable as we are in the anonymity of the crowd.
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June 20th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
He also said tho that now when he plays he’s thinking about his knees as well.
Perhaps when he says that he’s not ready to play to win, its that he is not able to be there 100% mentally, and go the distance, chase down all the balls and do whatever it takes to win because he doesn’t feel that his mind and body are all there.
If he played now, his main complete focus wouldn’t be on winning, it would be split between winning and playing so as to not stress his knees anymore which means that he won’t be bringing his A game.
If you get beat playing to win, knowing that you had all your tools and you went all out, well sure, nothing you could have done. You learn from your mistakes and improve.
But when you get beaten and you know your mind wasn’t there and you weren’t putting forth the effort that you knew you normally would because of injury or sickness..well…they aren’t really many positives to take from it…
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June 20th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
I agree. His statements represent the fact that he is still not physically 100%. His knees will not allow him to play to win. Maybe he could have used better words in english? What he doesn’t want to risk is just going through the motions by being there and not allowing his knees to heal or perhaps making them worse. Only Rafael knows how healthy they feel at this point. I would hope that he is keeping his health as priority number 1. Perhaps he is considering his long term career. I just can’t see Nadal as someone who would not compete just because he thought there was a chance he would not make it to the final and win. Does he not thrive on fighting? Maybe I’m wrong. I guess I wasn’t alone when I predicted ome time back that his knee problems would be getting worse in the next couple of years.
I guess he will be cutting down on his racing to the baseline from the net routine from now on.
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June 20th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
When Rafa says he does not believe he can win, it does not mean he is afraid of losing a match. Yes, maybe he is afraid of losing his career, or some part of it, if he played with an injury. I fully trust his decision as coming from his wisdom, and his comments as simply trying to give more information and explanation to the press. He could say, I’m injured, it’s too big a risk, it’s foolish to take a chance, even to play at 50% just to satisfy some fans or press, and leave it at that. But, he makes a few more comments to share the feelings he went through in his recent matches, all feelings that would be amplified on center court. The comment made above by Richard Mills is wonderful. It shows Richard’s heart and some of inspiration that Rafa gives us even when he goes through some discouraging moments.
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June 20th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
I don’t think the reasons have to be either\or. It might not be that he is afraid of losing Wimbledon, but that he is afraid of damaging his knees. If he could win, then it might be worth damaging his body. In fact, the joy of winning might cover up the pain. However, when he loses, that means that it’s not worth destroying his body. So the losses are a wake up call to rethink his single minded dedication to muscling through injury.
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June 20th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
I feel he has mixed feelings between being afraid of another disappointment and being worried about the knees (Which, at this stage, might spell out the longevity of his career) but since he made his decision this late, I believe he is more on the latter.
It is still true what you said Tomaz, he could have said differently but his English is still not good enough and he still quite young. After all, he is just 23
)
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June 20th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
I think for Rafa the journey is more important than the destination. If he withdraws he loses the title and the computer points and possibly his #1 ranking but if he plays in a reduced capacity ( physical, emotional or combination ) he can’t play his blood and guts style and that is what i believe is what he enjoys about the game. Surely the trophys, money, ranking and all are gratifying but he is a warrior on the court who dominates with speed ,strength , focus and will. The battle is what he lives for. If any of these traits are compromised , the others can’t help but fade also making it so that players that he would normally crush can win. If he has to give up his Wimbledon crown and his #1 ranking to recuperate his knees and mojo to fight another day, I think it is a smart trade .
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June 20th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
I’d rather say he’s not that type of person to lose confidence in himself by losing a few matches. I think he is now in a mental state that whenever he enters a tournament he’s only goal is to win it. Certainly not for all pros, but for him (as well as Federer) I think it’s quite plausible.
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June 20th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Nadal doesn’t speak English very well; it seems to me, you are reading too much into what he says. When he said “not ready to play to win.” he really meant to say “my body is not ready to play to win.” And he says “play to win” because that’s how a champion is expected to speak. Fear of losing has nothing to do with this. Even if he had it, he could hide it, play, lose and blame it on his knees. It just doesn’t make any sense that he could withdraw for any reason other than a serious physical problem.
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June 20th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
Nadal has said nothing controversial nor unprofessional – he is always very honest and down to earth. Why are people trying to read something into his press statements? He knows what it is like to compete … to train hard … and to give 100% in matches. Look at his performance in the Wimbledon 2008 final .. do we want to see him struggling with a knee injury, with possible time out for a physio to come on court .. and more resultant injury? Common sense in any other part of daily life would tell us that a doctor’s advice is to be heeded, which may mean missing work, a holiday or taking part in sports. Bear in mind that English is not Rafa’s first language – he has plainly stated that he does not feel 100% well enough to compete and to win Wimbledon, which of course would be his goal as it should be. He is entirely professional and currently ranked no.1 in the world – on the other hand Federer actually deserves more criticism when it comes to professional behaviour ie. criticising women players, being insincere and has been shown to be quite arrogant and introverted. I admire Federer’s tennis over any other player, however, I think Nadal is the more likeable personality. I respect both players – have always been a Federer fan but will defend Nadal’s decision here, disappointing though it is for Wimbledon 2009. The tournament won’t have the same value without him.
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June 20th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
we lost the French open with his bad knees, we all know this. Now he have to decide to enter this Wimbeldon battle with his injured knees or not. He had already felt that the loser’s feeling only two weeks before! Once more ! No…! I understabd Nafa.
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June 20th, 2009 at 9:48 pm
I think that its basically a statement lost in translation.. It’s so stupid to even suggest that someone as good as Nadal, someone who has had some fantastic achievements, would actually say, I don’t want to lose so I won’t play. You can see when he goes out to play his matches, he’s always there, win or lose, to play his very best. You hardly see him stopping short and not chasing a ball down, or not taking points seriously.
I think what he means is that he can’t play his best tennis right now, and there’s really no point throwing a half-able person to try and accomplish what a fully-able person would struggle to do – its just not worth sacrificing his 60% when he could recuperate to 100% and tackle all the other upcoming tournaments.
And you know what? It’s really lame to see that when someone achieves all these great things, everybody goes, wow, just look at how talented, humble, hard-working that person is. This is the kind of sportsman we should strive to be. And then when something bad happens to this person, or they can’t manage to keep doing those amazing things, then poof, everything changes, and we start trying to psychoanalyze their every word, behavior, movement, and write them off as losers.
If Nadal has succumbed to a fear of losing, as you say, then I find it rather hard to believe he could have accomplished all that he has. There is a reason why these people make their living out there, and we play club tennis.
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June 21st, 2009 at 12:58 am
This article is truly an affront to a young man who is not only the epitome of sportsmanship, grace and class, but who has shown more sheer courage and guts than any tennis player in recent memory. Does the writer of this article think that Rafa was afraid to play the final at the Australian Open after the brutal five set semifinal match with Verdasco? Many wrote him off, thought he could not possibly win with only one day’s rest after that battle in the semifinals. But Rafa showed up and managed to thrill us once more by pulling off a magnificent win on Federer’s best surface, one on which many said Rafa would never win.
Now this man’s courage is questioned because he finally realized that he could no longer keep pushing his knees beyond their limit and made the only sane and rational decision he could make – to withdraw from Wimbledon. Why parse his poor English to look for hidden meanings that are not there? Why not give this great champion the benefit of the doubt, for heaven’s sake!
If you want courage, take a look at Rafa’s record. Look at that five set marathon at the 2008 Wimbledon final. Rafa could have easily folded after Federer came back from two sets down to even the match. He fought and fought until he finally managed to win. In the Australian Open, Rafa wasn’t okay. Of course he wasn’t 100% after that pounding from Verdasco. Did he come in and tank the match? Did he give in to the fatigue? The only indication we had that Rafa was not perfectly fine was when he asked ONE time for a trainer to massage his right thigh. He didn’t even take a timeout. Then he went out to win, another great triumph.
They say that vultures can always smell blood. This article is nothing more than a vulture smelling the blood of an injured Rafa. So now his courage is questioned and I have to read that Rafa is afraid! Unbelievable! Everyone knows that if there was any way that Rafa could possibly play at Wimbledon, then he would be out there. But this article suggests that he should risk doing permanent and even more serious damage to his fragile knees by going ahead when he knows that he cannot play his game. Do NOT read things into what he said! Stop being a vulture and trashing this young man in one of the most difficult moments of his career. He deserves much better than what was written in this article.
Rafa flew to London to give it his best shot. He didn’t have to do it. Don’t use his inability to express himself well in English to take potshots at him. Let him be. Let this talented young man give his knees some badly needed rest and treatment. If you watched him play those few exhibition matches, you would have realized that he can’t bend his knees enough to go for the ball, which is key to his game. He can’t do it. Simple as that. So forget about the psychoanalysis and give a great champion credit for doing the best thing for his health and his future in tennis.
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Tomaz Reply:
June 21st, 2009 at 1:40 am
@Mindy: You say: “This article is nothing more than a vulture smelling the blood of an injured Rafa.” No, it’s not.
The article is just my opinion and I’ve stated both possible sides of Nadal’s statement – that he may be avoiding further injury but also that he may not feel very confident in his form lately and doesn’t want to compete. I’ve shared this with you and many other people to see what your thoughts are; how do YOU INTERPRET Nadal’s words.
The comments section is intended to share your INTERPRETATION of Nadal’s thoughts and I’ve written my article because many people may have not seen the interview and they have not considered the other option of why he withdrew.
I believe it could be you that smells blood here and have come thrashing my article while at the same time hypocritically telling me that I should not thrash Nadal. I can do whatever I want on my blog and I am giving you some new angles to look at Nadal’s statement.
You can politely disagree and say that I may have misunderstood his statement like all the above people have done. But if your comments are not polite and aim to attack me personally, then you have missed the point of discussions on the web and your comments will not be published.
I don’t care at all what you think about me. I only care about comments that discuss the topic of the post and add something valuable to other readers who may come across it later.
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June 21st, 2009 at 6:56 am
I personally believe Rafa needs a full rest to recharge his body and spirit. I believe he will come back and will win more grand slams. Fans and tennis players like me will miss him and his fantastic moves.
See you at the US Open, Rafa. Take care!
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June 21st, 2009 at 6:59 am
Another Rafa article and the response is numerous
Why did Nadal withdraw from Wimbledon? Nobody knows we can only speculate…
Did he withdraw “partly” because of a lack of confidence, I believe so.
I do know where he is coming from as far as knee problems and those statements though.
I had knee problems this past year because of over training for running. I had chronic pain that would not go away whenever I ran. I decided to pull out of running for the whole year for two reasons
I. I did not want to make the injury worse and have more problems that would not only impact running but other activites as well.
-Nadal should be very cautious about his knees, any injury would end his career early. Nadal I believe is sacrificing the short term for the long road ahead
II. I felt that I could not give 100% during practice/competition. This is because of having to be weary about the injury impacting preformance.
-Someone like Nadal prides himself at giving 100% (check out his practice tapes). When he can not do that then he will not enjoy tennis and feel good about his matches.
I always enjoy your articles on Nadal, because of both the different perspectvie and the fun responses
-Nick
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Tomaz Reply:
June 21st, 2009 at 8:38 am
Another perspective on Nadal’s decision:
- he has had problems with his knees for the last few years (and still kept playing) as far as I remember and he definitely felt them in Roland Garros yet he chose to play. Why? Maybe because he won so many clay court tournaments before that and felt he had a good chance?
- had he won both exhibition matches recently (Hewitt, Wawrinka) and felt the pain in his knees, would he still withdraw?
These are just questions you may have not considered… The answers can be very simple if you choose to make them so.
If you wish to tell me that I am not fair to him, then you are missing the point. Why do I have to be fair to anyone? These are just words on the web…
I am asking questions and you have no right to judge me for that and expect that we should all bow to Nadal or anyone else.
That’s why your leaders can make fools of you and you keep repeating the same mistakes because you are not skeptical enough. As soon as there is a leader, the followers bow and question nothing.
Well, I am not a follower of anyone and I question everything. I throw the question out there and you have the opportunity to share your views.
I am not disputing anyone’s claims if you may have noticed. Feel free to believe whatever you wish to believe and I publish your thoughts even if you disagree – but then you need to let me have my freedom of questioning…
If you don’t let me my freedom (by telling me what I should and what I shouldn’t), I don’t let your freedom to express here too…
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June 21st, 2009 at 9:39 am
I have read many articles until now about rafa’s withdrawal speech and related things. None of those articles have blamed him for his statements. In his previous interviews rafa have said as his pain in the knee was not allowing him to concentrate fully on the match. “I’m not ready to play to win” this is the statement which created such controverse. Winning also refers to winning each rounds. There are many rounds in a slam. In fact taking a point is also a kind of winning a point. Winning not only means taking the crown. Every player who step into a slam wants to win. Nobody thinks that they cant win it. And what is wrong in rafa saying that he is not ready to win. Nothing wrong in saying your own opinion but it should be in a convincing way. A thing which worries me a lot is he will loose his ranking and points, he is not in good shape (health wise) and above all these he has to undergo all such criticism. But i damn sure that comments like these will NEVER disturb him by any single chance.
Thanks to everyone who have positive thoughts on rafa. Come back strong rafa, we all are waiting for you.
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Tomaz Reply:
June 21st, 2009 at 9:53 am
@tmi: You say: “Every player who step into a slam wants to win.”
ALL players who enter Wimbledon are realistic enough and have experienced enough tennis to know their real chances. Maybe Federer, Nadal, Murray, Djokovic and Roddick really believe that they can win (and maybe one or two optimistic guys out there), all the rest are just looking to get as far as possible in the tournament.
They are happy with extra points and with extra money of course and good results help their confidence, that’s all. And you’re exactly right that these comments will not affect at all how he plays. Then why are you and some other people getting so upset?
Just a few words on one of the billion pages on the web – and you can even add a few of your thoughts here, isn’t that great?
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June 21st, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Its obvious that Rafa’s style of play puts enormous stress on his body. McEnroe and others have wondered if this might shorten his career and we’ve heard Mac criticize the ATP tournament schedule and rules for being too demanding on the players bodies giving them little time to heal injuries. One could just as well interpret Rafa’s decision not to play as having the courage to stand up to the demands of being a tennis star player and take the needed time off to recuperate. Let the skeptics analyze all they want.
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June 22nd, 2009 at 12:10 am
I know it’s probably not politically correct to question Rafa’s statement or even read into it too much. However, I know his English is good enough to express his state of mind (and I do speak Spanish as well). Recall what Federer said when he won the French about playing even though he doesn’t feel 100%. I agree with Tomaz on this issue. Rafa is a great champion, and right now I believe his knees AND his recent losses have given him pause and made him have a slight confidence issue about his game. I am not saying it is major at all. I am just saying that he is probably feeling vulnerable now that he has begun to lose in venues where he usually wins (clay: Paris and Madrid) and against people he usually beats (Federer, Solderling, Hewitt, Wawrinka et al.)
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June 22nd, 2009 at 12:30 am
Since he is no 1, of course he should go for win. If he does not have the feeling why he should take the risk that could cause his entire career. There are players who go just to play, but Rafa goal is higher. It is also unfair by saying that he winthdrew because afraid of losing. He has already proved that he is not afraid of anybody. Remember wimbledon last year? He had no fear at all, even when he played against the best grass court at that moment….
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Tomaz Reply:
June 22nd, 2009 at 1:27 am
@tetty: The situation has changed since Rafa has become #1 and won Wimbledon. Before he had nothing to lose, he was the one chasing Federer – that’s why he was playing such an aggressive tennis – he wasn’t afraid to lose.
Now he feels the pressure much more; he is the one being chased by everyone else, he has lost in Roland Garros where he seemed unbeatable and he had lost an exhibition matches on grass recently to players like Hewitt whom he beat very easily in Paris. He is the one seeded #1 in Wimbledon (was) and he is the defending champion.
You have no idea how big the egos are of these top players. IF they weren’t, none of them would be in top 10. But these egos are also very very vulnerable and don’t want to show their weaknesses. And as JP pointed out, this is not a black or white decision, but a combination of Rafa feeling the knees (like he has felt them for the last year) and feeling vulnerable because of his poor form and poor confidence.
Well, that’s just my opinion and feel free to state yours…
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June 22nd, 2009 at 4:15 am
Tomas asks, based on remarks made by Nadal at one interview, whether we think Nadal has withdrawn from Wimbledon purely because of his knee problems, or partly because of his knee problems and partly because he has lost confidence after recent losses and doesn’t want to compete to avoid further disappointment.
In other words, we are asked to consider whether Nadal’s knees are not really that bad and he is using them as an excuse because he is in poor form at the moment and is afraid of losing.
From what I’ve seen of Nadal, I think it would be totally out of character for him to do that. He knows he is disappointing millions of people by withdrawing, and he himself must be more disappointed than anyone at not being able to play.
Perhaps some further remarks (taken from Nadal’s website) might clarify what he is thinking:
“I am not fit enough to play and as I said, I can’t go on the centre court of Wimbledon if I am not 100% fit to play. The evolution of my knees are better, that’s why I tried at Hurlingham, but I am not at the required level to play. As you can all imagine I am very disappointed, but I had to take this decision, one of the worst of my career.”
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Tomaz Reply:
June 22nd, 2009 at 7:00 am
Good point, John. That’s the kind of comments and like to see here; logical, not emotional and where you have some facts based on which you form your opinion.
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June 22nd, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Rafa, get well soon! You have the support of all of your fans and those who love you. Wimbledon is not the same without you. TENNIS isn’t the same without you. Take care of yourself and get well so that you can come back and be “a KHandred percent”.
We appreciate all of your efforts. Your heart, dedication, and determination is unquestionable. You are a true Champion. At 23, you carry yourself with such dignity, with such respect, that many are left in awe, admiration and filled with inspiration. Some are left confused. You are a breath of fresh air, so rare in our times, so foreign that you are often misunderstood and under appreciated. You are a gentleman, and a thoughtful, good-hearted, and caring individual. What an addition to the world of sport! What a valuable role model!
Rafa your pain was evident, and any true fan of tennis would not want you to damage yourself physically to any extent. Our sport needs you. You have nothing to prove. You are renowned for your courage, heart, and fight. One obviously difficult and heart-wrenching withdraw from a Major does not cast all of those attributes that are synonymous with your persona into the bin. The manner in which you tried so hard only ENHANCES and JUSTIFIES them.
Vamos Rafa! Go fishing, spend well deserved time with your family and friends, eat chocolate chip cookies and “reset”.
Get well soon! We’ll miss you to cup cake crumbs!
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Tomaz Reply:
June 23rd, 2009 at 1:21 am
@Mim: It’s nice to be a fan of someone but be careful:
“But unconsciously this worship and chasing after the celebrity leads to low self-esteem and even anxiety. We feel how they are better than us and start losing our identity in search of our ideal.” – from http://www.dreamscat.com/archive/celebrity-worship-syndrome-4161.htm
Do a Google search for celebrity worship or celebrity idealization and become more aware of what’s going on…
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June 23rd, 2009 at 4:01 am
Hello Tomaz,
Love your blog. Please keep posting regular updates regarding your thoughts on Wimbledon.
Regarding Rafa’s current situation, I personally feel that physically he is not 100%, and at the same time he believes that his game along with his shape is not at the requisite level for him to win Wimbledon. So essentially he had to choose from 3 options:
a) Not risk his knees and drop out of Wimbledon.
b) Risk his knees and participate in Wimbledon. Try to win a couple of rounds and see if he can move further without risking injury. The realistic scenario here is that either he’d lose before going deep into the tournament or drop out in the middle of the tournament. This I am saying based on his performances in the two matches.
c) Risk his knees completely and try to give more than 100% in all the matches and just go for the Wimbledon trophy.
I think c) is unrealistic as it would have had long term consequences. And b) might not have been appealing to him because he would not gain much apart from some brownie points. Of course, all of these are my interpretations.
While I agree with you that dropping out is not a brave decision, it’s a logical decision because he is making sure that he is not going to injure his knees.
Also, I think Rafa would have played Wimby had he won the 2 matches because then he could have followed the b) option where he could have looked to go deeper into the tournament without having to give his 100%.
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June 23rd, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Nadal’s interview was really honest. There’s always the language barrier, of course. I don’t understand why we have to make it so complicated and imply that there’s a hidden agenda behind every word he says. He basically said it makes no sense to play a tournament when he knows he’ll possibly lose his first match because he thinks more about his knees that about the point he has to win. Why is than unprofessional? If he had decided to play, some would have accused him of being greedy, not careful, not paying attention to his body, risking his career… I mean the guy played with blisters in Rome, he could barely move but never withdrew. Rotterdam was the same but because of the knee, and still he went on to win a second set after collapsing in the third. If you respect yourself and your sport, you can’t do this all the time, you don’t go out there for what would be a mediocre performance way below your level. Let’s take Federer: he wins the French Open and then withdraws from traditional Halle in spite of the momentum in order to recover from his feelings!Why isn’t that unprofessional? It’s ok to recover after WINNING a grand slam but not ok to recover after a bad loss because of a bad knee? What I’m trying to say is let’s not judge him on every word he says, or if we choose to do that, let’s do it for everybody. Including Federer, whose English is far better, by the way.
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Tomaz Reply:
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:41 pm
@Ch F: We all agree about all Nadal’s statements including the one you mentioned above. This is not whether Nadal should or shouldn’t withdraw because he is injured.
I clearly stated that that’s a normal thing every professional player should do and I support that. The key sentence which we discuss here is “When I start a tournament like Wimbledon, it is to try to win,” the No. 1-ranked Nadal said, “and my feeling right now is I’m not ready to play to win.”
This sentence can mean something different than just withdrawing because of an injury. It can also suggest not trusting in your own game and trying to avoid defeat.
The discussion here is about this sentence and this sentence only and not whether someone should withdraw because they are injured. I gave my interpretation of it and my thoughts are that it’s quite possible that Nadal felt insecure of his current form and this may have added the extra 20% to his decision to withdraw.
This article has been read over 500 times and NO ONE has answered my hypothetical questions from above, for example; would Nadal have withdrawn even if he had won both exhibition matches easily a few days ago? (and still felt pain in his knees – as he has been feeling it for the last year…)
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June 23rd, 2009 at 2:09 pm
i’ve been reading this blog occassionally as i think you write some good analysis and i’m a huge tennis fan and generally love reading anything that’s got to with tennis.
however, i don’t like the way you treat people who comment your articles. if i remember correctly there was another controversial article and i think it was also ’bout nadal. the thing is, when people start disagreeing with you, you get all jumpy and you start telling people that they’re not supporting their opinions with facts, which is just rude and untrue.
you don’t have facts either, all you wrote is just speculation of your own and just like you can write your opinion on your personal blog, and you encourage people to comment, then try to accept the variety of opinions offered and don’t get all defensive towards people just because not everyone agreed with your suggestions in the article.
i hope you understand that my words come with friendliness and sincerity as i’d like this to be a constructive discussion and not projecting words that weren’t even said.
about the topic itself; i get that you don’t like nadal, but i don’t understand why. most of your posts about him are negative (even though you tend to analyze, your initial conclusion is negative whether it’s regarding his game or his character).
personally, i don’t see anything wrong or incorrect about his statement. why shouldn’t a professional athlete say something like that? they all want to win, isn’t that logical? no one comes on the court with the desire to lose.
and nadal has proven time and time again that he can handle pressure extremely well, even after he became number 1, by winning the australian open. he also proved that he would play with pain for the sake of tennis…time and time again.
did you read full reports when making this conclusion tomas? did you know that he couldn’t even bend his knees in those matches?
as a tennis expert, you clearly know what it’s like to play on grass, and how important the bending is.
he came there, he came to london, he tried to recuperate, he tried his best, he used those exhibition matches to see where he is standing on a competitive level, when he faces opposition.
nadal is having physical trouble. it sure affected him mentally as well, who wouldn’t be affected but why attack or question his words when he said nothing wrong?
he decided to spare his body and not risk any further crucial injury. yes, he played with pain in roland garros too, but this time it’s obviously worse.
with everything he has shown over the years, i don’t think anyone has the right to question the ethical value of his words. i find it mean.
there are much better things to analyze, starting with what he did before and why he played so much instead of saving himself for the most important part of the season.
just my 2 cents, i hope you don’t get angry at me, but in all honesty i thought this article was a little low.
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Tomaz Reply:
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:52 pm
@Anthony: What you may not see is the difference between comments who disagree with my opinion (which I publish all the time) and the comments of people who tell me that I SHOULDN’T treat Nadal is some way, that I SHOULDN’T be so critical and that I SHOULD correct my article.
These people are arrogant and are here to control me and to impose their power over me. Perhaps I sense that much more because I have been in the psychology field for 15 years and can immediately detect someone’s INTENTIONS when they write or say something.
If someone INTENDS to force me into something (should, shouldn’t, you must not, …) or if someone writes to me personally (this article is an affront, you are an idiot, …) then these people need to get off this blog as fast as they can – because they do not bring anything valuable to the discussion.
I am not interested at all in what someone thinks about me and whether I should or shouldn’t do because you don’t like my opinion. If you cannot stand it, then don’t read this blog.
I am only interested in opinions and thoughts about the TOPIC of the post and I don’t mind different opinions at all. 90% of the opinions here are different than mine and they are all published. 90% of the opinions of the previous Nadal article were different than mine (because only Nadal fans got pissed…) and they were published.
So your statement that I don’t publish comments that disagree with me is totally wrong. I don’t publish comments where people tell me what I should do, what they think of me and which are not polite.
It’s as simple as that. Hope you can see the difference now…
P.S. And just to add some facts to your comments which are incorrect, for example this one:
“i get that you don’t like nadal, but i don’t understand why. most of your posts about him are negative (even though you tend to analyze, your initial conclusion is negative whether it’s regarding his game or his character).”
On the right hand side of this blog you’ll see a category Rafael Nadal which currently has 12 articles posted. These last two point out some things I didn’t like, the rest are either neutral (I just analyze the match) or POSITIVE since I praise Nadal for his tactics, fighting spirit and other qualities.
Go through all 12 posts and let me know whether MOST of my posts about Nadal are neutral, negative or positive…
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June 23rd, 2009 at 4:10 pm
hey thanks for the quick reply. but hey tomas, sorry to correct you right away but i didn’t say that you don’t publish comments that disagree with you. where did i say that? i’m sorry if you misunderstood me.
obviously you do publish, since you said it yourself, 90 percent didn’t agree.
i wouldn’t go that far to say that people want to impose their power over you, i mean it’s an interesting psychological question to see how each one reacts to disagreement (including our own), but still i don’t see any reason why anyone would want to ‘control’ you.
i also didn’t see any personal attacks on you in the comments posted.
also, i don’t understand why you say that about “should”, “shouldn’t” etc. because in one of the previous posts, you said that you question everything. i thought it was great what you said cause i question things myself. but that also includes questioning my own attitudes and behavior. i don’t dismiss people when they tell “you should…do this or that”, my opinion isn’t written in stone, it can change if i realize that i’m wrong.
i’m not saying you’re wrong but just it’s not good to be so strict and dismissive. it’s good to question yourself too from time to time as well.
but anyway, ’nuff about you, back on topic:
- about your hypothetical question; yeah i think he would’ve played wimbledon if he’d won those matches, even if feeling pain in his knees. winning those matches easily would mean that his knees aren’t that bad and that they’re not preventing him from playing at a necessary level.
BUT, the reality is he didn’t win, he could barely win a set, he lost all 4 sets, and he couldn’t bend his knees. it means the condition is bad. IMO he should’ve withdrawn long time ago but i believe it was precisely his inevitable desire for playing and competing that kept him driving thinking he could force himself to play even with pain.
plus, there’s nothing about nadal that would make us all believe that your conclusion’s right.
this guy came back after that career threatening foot injury when he admittedly said he thought he couldn’t play again, let alone at a great level, yet he came back to find his winning ways.
- he came back and won rg after being defeated by federer in hamburg prior to roland garros
- he came back to win monte carlo 08 after 8 months of not winning a tournament at all
- he came back from tendinitis in 09 to win australian open, indian wells, monte carlo, barcelona and rome.
there are far other things IMO that are wrong like his bad scheduling, doubtful decisions, playing too much, not thinking enough about his body etc.
but if there’s anything we know about nadal it’s that he’s a fighter, he comes back after victories, after defeats, after injuries, every time stronger and hungrier.
so i think the least he deserves is the trust.
he ain’t the type of guy who would get destroyed over losing roland garros for the first time that he would cancel his most important tournament.
in fact, i believe he’s the one wanting badly to play wimbledon too but it’s probably his medical team and toni strongly insisting he doesn’t.
i think this is the most realistic view..
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Tomaz Reply:
June 23rd, 2009 at 4:33 pm
@Anthony: “but still i don’t see any reason why anyone would want to ‘control” you.” People try to control other people all the time – it gives them the feeling of power. (they try to do it because they lack their own feeling of power)
Even your previous post had a slight intention to change my mind, right? That’s an attempt to control…
” i also didn’t see any personal attacks on you in the comments posted. ” Because they are not published.
There were many, believe me. So many people cannot stand if someone writes something negative about their worshipped super hero…
I give you another hypothetical question to think about and see what’s the difference in these two statements:
a) “When I start a tournament like Wimbledon, it is to try to win,” the No. 1-ranked Nadal said, “and my feeling right now is I’m not ready to play to win.”
b) “When I start a tournament like Wimbledon, it is to try to compete to my best ability,” the No. 1-ranked Nadal said, “and my feeling right now is I’m not ready to play to compete to my best ability.
Can you detect the subtle difference in these two statements?
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June 23rd, 2009 at 4:23 pm
tomas, i’ve just read the second part of your post. my sincere apologies for implying that you don’t like nadal. i just got that impression, don’t know why. i love your q&a section and i mostly focus on that, so i didn’t pay that much attention to your nadal articles.
but you did write about how you don’t like him to be number 1, so i assumed you disliked him, his game or his personality…anyway, my bad.
speaking of “should’s” and “shouldn’t's” i think the reason people didn’t agree with your idea was because you proceeded to criticize nadal for saying that. you came with that assumption and then you said professional athletes shouldn’t be saying that. maybe you should’ve just left it open, without the criticism, then your point would’ve been accepted differently, me thinks.
cheers mate: )
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June 23rd, 2009 at 4:50 pm
well you don’t publish those posts that attack you personally, that’s just insanity to react that way. i’m sorry that anyone has to put up with that.
but the comments posted, none was attacking you personally. in fact, that person who wrote an emotional message of support to nadal up there got “attacked” by you in a way. you immediately diagnosed him/her with “celebrity worship” and implied that he/she should go google to see what’s going on with him/her.
i respect your experience in psychology but personally i think you’re overreacting, so what if some people like nadal and want to defend him?! i can’t call myself a fan, but i can understand it.
my intention was in no way to change your mind. my intention was to write my own opinion based on what you wrote, ergo respond to your opinion. it’s what this comments section is for, right? for us to comment points from your article and give our own opinion.
i only reacted to the way you treated people (i didn’t know about the attacking messages you were getting) but i proceeded to give my view on the situation.
but anyway, i can detect the subtle difference in those two statements…he feels he can’t win now, he can’t win one match, let alone the tournament so why do you think that his decision was not brave?
do you think he should have risked further injury just because he *could* play but not win?
athletes are using such expression all the time. they don’t always say “i’m not ready to play at my best level”, but sometimes say “i can’t win with the condition i’m in and i want to fight to win”…
anyway, i really think it’s nit-picking cause the nadal we’ve known for years isn’t the nadal you’re suggesting he is; the nadal who is afraid of losing that he’s cancelling the tournament.
tendinitis can be a serious problem and i don’t think it’s okay to speculate about things like this without knowing his true diagnosis and we know how much he’s been battling with those problems.
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Tomaz Reply:
June 23rd, 2009 at 5:11 pm
@Anthony: “in fact, that person who wrote an emotional message of support to nadal up there got “attacked” by you in a way. “
That’s just your interpretation. I see no attack here (it was also not my intention to attack), just trying to wake up people.
Read the post and tell me whether you could discuss anything reasonable, neutral or even negative about Nadal with such a biased person?
By the way, discussing means listening to other person’s points and considering them…
“so what if some people like nadal and want to defend him?!” Nothing. All their comments are published. What was your point?
The difference in the sentences above is in ego and external motivation. Win is an ego based motivation and ego doesn’t want to get hurt. Therefore ego wants to avoid disappointment.
Competing to one’s best is an internal motivation and one cannot be emotionally hurt (maybe just feeling slightly disappointed). It is exactly nitpicking and looking for subtle nuances of one’s words that reveal true intentions.
But I see now that I have gone too deep in psychology and it’s tough to grasp it. Will stop explaining my thoughts and will welcome any other opinions on Nadal’s withdrawal…
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June 23rd, 2009 at 4:52 pm
I think a play is being made on words here – Rafa is the epitome of good sportsmanship and is greatly respected -he is honest and wants only to have the opportunity to do his best but recognises that he is unfit and to play could have long term consequences for him. He is only 23 and quite obviously upset at being unable to defend his title.
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July 1st, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Hi Tomaz,
I too had some of the same thoughts when I first read Nadal’s comments saying he was going to withdraw from Wimbledon. Despite the language barrier that some other commentators have called out in defense of Nadal, I do still tend to think there is something more to his withdrawal than just the knees. In fact, if you just take his words at face value, he is actually saying as much – I didn’t feel ready to win Wimbledon and if I am not, then I will not play at all. He could have used much less controversial words – just say, my knees are not recovered and I need more time, so I can’t play. Why go into all this about only being able to play if he is ready to win? Maybe it was more an issue of him being too honest?
Another thing, not trying to draw anyone into a Federer vs Nadal argument (both of them are great in their own right), but consider that Fed had mono when he went into the 2008 Aus Open – he knew he was not 100% (he just didn’t really know why at the time), but he didn’t withdraw, he had the courage to go in knowing that 127 other guys would be gunning to take him down and take his crown (and Djoko did do that). But even not being at 100%, he still did the best he could. When he had back problems earlier this year, he didn’t pull out of several major masters tournaments either, even though he must have known he was not at 100%.
Just food for thought.
not hatin’, just sayin’ !
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July 2nd, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Thanks to Tomaz for posting all the follow up comments trying to explain the purpose of the article. Missed the point originally
Just started watching tennis two years ago, so I was not aware of all of Nadal’s past injuries that threatened his career and him playing through them.
In retrospect Nadal would have withdrawn from Wimbledon if he felt “any” sign of significant weakness during those two exhibition matches.
Nadal wants to keep an image of invincibility and by withdrawing he may have hoped to preserve that. His loss in the French was a big dent in his ego and makes him seem “vulnerable” now. The ATP players are vicious against any sign of weakness, since each player below Nadal is fighting to take is #1 spot.
Furthermore whenever a top player is playing a lower ranked player the first mental aspect talked about is “does the non-favorite “believe” that they can win”. Whenever a top player is beaten it is usually because the lower player did believe they could win.
This difference can be shown between Soderling and Haas during interviews regarding Federer:
(I)Soderling post match said comments such as “He is the Greatest of all time” and “he doesn’t have any weaknesses”. Soderling seems to respect Federer too much and may have been what kept him from winning during those key points in Wimbledon.
(II)Haas said during an interview after beating Cilic that “I feel like nothing can really stop me if I have the chance to play again without any pain…If I’m playing well I can have good success and play really well against top players”. Considering those comments that’s one of the reasons why he beat Djokovic and is the reason why I really want to see his semifinal match against Federer on Friday.
Nadal may have believed that by withdrawing he is preserving his image from further weakness (fear of another “unthinkable” early round upset). If that happened then many more players would have the belief that they could beat Nadal.
This situation parallels what happened to Federer during early 2008 while having mono (thanks to David for reminding me). The American announcers kept on saying “he seems human” or “I’ve never seen this Federer before”. This is because Federer was able to keep this aura of perfection from the media and by his amazing results. Although nobody is perfect Federer convinced everyone that he was.
After his loss of the number one ranking one analyst said that “Federer will never be as dominant as he used to be”. What changed was everyone’s perception of Roger. That’s one of the reasons Federer has had trouble outside of majors.
Although Nadal was able to dodge the pressure of having to play Wimbledon as the defending champion, he will be under more accumulative pressure to do well in the hardcourt season.
-Nick
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