Nadal on knees: "I’m being as cautious as possible"

[Cro Morgan]

Off the news wire...

BARCELONA, Spain (AP)—Rafael Nadal’s French Open preparations are being guided by his delicate knees.

Nadal is skipping this week’s Barcelona Open, where he is a five-time champion, after injuries to both knees last year hampered his goal of a fifth straight title at Roland Garros and forced him out of Wimbledon.

The Spaniard was sidelined for two months in 2009 after an early French Open exit to Robin Soderling. Tendinitis in his knees left him unable to defend his Wimbledon title and an abdominal injury also marred what had been an impressive start to the season.

“I’m in perfect shape,” Nadal said Tuesday. “I feel very good but I don’t want a repeat of what happened last year. For my tennis to be at the right level, I have to be physically well and that’s my principal objective.”

Nadal, who missed a month after the Australian Open because of a knee problem, said he will try to win his fifth Rome Masters title next week. The French Open runs May 23-June 6.

The third-ranked Nadal is 21-4 this season with one title. Last year, he was 32-1 at this point and had won three events, including the Australian Open.

“I’m being as cautious as possible so that I can play the maximum amount possible,” Nadal said. “It wasn’t planned. Tennis isn’t like football, you never know how many games you’re going to have to play.”

Nadal won the Monte Carlo Masters last week for the sixth straight year. He said only an early exit at that event would have allowed him to play at Barcelona.

“It’s tough not to play here. It’s my club, it’s Barcelona. I’m at home and I’ve already won five times here,” Nadal said. “But after last year’s disagreeable experience, I think to play three weeks in a row is not the smartest thing for me.”

Nadal, who has never hidden his displeasure with the ATP’s crowded calendar, said Barcelona will be on his schedule next season as there is a week off before Rome.

Nadal could drop next month’s Madrid Masters, a high-altitude event that leads into the French Open. Last year, Nadal beat Novak Djokovic in an exhausting semifinal match before losing to Roger Federer in the final.

[Mike Rotchtickles]

Nadal, who has never hidden his displeasure with the ATP’s crowded calendar,......

You know it's funny in a way. I mean Nadal plays a non-mandatory event(Monte Carlo), but then complains about the crowded schedule.
I realize that he was going for six in-a-row at MC and defending some ranking points, but if his main focus and priority is to try and stay as injury free and fatigue free as possible and making sure that he's fit and fresh especially during the Slams, then maybe he shouldn't be playing tournaments that are not mandatory.

If this guy could just schedule better there's no reason he wouldn't be number 1 right now. But it's like he's entirely incapable of doing that. He's one of the best tennis players of his generation, but is worse than an amateur at planning ahead.

[NEUTRONOStar]

Right on the money there Bloufo you should be an action coach.

[NickZ3535]

Nadal, who has never hidden his displeasure with the ATP’s crowded calendar,......

You know it's funny in a way. I mean Nadal plays a non-mandatory event(Monte Carlo), but then complains about the crowded schedule.
I realize that he was going for six in-a-row at MC and defending some ranking points, but if his main focus and priority is to try and stay as injury free and fatigue free as possible and making sure that he's fit and fresh especially during the Slams, then maybe he shouldn't be playing tournaments that are not mandatory.

If this guy could just schedule better there's no reason he wouldn't be number 1 right now. But it's like he's entirely incapable of doing that. He's one of the best tennis players of his generation, but is worse than an amateur at planning ahead.

I'll have to respectfully disagree with a lot of this, Bloufo.

If he is going to take a week off during the clay season, why would he skip the 500 point Barcelona and not the 1000 MC?

His main focus IS to remain healthy and fatigue free, which is why he is playing the 1000 tournaments and cutting other tournaments that aren't as important (500s and 250s). In this way I think his scheduling is really intelligent. He wants to be alive for the 1000s, he wants to be alive for the slams, so why not take a few weeks off? Even though it wasn't mandatory, like you said, he was defending a THOUSAND point from Monte Carlo. Giving up that many points without a fight is ranking suicide! He's gotten to the point in his career where he realizes that he can't be playing every week, so playing (most of) the 1000s and all of the slams is the smart thing to do in terms of career longevity, prize money, prestige, and rankings.

He has only 18 tournaments right now counting towards his ranking. IMO, this is really good scheduling. 18 tournaments in an entire year is a pretty small # for a tennis player, most of the guys are up in the mid 20s. So it's not like he's overdoing it. Granted, his missed Wimbledon with an injury, but that doesn't add a huge number.

And keep in mind that he knee problems did not become as bad as they are until mid-season last year. Since then, he has toned down the schedule (especially on the hard courts, where the damage is most inflicted). I don't blame him for playing a crowded schedule on clay, it's his best surface and traditionally where he sets himself about from the others in the rankings. It's just a shame that the ATP is now crowding all of the important clay tournaments into a month and a half in the summer, and then heading to wimbledon only 2-3 weeks later. It's tough enough to change from the slowest to fastest surface, but doing it that quickly and with the amount of fatigue from the clay court season (especially if you are in every single final) can really do you some harm. So I salute him for only playing the 1000s, it's the right move IMO.

[NickZ3535]

(but if he skipped 1000 Madrid, then I'd have a problem, despite the altitude)

[Mike Rotchtickles]

You didn't just disagree with some of what I said, you picked holes in pretty much the whole thing.

You make some very good points, no doubt about that.
But just for argument's sake, answer me this:

Nadal had entered Barcelona(it was in his original schedule) knowing full well that he was probably going to have a hard week in Monte Carlo the week before. And he still withdraws and blames the schedule, despite having a much easier week than even he could have realistically expected.
Do you get what I'm saying here? He entered them both, and there is no way he could conceivably have had an easier time at MC. So it's either he's feeling worse injury wise (which is fine, just say so), or extreme lack of forethought. Either way, he shouldn't be blaming the tour.

[djarvik]

I highly doubt that this has anything to do with a "poor scheduling". Nadal is not a player - it is an organization, an entourage of people.

At the same time, blaming ATP schedule

I think that he probably entered both just in case he looses early in MC....then he can go to his "home tourney" Barcy. Since he won MC.....the plan all along was to skip Barcy and concentrate on bigger tourneys. Very simple and good planing actually.

[fedfan]

As Barcelone is his home club he was probably just helping them sell tickets, given he would be the big draw there.

I doubt he ever expected to play there.

And as for a crowded clay season, give me a break!

[NEUTRONOStar]

Nadal needs to slow down as his body is starting to take the wear and tear of his such physical tennis style.

He is 24 now and his body needs more time to re-heal itself after such long battles.

The people who are around him are only there for one main reason and that is to see that he keeps maintaining profit for there nice little parasite pockets. unfortunately thats the way the world is use and abuse.

The entourage that gives him advice are mainly thinking of themselves even uncle Tony wants a nice retirement.

Nadal is no doubt a matador but he needs to be much more selective in his approach otherwise he will end up like hewitt burning out Boufo is correct in his assumption.

[djarvik]

Sorry, but you don't make sense. If his entorage are "investors" then why would they want to burn him out asap? ... Wouldn't they want a longer term investment? Not to mention that big part of his entorage are family, including imidiate family.

The nature of the sport IS to push yourself to the limits. That is exactly what Nadal needs to do and is doing to stay on top. That "limit" will only reveal itself if and when he "breaks".

[NEUTRONOStar]

Djarvik

Us so called civilised humans have many unworthy traits.

just to name a few.

Jealousy, Greed, Apathy, Depression, Euphoria the list goes on. Also i would like to ask do you own a business and have you associated with big business people.

The reason i ask is because many business people but not all are ruthless egotistic and greedy by nature. Now have you met Nadals Family as if they are human i am sure there will be problems but if they are perfect like in your world they never do anything wrong. Someone like Nadal and his influence with money would cause problems that we would not hear about.

[djarvik]

Djarvik

Us so called civilised humans have many unworthy traits.

just to name a few.

Jealousy, Greed, Apathy, Depression, Euphoria the list goes on. Also i would like to ask do you own a business and have you associated with big business people.

The reason i ask is because many business people but not all are ruthless egotistic and greedy by nature. Now have you met Nadals Family as if they are human i am sure there will be problems but if they are perfect like in your world they never do anything wrong. Someone like Nadal and his influence with money would cause problems that we would not hear about.

Ahhhh I know you kind man. No disrespect, but it looks to me you like to dress up things as bad as you can, so to avoid disappointment.

Boring way to live man.....got to be more "positive thinking". But it is not my place to tell you haw to live.

I am not only associated with but also own a few medium size businesses and interact with big business people on a daily basis. Some of them as you describe.....but a big chunk are far from it. It looks to me like you are going more on a stereotype rather then experience. I can tell you from experience that not all of them like that, a nice percentage...but there are plenty of honest people, granted, still driven by greed, still "competing" but in a clean way.

But this thread is not about that right?

Nadal's family are not poor and altho there is never enough money once you start making it, I do believe from what I read online, see on TV - that his parents (father) and his uncle are there to break records and gather wins.....just as much as make money. Then there is a factor of father not wanting harm on his child, then the whole Spanish mentality (with I love BTW). So chances are, they enjoy the money....but the real thing is to play tennis.....get the 12th Roland Garros, get that 3rd US Open, maybe chaise down Federer....that's the handle, that's the drive. That's the long term investment.

The way you put things, Nadals family are absolutely horrendous. I have yet to read anything like that anywhere....in fact, I read the opposite.

So its not "my world in pink glasses" it is "your world with hells fire around".

[NEUTRONOStar]

Ahh

Djarvik

I know your type the type that needs a chill pill relax man your to serious about everything

Havent seen you online yet when are you coming to pick me to shreds now that i have got your attention.

[Moralspain]

Nadal's family is a good family, it´s all i can say, a well known family in Manacor, and yeah they´ve always had money.

[djarvik]

You right, this is my key....I am always "on" . Relaxing is what I do in bathrooms.

You right thou, sorry, didn't mean to offend you.

I have a match soon....then I can play for an hour or so. I will look for you.