Can Nadal handle being #1?

Question

I know that Nadal still is not #1 but the day after he was garenteed to become #1 he got destroyed by Djokivic.

Answer 1

i dont know. it is the hardcourt season and nadal isnt very good on hard. i think he can handle the pressure but i'm not sure if he can do well for the next few months.

Answer 2

and djokovic got destroyed by murray. the game of tennis is absolutely unpredictable, that's why i love it.

to answer your question, yes, i do think rafa can handle being #1. i've been waiting for that day when he does become #1 for years.....

Answer 3

It was just the shock of knowing that he would become the best player in the world so that is why I think that is why he played really bad it was just nervs.

Answer 4

Yes, just look back from '05 onwards. He has defended his points (more than 5000) each year successfully since becoming number 2 and has not dropped his rank, he can most deffinately do the same next year and retain the rank of best player.

In regards to the Djokovic match, I personally think he looked exhausted but maybe it was just the honeymoon period I mean he fought hard to get his number 1 rank and now it was guarenteed he simply toned his game down a bit because he knew the match wasn't required.

And I wouldn't say "destroyed", the french open final was a destruction job, but nadal fought in the second and had some good chances and was playing better at parts. Djokovic was just too much and played sublime in the first set.

Answer 5

I didn't see it as a "being destroyed" match.  it was a very competitive match.  and yes, I think nadal will handle #1 very well. he seems to have a good head on his shoulders and a lot of love & support in his camp.

Answer 6

yes

Answer 7

Maybe he didn't care much cus he really had nothing to lose, he had gained the number one spot already.... He will handle it well, since he doesn't put too much pressure on himself.

Answer 8

Being number is a new pressure and a new experience Nadal has to adapt to. I have no doubt whatsoever that the will do so.

Ok if he lost to a player he should be beating easily you may have a point but he lost to Djokovic, a player who is number 3 in the world and Australian Open Champion. Had he lost on clay then you would also have a point But he did neither, he lost to the better player on the day

Rafa is still not the finished article by any means on hard court, Novak is very accomplished on the surface.

At Toronto and Cincinnati he looked impressive and made another great transition from one surface to another.

Time will tell how he handles the number 1 ranking but I have no doubt it will be a good pressure for him rather than a bad one that I very much expect him to embrace.

Answer 9

Jeez one lost to Novak Djokovic and i no idiots on here what start posting things like that. Just like all the other c**p Federer is going down hill....blah blah !!! Has anyone ever stopped to think Rafa has improved his game more and deserves to be the world #1 ?! Yes Roger has had some shocked losses but at the end of the day Nadal played better tennis on the big points against roger in the finals. Anyway yes Rafa will :) its not going to be easy for him but he knows what its like to be at the top i mean he has be #2 for nearly 4 years now. That defeat to Novak isnt exactly a very fair comparison though, im not being biast or sticking up for Nadal hehe :) ! Novak did play the better tennis and deserved to go through to the final but remember Nadal has played more matches than Djokovic, been on the court a lot longer!!! Novak has had more time off to prepare and rest for the hard season so is it any wonder why he was the freshest of the two? NOPE haha Anyway Rafa is the man :P ! And he`ll be a great #1 !!!!!!!!!! VAMOS x*x

I love Rafael Nadal because he has brought tennis alive :) People who say he is boring are nuts ! I know everyone has their own opinion, but c`mon Rafa Nadal BORING?!! Try Ivo Karlovic and all the other players who just serve and volley and resort to drop shots when none of the other game works for them. Anyway ever since i seen Nadal play i fell in love :) The intensity he brings to the game, the way he chases down every ball, focusses 100% on every match, his ability to hit winners from anywhere in the court simply stunning. !!! His forehand and backhand are amazing :P The way he`s developed his game over the years constantly improving there is nothing this guy cant do :P He deserves to be #1 because of the sheer hard work he`s put in over the past 4years being #2 pretty consistant year in year out. Rafa rocks the tennis courts :) ! and not to mention he is extremely HOT mmm that body haha xxxxx

Answer 10

he' lost that match 'cause he was really tired, i don't know why people punish him so much because of that match, besides being #1 doesn't mean being invincible

i don't know how he's gonna handle it, but it's not gonna be easy for him, only time will tell

Answer 11

He was not "destroyed" by Djoko. The fact is that Djoko was out in the very early rounds in every tournament since Wimby (and at the French before that) so he was extremely well rested while Rafa obviously played to the end and won all of them so he was definitely exhausted by that point. Furthermore, Cincy has the fastest courts in the world and while Rafa has improved his hardcourt game considerably, he still has work to do there. Rafa has shown incredible physical and mental strength over the past few years, but particularly this year like when he came back in Wimby after he lost the 3rd and 4th set. He is a champion and well-deserving of the #1 spot. In answer to your question - absolutely without a doubt.

Answer 12

i heard that he wanted to spend the time celebrating with his family so he didn't care how the match turned out.

Answer 13

Lets face it the man is tired, remember he won 32 straight matches including two Grand Slams. You have to drop in your game sooner or later and Djokovic was the benefactor this time.  It wasnt that Rafa played bad either, he was tired and you could see that in his movement.  

So sure he can handle #1 why not?  That is why he has been working so hard to be #1. NO PROBLEM.

Answer 14

ha!