No Slam for Rafa: Why Nadal Failed
This year, Rafael Nadal began his Australian Open with high hopes. With three Grand Slam titles from 2010 under his belt, his only remaining conquest was at Melbourne. Had he won the Australian Open, Rafa would have become the first man since Rod Laver to
hold all four Majors titles at the same time.
Such a feat has not been accomplished by a player on the Association of Tennis Professionals for the past 42 years. While ability plays an obvious key role in such an event, luck and fortune are also major components. Unfortunately however, it seems like
the “Rafa Slam” was just not meant to be in 2011.
This week, once again, Rafael Nadal fell to his greatest opponent: his injuries. His physical difficulties made a robust reappearance Down Under, and he fell to World Number 8 David Ferrer in straight sets earlier yesterday. Fans who did not watch the match
will be surprised to learn that it was not his knees or his recently contracted virus which caused the failure; these would be regarded as the most likely culprits. In 2009, Rafa’s knee problems knocked him out of Wimbledon’s defense. Last year at Melbourne,
he was forced to retire from the event because of his knees.
It wasn’t even the flu which has plagued Nadal and delayed his departure to Australia; rather, this time, his left hamstring suffered an injury in the second game of the match. Such a blow must be immensely frustrating for the champion; rival Roger Federer
can probably empathize, as he has lost out twice in an attempt to make the Roger Slam.
After the event, Nadal commented on his performance in a press conference. He says, “this is one of the bad, one of the negative moments. That’s part of the sport. I think I am very, very lucky sportsman about what’s happened in my career. I have to accept
the fantastic moments that I had during a lot of the years with the same calm than when I have problems.”
His team seems to agree with the general theory: that combined with the virus, Nadal’s tendency to be injured was exacerbated. This resulted in an inability to train properly, and the chilly weather did not help. His coach, Toni Nadal (also his uncle), says,
“We don’t have luck here. We think that when he had the fly, he was more (susceptible) to getting hurt.”
ESPN analyst Darren Cahill commented on Nadal’s endurance and persistence, saying, “he showed enormous class and respect for the game by just finishing the match, as he was in no shape to compete anywhere near his best. It was tough to watch at times and
tough to see the pain and frustration written on his face.”
The match was made much worse by the fact that David Ferrer is not at all the kind of opponent one would chose to face with a handicap. The second game, in which Nadal sustained his injury, is a perfect example of this; he broke Nadal’s serve easily, making
the top player seem weak by comparison. It was reminiscent of the 2007 US Open, where Nadal’s knees acted up and gave way to Ferrer’s victory.
However, it could not have been easy for David Ferrer to score a victory over his friend and fellow countryman this way. Several times, he appeared concerned for Rafa and his celebration was subdued rather than ecstatic. This element of sportsmanship did
not go unnoticed by Patrick McEnroe, who said, “full credit to both players for their handling of a difficult situation. But it was a brutal way for Nadal’s quest to end.”
One can only hope that Rafa will repeat his 2010 performance this year, and maintain a comfortable chance of winning the Aussie Open in 2012 to stand another chance at the Rafa Slam.
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