The scene: Rafael Nadal’s post-match press conference following his shocking first-round, straight-sets Wimbledon loss to Steve Darcis.
Reporter: Rafa, Rafa! Can you talk about what happened out there today?
Tag Archives: Rafael Nadal
Your 2012 U.S. Open Preview with Rafael Nadal
Unfortunately for all who love tennis, Rafael Nadal is sitting out the 2012 U.S. Open with tendonitis in his knee. But fortunately for Pop Culture Has AIDS, Nadal has agreed to preview the tournament as our special tennis correspondent.
After the jump, Nadal offers his exclusive thoughts on this year’s Open.
Filed under Sports Has AIDS, The Dilemma
French Open Analysis from Radael Nadal
We are nearly a week into the 2012 French Open, and six-time champion Rafael Nadal is off to a great start. We’ve asked Nadal for his insider analysis on how the tournament’s going so far, how his form is, and what he expects from the Open’s second week. Take it away, Rafael.
Rafael Nadal
Uncle Toni, no! Stop! No, Uncle Toni! No suntan lotion! It’s icky! Stop! Get away! No lotion! Too sticky. Mean Uncle Toni!
Oh, hello! My name is Rafa.
Filed under Sports Has AIDS, The Dilemma
Your 2012 Australian Open Preview
The 2012 tennis season is upon us, and with its arrival comes the first Grand Slam of the season — the Australian Open. We are lucky to be able to watch tennis at a time when three truly great players are competing against one another. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are two of the very best players of all time, and Novak Djokovic played better than either of them in 2011.
If 2011 was Djokovic’s year, we’re about to begin finding out to whom 2012 will belong. Can Djokovic maintain his ridiculous hot streak? Can Nadal stay healthy? Can Federer overcome age and the heartbreak of last year’s U.S. Open to win another Slam? The stakes for the Australian Open are high.
To preview the Aussie open, we thought we’d let you hear it straight from the horses’ mouths. Nadal, Federer and Djokovic have all agreed to share their thoughts about the tournament exclusively for PCHA readers.
Filed under Sports Has AIDS, The Dilemma
Rafael Nadal’s Autobiopgraphy
U.S. Open runner-up Rafael Nadal’s autobiography, “Rafa” was just released in the United States. Nadal purportedly wrote the book with journalist John Carlin. Given Nadal’s — shall we say — inarticulateness, it’s safe to say that the final version of the text was heavily vetted by Carlin. In fact, we at Pop Culture Has AIDS have been sent an early draft of the manuscript, which the ever-bashful and polite Nadal wrote himself. Enjoy this look inside the mind of a great athlete.
Filed under Sports Has AIDS, The Dilemma
Some Things We Learned From the 2011 French Open Men’s Final
1. As great as Roger Federer is, he’s also an absolute fucking head case.
As it stands right now, I’d argue vehemently that Federer is the greatest player of all time, despite his record against Nadal — he has 16 Grand Slams, including at least one of each major title, and a whole slew of records based on both longevity and brilliance. Maybe in a couple of years, Nadal will have a convincing case. Not yet. But for all his success and glory, Federer remains self-doubting and insecure at heart, particularly when he faces Nadal. He has a touch of Greg Norman to him.
From the opening toss yesterday, Federer came out playing spectacular tennis, winning points with both aggressive tactics and the kind of shot-making that is unique to the Swiss star. Nadal came out flat. The first set was Federer’s to lose, as he opened up a 5-2 lead. But after Federer gave away a set point on Nadal’s serve with a drop shot that missed the line by less than inch, you could see the physical manifestation of the doubt entering his mind. His body language changed. His face darkened. His confidence turned to fear. Federer suddenly remembered that he just doesn’t get to beat Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros. That’s not in the script.
Federer lost the match during the time between that botched set point and midway through the second set when he fell behind a break. He lost focus, sulking his way through unforced errors and losing the aggressive edge he employed so well earlier. Then, once Nadal built a comfortable lead, Federer loosened up and began to play well again — he knew deep inside that he wasn’t going to beat Nadal in a five-set match on clay; so in a sense, he then had nothing to lose.
Filed under Sports Has AIDS, The Dilemma
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