Ranty RafaLint: December 29th

Okay. I’ve spent the day grumpy and feel a need to rant just a little bit more than I’ve already done on twitter.

[engageRantyMode]

I know people make mistakes. I make many mistakes a day. Many. Some huge. Some small. Hell, there will probably be mistakes in this post. But it never fails to amaze me how a few journalists can twist (intentionally or not) the words of a player into a story that slowly takes over the internet until people are in a tizzy over nothing. Case in point, the headline I posted earlier today: “Rafael Nadal to miss Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships”. In the article, a shoulder injury was mentioned. All of a sudden, everyone is reporting Rafa is skipping Dubai and the whole month of February to nurse a bad shoulder. Huh. Let’s look at what was really said:

“I had a problem before London in my shoulder, I had to stop for ten days before the World Tour Finals in London. I got better, I was OK. After the first match against Fish I felt it a little bit another time, but next day I had an infiltration (injection) in the shoulder and it worked fantastic, I was able to play perfect the next two days in London and the Davis Cup.

“But after the last match in the Davis Cup against Del Potro I felt the shoulder. I didn’t want to stop in December, because I understand that I don’t have enough time to stop and to practice to prepare for the next season. So two days later on Wednesday I was on court practising and on Friday I had to stop, I had a problem on the shoulder.

“I really didn’t know if I was able to come here until three days ago. I didn’t know if I had enough practice. I practiced as much as I can, not as much as I would like, and hopefully the shoulder will work well, it’s not 100 per cent perfect, it’s better, that’s why I’m here.”

So. His shoulder has been a problem and one that’s caused him to alter his practice schedule in a negative way. But, he also says that the shoulder is already improving. Later, when asked about Davis Cup, he says:

“First two confrontations for me are going to be impossible, everybody knows that. Later we’ll see but the first two, I’m not going to be there. I have the shoulder now, I had a very long season last year, played more matches than almost everybody else, this year we have the Olympics so that makes the schedule with less breaks, so the beginning of Davis Cup is straight after Australia and I didn’t have the chance to practice, no physical, no tennis so I have to practice more and I need February more to practice well, physical, tennis to prepare for the rest of the season because for me the most important part of the season starts in Indian Wells and finishes normally in Wimbledon, this year will finish in Olympics and after it’s not going to finish because after the Olympics we will go to Canada, Cincinnati and US Open.”

Not playing February is mentioned in regards to needing more practice and more work on his physical condition in order to best prepare for the most important part of the year. It’s not directly mentioned in relation to his shoulder injury. Let’s pause for a minute and think about why…because he never planned to play in February for all the reasons he just stated. Those are the same reasons, by the way, he gave last year. Those are the same reasons, by the way, he’s been stating when talking about skipping February for awhile now.

The fact that he is carrying an injury is not relevant to his already decided upon February schedule (or lack thereof). The fact he planned on taking February off might look even smarter now he is having shoulder problems, but it was not the reason behind not playing any tournaments in February.

Was that so difficult?

Or, as some brilliant and funny twitter folks quipped:

olerafa: @Ataraxis00 Is it true that Rafa’s arm may be amputated and he can’t play in Denver???

triplebagel: @olerafa @Ataraxis00 Dude, he won’t be able to play all year because he’s getting married in February and needs to procreate. Or something.

Ataraxis00: @olerafa No no no .. ahem, he’ll remove his shoulder tomorrow morning in his match with Ferru. Tebow will fill in.

olerafa: @triplebagel @ataraxis00 Thanks. Guess I am happy? Never know how alarmed I should be. But know I always should be worried. About something.

[/engageRantyMode]

A huge thanks to Reem Abulleil for including quotes at length (and not just short snippets) in her articles: MWTC: Nadal practices in Abu Dhabi, talks Djokovic, Davis Cup and more… and Shoulder injury hampering Rafael Nadal’s preparations for 2012.

Articles:

• Nadal plans to rest, practice in February – AP
• Nadal serves up a treat for fans by Eugene Harnan of The National
• Rafael Nadal admits the only constant in world of tennis is change by Paul Oberjuerge of The National
• UAE’s next generation learn from the world’s greatest tennis legends from the tournament site
• Legends Look Forward to Mubadala World Tennis Championship for the Start of Global Tennis Season from the tournament site
• Maldito hombro – aka, what’s up with Rafa’s shoulder. (mangle)
• Countdown To 2012 – Nadal Confronts Djokovic Challenge by James Buddell from atpworldtour.com

Videos:

• Nida uploaded a video of Rafa practicing his serve from today.
• iB3 coverage of the day.
• A short excerpt from Rafa’s presser. (mangle)
• Here’s some video of Rafa at a tennis clinic posted by lauraplenzik.

Photos:

• I love this photo from last year’s USO.
• ReemAbulleil tweeted a photo of “Rafa trying to understand a question in english today in the press conference”
• jannesalink tweeted a photo of Rafa making an appearance at his office.
• salhabsi shared a photo of, I think, the same appearance. And here’s another from @el_MiM. Oh what the heck, here’s another from @dazzling.
• You are following Nida’s Tumblr, right?

Rafa does social media:

• Maymo took a photo of Rafa practicing.

29 Dec 2011 | by miri | 4 Comments