Rafa withdraws from the US Open
Photo by Beth Wilson
Per Rafa’s twitter account, he has withdrawn from the US Open. It’s sad news, but I applaud his conviction to not come back until he’s 100%. Let’s just hope he gets there soon.
I am very sad to announce that I am not ready to play the US Open in NY. Thanks to my fans for their support and specially, the new yorkers.
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) August 15, 2012
Tengo que anunciar que aun no me encuentro en condiciones de jugar y debo renunciar al Open USA. Muchas gracias a mis fans por su ánimo.
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) August 15, 2012
It’s official now. Sad news for us but we will be back stronger than ever.
— Benito P-Barbadillo (@benitopb) August 15, 2012
Rafa has informed us that he will not be ready to compete at the US Open this year and has withdrawn from the tournament. (continued)
— USOpen.org (@usopen) August 15, 2012
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Very sad day. I really look forward to seeing Rafa in NY each year. But I guess my disappointment cannot match that of Rafa’s for not being able to compete. I only hope he recovers 100% soon enough.
What is really troubling me as a fan is that there is no clarity or transperency as to what knee trouble he has compared to prior injuries and why is it taking this long this time around.
Sad news indeed but not unexpected. It was too much to hope that he could possibly participate in a Slam, best of five sets and on the toughest surface. Hoping for Rafa that he makes a very speedy recovery. He must be feeling devastated and beyond frustrated…
Spot on Bee, the worst surface to come back on with his knees still not right, I respect his decision and no-one could be more frustrated than he is right now, god I miss seeing him play though!
You can’t play competive top ten tennis without a good pair of knees. As Rafa’s knees are not in good working order at the moment, it’s a good thing he’s decided not to play; a hard court is not the surface on which to make a return, in my opinion. I know it’s disappointing for tournament organisers and fans alike but Rafa will be the one who is the most disappointed. Be well, Rafa.
Yes, this is very hard for Rafa. The rest of us are just onlookers to his career and life and need to back off some.
I do not understand why this comes as a surprise to anyone interested in him. The information has been “out there” for some time — damaged tendons in the knee. Nadal News has been scrupulous in posting the best material on this for, what, six weeks? Where have people been?
And the idea that he’s hiding something (which, it being his health, he is entirely free to do), or that he’s broken mentally [snort!], or that he just wants a break from the grind — are speculations or fabrications based on no published or documented facts.
I’m going to focus on the positive and be supportive wherever the opportunity presents itself. As a fan, I can do no other. Best wishes for a full recovery, Rafa!
Well said, Melissa.
Some fans’ expectations are truly astonishing. No-one has a moral right to confidential medical information. Rafa’s team have provided more than enough information about his knees and his treatment. I really don’t get how they feel they should have more.
But that said, I don’t understand where all the weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth comes from either. I’m disappointed that I won’t get to see Rafa play for the immediate future but this is not a global disaster. A good dose of perspective is needed in some quarters.
Heath, Melissa, I totally agree. I too am astonished that some believe we are “owed” more from Rafa and his team. The top priority is Rafa’s well being…period.
The ubiquitous DJ Nadal re-tweets journalist Caporaletti:
“Please do not begin to invent strange things with Rafa Nadal. Unable to recover from his injured left knee. Nothing more.”
And as Rafa says…That is the true…That is all.
Agree with you all.
Rafa :( :( :( PLEASE GET WELL SOON !!!!!!
Expected this but still feel sadness, so the enthuriasim for USO not there for me even before it starts.
As the many video’s posted show Rafa on the court practising we must take this as a good sign. He feels he is just not ready to compete I guess.
my dear rafa comeback soon i`m waiting for you you can win all tournement love for you rafa kiss
Sad news? Yes. Unexpected news? No.
For me this US Open will not be the same without you Rafa but….the life’s goes on and all I can say is: be happy, take your time, recover well and return to court when you are ready to compete. Vamos Rafa. Your fans are always with you.
This is the news I was both dreading and expecting, yet it was still hard to take in once I actually saw it in print. This tennis season is dragging, for me. I really hope his injuries – and I believe they are real physical injuries, nothing mental or otherwise – will soon be completely recovered and he can rejoin the tour. Best wishes Rafa, all your fans are behind you.
This is really sad. However I strongly feel its time for him to change his game as he is getting older. You cant keep running down balls..He needs to play more aggressive, go for the kill (with flatter shots on forehand), go to the net more often, and sometimes let go of balls (when you are down 40-0 or 40-15 for e.g.). Change is not easy since he is a creature of habit. But not changing is even worse!
It doesn´t come as a surprise, although it is sad.
No doubt about that, but it was somehow expected after reading about it for weeks now, as pointed out above.
It is tough times for Rafa first of all, but it is a wise decision not to compeed in a Grand Slam on a hard court, when he is not ready, and hasn´t been able to participate in any of the tournaments leading up to the US.
For the fans, well, we can only wish him the very, very best, and Rafa can count on this:
We will keep on suporting you, nomatter how long this period of absence will last.
We live and breathe with you in your struggle with the fragile knees, because we want you to be fully recovered, even if this means, that we will have to do without you for a while.
Get well Rafa, take all the time you need.
So sad!After all these years and the joys that he gave to us…I hope for a recovery and I hope that will see him again because tennis without Rafa is not the same sport! So very sad!!!
Fans wishing to leave a message to be shared with Rafa can post at:
http://getwellsoonrafa.tumblr.com/
It is really devastating, though not unexpected. Rafael, we are with you and share all your sorrows & frustrations. We not only hope but are confident that you will come out of this misery stronger. Get well soon! Best wishes to you and lots of prayers to the almighty for your speedy recovery. Tennis is no more a sport for me for the moment.
The US Open will not be the same without him, but I am happy he is taking care of himself rather than playing with pain. It is better that he comes back when he is ready and on his own terms.
Glad he is taking care of himself and of course we will miss him. His return, whenever, will be welcome indeed as tennis just isn’t the same. Thanks Miri for keeping us so well informed.
So sad. I knew this was coming. Just can’t believe that I won’t see him in NYC :_(
This is actually the worst it has ever being for rafa’s knees. But honestly I don’t care much if he misses the USO, if he is 100 in the world, all I hope he’ll do is take care and show up strong fro the FO and clay court saison. So if you ask me, I’ll tell you it’s fine by me if he only plays one tournement in the saison, that will let him play longer and win one slam per year.
I’ve been reading a lot on tendinitis/tendinopathy,et al, so I was expecting this unfortunate withdrawal at the US Open. I am no longer that concern on the state of his knees because I think he is managing this injury very well this time. Although it is very sad, I am just looking forward and getting very excited to what lies ahead in 2013.
Vamos Rafa! :-)
And of course, I love you Rafa!
I’m very sad that he has to miss the US open,but,this will be a good time for him to recover, rest, enjoy with family and prepare for the rest of the season, cause season is not over yet 2 masters left, wc in London, Davis cup. It is hard cause we all probably beleived he had a shot at the us open, before all of this… But after the rain comes the sunshine :) And Rafa is now starving(in tennis :) ) and when he comes back he is going to be hungry so Djokovic, Federer, Murray & co watch out! :D
Hate to see him not play, and hate to see him endure what i’m sure is very difficult for him, but i think this is wisdom at work here.
Bless you, Rafa, we know you’ll come back like a house on fire.
Tennis.com has reactions from other players. Mostly standard responses but this was my favorite. It’s from the ever adorable Sloane Stephens.
Sloane Stephens: “I love Rafa, so I love seeing him at tournaments. I get star struck when I see him. I’m like, ‘Oh, my God I wish I could touch him.’ It will be sad with him not there. He’s such an amazing player. I like seeing him practice. He’s on [Practice Court 1 through 5] and he’s always on the first court so everyone can see. I like eating my lunch and watching him. I’m kind of bummed he won’t be there.”
So sad for our boy. I really miss him! Hope he comes back strong and well-rested. We love you Rafa, get well soon.
If an outpouring of love, care and compassion can truly heal, then Rafa is well on his way to recovery:) Let’s keep it going!!
Can anyone clarify Patrick McEnroe’s comments on ESPN, where he says that Rafa has already cut back his schedule, and “done what he can do” to adjust to schedule-wise? Am i mistaken, but can he still not choose to play less? I’m not certain to what is mandated by the ATP, but i’m certain Serena plays considerably less than the other women.
The ranking points, the sponsorship commitments, i get all that. But how much of a commitment is mandated by the ATP? He can, in fact, simply choose to play less, right? Perhaps PM’s comments threw me off a bit?
It could be that Rafa’s situation will drive change that could benefit all players…we can hope.
Joel it sounds like P. Mac is right. It’s very difficult for Rafa to play less and still maintain his ranking points … there are some pretty steep point penalities for skipping tournaments. Part of Rafa’s scheduling problems also lie in the fact that his best surface tournies are not spread out throughout the year making it even harder for him to schedule. I believe he plays the absolute minimum number of tournies allowed atm.
“He can, in fact, simply choose to play less, right?”
Nope. Wrong. Top 30 players are mandated to play: all four slams, all eight masters and at least four 500′s (one of which must be after the US Open) plus two more 500 or 250′s. If they’re top 8 they must play in the year end championships. If they want to play in the Olympics they must make themselves available to play in at least one Davis Cup tie per year.
So no, they have very little flexibility to set their own schedules and if they decide to play fewer tournaments and take the penalties, they won’t remain at or near the top of the rankings for long.
As Rafa has been on the pro tour for 12 years now & he’s played more than 600 matches he can drop 2 of the Masters Tournies without getting a penalty. . Fed can drop 3 as he’s over 30 years old & has also done the above. If Rafa dropped more tournies & got zero pointers as penalties, so what, at least he’d be preserving his precious body and in turn play for more years. I’d be in favour of that.
My understanding is that Rafa does not play the mandatory 500′s and loses points as a result.
Rafa almost always plays Barcelona and either Beijing or Tokyo, both of which are 500′s. Monte Carlo is included in the 500 category even though it awards 1000 points (it’s an anomaly on the schedule). Under most circumstances Davis Cup points can also be added in to the 500 category although DC doesn’t count towards playing requirements (DC points can be very complicated) so most years Rafa doesn’t get hit too hard with penalties.
He also usually plays Doha and Queens/Halle which are 250′s so he covers those obligations too. As to waivers for having played more than 600 matches, I believe he can drop 1 Master without penalty and that Roger with his 1000 matches plus age can now skip all Masters if he wishes.
I’d love nothing more than to be able to see Rafa play for many more years but the reality is, if his ranking drops way down, so does his seeding and it would make it pretty tough to get through most tournaments. He’s a fabulous player but I don’t think anyone can drop into only slams and a few masters and be competitive enough to still win regularly.
With all due respect, i’d have to disagree with you on this one. With the emergence of Murray, no matter where Rafa’s ranking stands, he now almost assuredly has to play 2 of the best players in the world to win a slam. Until Murray’s gold medal performance in London, Rafa always had the chance to only have to avoid one of the top 3 before the finals. Now that Murray is clearly on the same footing (IMO) as the other 3, Rafa’s ranking in the top 4 is no longer as significant.
Even if his ranking drops significantly, it really only spells having a draw that could be a bit tougher in the earlier rounds, comparatively speaking, to years past. But with a field that is getting deeper and tougher each year, that too, i believe, is insignificant.
A healthy Rafa, is not insignificant. When he’s healthy, he dominates. He DOMINATES.
Get healthy young man. And to hell with the ranking.
“..with the emergence of Murray…”
Actually, Murray isn’t newly emerged, IMO. He has been the number 4 player consistently for about 4 years or so now.
Also, IMO, if Rafa has to play at least 2 of the top players, he has a positive head to head record over Fed and Nole anyway, in fact over most if not all of the top 10. Once he is back at 100%, and once he has some matches under his belt, like you say, he DOMINATES.
I do agree though: to hell with the ranking. He has been at number 1, won everything worth winning in tennis, completed the Golden career Slam, who cares what number is beside his name.
I really like Murray — truly, in spite of himself, I do — but from what, pray tell, has he emerged?
When he wins a Slam, then I will consider him on the same footing with the Top Three/Tennis Troika.
Melissa,
Then i think it would suffice to say that we agreed on Murray’s status as a part of the Big Four up until now, meaning that the Big Four was really the Big Three, with Murray as an also-ran.
Time will tell what impact him winning the Gold medal in London will have on the impact of his play. I think the gold will serve to being the springboard that clearly puts him on the same footing as the other 3, and i guess in my mind, the reason i now put him there is simply because i believe that he now believes that he is there as well. No, its not a slam, but i liken it to Nole’s play in late 2010. A scrambling, monster comeback over Federer in New York, played extremely well against Nadal in the final, in a match where Nadal may have arguably played the finest tennis match he’s ever played (how long was it that he went without an unforced error, wasn’t it a little over a full set? I need to go back and what that one again…). Nole helps Serbia win the Davis Cup, and then he just took off. And it was mostly because of his confidence.
I think that is where Andy is at mentally, though that’s a bit presumptuous to speculate as such. Significant changes in his on-court countenance, far more focused and calm, and is able to gather himself away from his bitching and moaning, mudslide mindset. It’s obvious that that is what he and Lendl have worked so hard on, as when they are asked as such in interviews, Lendl only hits on tactical issues, his forehand, attacking second serves; and then holds his tongue on the rest. Andy’s problem, God bless him, has always been his head. Lendl has been a huge boost for him there, from what i perceive.
True, he’ll have to win a slam to really solidify that, i agree with you. But again, i’m basing my thoughts on his emergence really in what i perceive in him, his body language, and his belief set, and i think Andy now truly believes he belongs. Further, like Nole in late 2010, and early 2011, he isn’t likely to be picked as a favorite in anything right now, which even further decreases perceived pressure, just as winning gold will as well.
I’m picking Murray to win the US Open.
And wouldn’t I and the whole of the UK just love that!
Joel,
I, um, don’t want to stray off the topic of this site — i.e., all things Rafa — so let me just say that I agree with you up to a point. Andy’s extremely talented and has never feared anyone (though he reacts differently to BFF Rafa), and his big flaw has always been lack of emotional discipline. I’ve always said that beating Fed and going toe-to-toe with Rafa at USO10, not the DC, was what did it for Nole, and similarly I hope the Gold will make a difference for Murray. But I’ve not seen that yet (though I certainly want to). He’s got to at lease get several Slam finals under his sporran before I can climb up next to you on that bagpipe wagon. I’m provisionally picking Nole for the USO, but if he loses at Cincy, I’ll have to reconsider the options.
As for Rafa — I fervently pray that things turn around for him soon. He’s saying all the right things, but I can’t tell whether he believes them. (Not that I’ll ever be close enough to know, silly me.) I sure hope he gets a second, and a third, expert opinion before embarking on any invasive or radical treatment. And may he make as full a recovery as is possible — a miracle, even!
Despite being in Mallorca, Rafa must be lonely. All his friends are working during the week, and his tennis pals are playing. Hope he can keep up his spirits. Lots and lots of golf?
Vamos, Rafa! Don’t give up — get well!
Well, i’m likely to never win any awards for any kind of posting etiquette, yet, in my defense, i’ve never been made aware that posts are to always supposed to be “all things Rafa” either.
However, for what its worth, Nadal is and probably always will be my favorite athlete of all time, in any sport. I’m just shy of 40, never played or coached competitive tennis, only basketball and baseball, live in the states…i think that would certainly testify to how much of an impact some kid from a far-away Mediterranean island has had on me over the years, though!
To broaden that point even more, i’ll share my favorite Rafa match; the 2012 Australian Open finals, where he lost in five sets to Nole. Surprising, isn’t it? That match, to me, so defines who he is, how he plays, and why i admire him so much. I have to admit, shamefully i might add, that i had texted a few of my friends during the 3rd and early part of the 4th set, basically saying that Nole was just better, that Rafa may have, in fact, won his last slam. Nole was just dominating play. And then at 3-4, love-40 in the 4th set, it happened; OVERCOMING. Belief. Guts. Determination. And against seeming overwhelming odds, after having lost 7 in a row to him, having lost the last 2.5 sets on that night as well.
Yea, he lost in five. But that was just AWESOME. I have to admit, i had tears watching that. That’s who he is to me, just an incredibly tough, determined, fighting machine. Couple that with his humility, his respect for others and the game, his whole persona…
I miss him, man.
“His whole persona…” Yes, Joel, absolutely. It’s the tennis, but not only the tennis — it’s the Man.
I’ve had a few sports heroes in my time, including Roger the Dodger and Peyton, but Rafael Nadal is head and halo above ‘em all. (Okay, maybe the halo is just metaphorical …)
We all miss him.
Ain’t no sunshine when he’s gone
It’s not warm when he’s away.
Ain’t no sunshine when he’s gone
And he’s always gone too long
Anytime he goes away.
Okay, Melissa, i give up…who is Roger the Dodger? Is it Roger Staubach? I’m guessing that based on Peyton, well, that must be Peyton Manning?
Yes, Staubach. And Peyton Manning. Loved the Mick, too — saw him in my senior year, toward the end of his career. Thought I loved Johnny U, then found out what a lowlife he was. As a Gator, I naturally like Tebow, though I don’t share some of his views. Brady, Polomalu, Ripken, The Bird … Borg, King, Evert, Navratilova, Courier…
Mantle and Troy played hurt like Nadal; Bird, Polomalu had hearts like Nadal. But none of them have been quite like Rafa — El Único.
“That’s who he is to me, just an incredibly tough, determined, fighting machine. Couple that with his humility, his respect for others and the game, his whole persona… ”
And may I add to that his understanding and acceptance of his responsibility as a role model.
I do play competitive tennis and am raising two very impressionable young tennis players, and I can tell you that having Rafa “out there” in our world as a beacon has been a wonderful, wonderful thing. ☺
Here’s an unusually fair commentary from Bodo:
http://blogs.tennis.com/tennisworld/2012/08/tgk.html
I don’t usually read Bodo’s blogs but this piece is surprisingly fair and unbiased – so thanks for the link.
I don’t usually read his blogs either, but thought this one was worthwhile.
First thing by this chap (whom I’ve never heard of) but it seems to hit the nail on the head, so to speak. I’d be happy to have Rafa play on clay and grass only to extend his career! Here’s hoping the ATP are kind should he pursue this route.
(Count yourself lucky if you’ve never heard of him. He is a massive Fed fan, so massive in fact that he has just written a book about Fed in tribute to Fed. He usually slates Rafa, that’s why I rarely read his blogs.)