Rafa to be out two more months
Photo by Beth Wilson
Per an announcement tweeted by Rafa today (September 3rd), he will be out of competition for two more months. He has a “partial tear of the patella tendon at the distal pole of the patella plus an inflammation of the Hoffa’s fat pad of his left knee”. Per the statement, Rafa is happy that he has avoided surgery and that his condition continues to improve. He “will be back when I have no pain and able to compete with guarantee”.
Announcement in Spanish and English.
Loading ...
Get well soon Rafa. Miri, does it mean that he won’t be able to compete in China Open? And to the rest of the season.
Doubtful for the rest of the season as he won’t play at all in September & October. The only tournaments in November & December are the tour finals & Davis Cup final if Spain make it.
Makes sense … he’s missed the big tournies he may as well give his knees as long as possible. Apart from the acute injury this will only help his tendonitis in the long run. Rest well Champ. WE MISS YOU !!
Good decision by Rafa. The rest can only do him good.
Something that I don’t understand at all is that despite the aforementioned medical situation (partial tear of the patella tendon and Hoffa’s disease) which seem quite disturbing even for walking, Rafael Nadal took part in golf tournament of the Balearic Islands last weekend.
The news: http://www.livetennisguide.com/2012/09/03/rafael-nadal-playing-golf-tournament/
The photos: http://www.rafaholics.com/2012/09/photos-rafa-nadal-attends-baleares-golf.html
By the look I get from the photos I can see no discernible trace of either displeasure or pain on his face, not wearing protective bandage etc.
I am not implying anything at all since I am not medically qualified, however I simply can not explain that !
Can someone please explain ?
He’s not bed bound! Golf is essentially walking around….which is nowhere near as stressful on the joints as playing tennis.
I would imagine golf is more stressful on the shoulders and arms than the knees but I’ve never played golf (apart from on Nintendo Wii – haha!) so can’t be sure. To be honest I’m happy to see him enjoying himself & that he is practicing hitting a ball as hard as he can.
Biomechanical force is measured in Newtons (N). Rafa in full flight subjects his knees to biomechanical forces in the patellar ligament of around 8000N when landing from a jump and up to 9000N during fast running about court. This is compared with a force of just 500N during level walking, e.g. when playing golf. This is why golf causes him little or no discomfort but playing tennis does.
Heath, I’m so glad you’re part of our community. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
My pleasure – thanks.
All very sad really, I feel so awful for him for the amount of pain he must be in. I know I am but a speck of dust in the grand scheme of things but I bought my tickets for the ATP tour finals back in about March and now have zero confidence he will be able to make it there. It is one of the highlights of my year and although I will still enjoy going, it just isn’t the same without him. Although I’m still following the tour I just don’t care who wins tournaments at the moment & can’t get as excited as I normally do. I know there are other people on here who have missed out on seeing him this year too so you know how I feel.
Just got keep all our fingers and toes that he will make a full recovery and come back vamosing bigger and better than ever. I think a trip to Barcelona, Rome or Monte Carlo are in order next year just to make myself feel better.
His announcement leaves room for us to believe that maybe he could play at the WTFs, since they take place in November, but logic says that he couldn’t go cold into such an important and difficult event on hard court.
Exactly! It seems that he might be hopeful about playing the WTF as otherwise he would have just said he wouldn’t be playing for the rest of the season as it is the only tournament other than the potential Davis Cup final left. I think we might see some practice photos in a month/six weeks time and another announcement will follow.
Jenny I bought my tickets for the WTF ages ago too, for the first 2 full days, in the hope of seeing Rafa play at least one match. I too am following the tour and watching the US Open but with about 80% less interest than usual. There is a small glimmer of hope that he might go there, we shall have to wait and see. I realise how many other fans are equally disappointed at having bought tickets for other tournaments too, but there’s nothing to be done except hope and wish that is able to return to the tour pain-free in due course, whenever that may be.
Hi JayDee, I’ve got tickets for the first full 2 days as well. Have done the same the last few years & it was brilliant! If only he would make an appearance. I’d rather he was 100% for next year though
I went to the WTF for the first time last year and yes it was brilliant! Which is why I was so keen to purchase early my tickets for this year. But heyho, so long as Rafa comes back fit and 100% healthy that’s the important thing. I know Rafa keeps track of his points in the Race to London, he’s mentioned it before, I think he’d really love to take part if possible, it’s such an elite tournament with only the world’s best 8. I am just keeping everything crossed for him.
I think he just doesn’t want to crush the hopes of fans all at once, but he will be out this year, period. In other words, I think he is trying to be polite. Tendonitis is not an easy thing to heal, even when you don’t play.
he shouldnt play the wtf(for me n rafa what the fu^&) is laid on wooden floor and rafa dosent like it one bit…he likes the tourny but not the surface so if he plays its just stress on knees with no success n points….if he wants to have a good practice then pre rounds 3 to 4 matches might do him good…but its not fun watching a lame horse run a derby….so imo rest rafa rest n bring the au fo or wimby(FO is a must au or wimby any will do) n of course monte carlo n rome
vamos rafa!!!!
If its any consolation I had tix to the USO :(
:(
No consolation as I feel bad you’ve also missed out. I had Wimbledon tickets this year but unfortunately the Rosol incident happened before I got there. I think Rafa is avoiding me ;) I’ll forgive him though, happy to be his nurse as his way of making it up to me
Me too Jenny I had tickets and it was rather flat (together with the rain) ended up watching the doubles but it wasn’t the same. Just wish Rafa well and can’t wait till he’s back on the circuit again x
Yes i had tickets for Wimbledon on the Friday but Rafa went out the night before. My 1st visit to Wimbledon but I go to the O2 every year and only seen Rafa once I never seem to pick the right time but I’m giving it a miss this year.
Next year I am hoping to go to Wimbledon and the O2 .
Well said, Jenny. I agree with everything you say…..except for the tickets!
Even at the risk of generating negative speculation, this certainly doesn’t sound very good. At all. A partial patellar tear? From what I understand, as I personally have a partial rotator cuff tear, the tendon will ‘heal’ to a degree with scar tissue, but will never be the same. Of course, Rafa has as good a resources, advice, and team around him as one could possibly have, but what are his long term prospects? Heath, Cas? Again, I know we risk negative speculation, but my heart sank when I read this today in the ESPN ticker.
God bless u, Rafa. Praying for u.
Joel, I don’t think this is anything more serious than we already knew. Rafa’s patellar tendons are not in the best shape; they are scarred already from repeated force damage over his career. Scarred and stiffened tendons like Rafa’s are more likely to tear but what is described now is more likely to be a micro-tear which is responding to conservative management. If the tear was larger then I think surgery would have been the treatment of choice – and then he would have been out for much longer. Continued rest and avoidance of tennis can only be a good thing for Rafa now so we should be positive. For me it signals that Rafa is doing what is best for him in the longer term and that points and ranking are far from his mind.
Vamos, Rafa. Whenever you return to tennis, we’ll be there ready to support you.
As always, Heath, thank you for putting it all in proper perspective. A much-needed corrective.
Hello Heath! I’d like your opinion on the following questions: do you think Rafa will ever be able to compete at the level he wants to when he starts playing again? Able to win titles? Is this condition curable or will breaks get much longer and matchplay much shorter from now on? You talk about rest being the cure but how much can it really cure?
Thank you for all your input.
To be quite honest, it’s difficult to talk about Rafa’s future without knowing accurately the precise condition of his knees – and what he himself wants at this stage in his life. But judging by information we do have and the decisions he’s made recently, he’s looking to lengthen his career. To do that, to compete at top level and to win titles (and yes, I believe he will do this), Rafa will, *in my opinion*, need to reduce the number of tournaments he plays from now on – especially on hard courts. Obviously this will mean his ranking will fall, but I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing. He’s been number one for many weeks and won everything there is to win. Right now, winning more slams and clay court titles will be more important than ranking. But to do all that, he must be able to play without pain – not suffer through his matches, hence the longer time out of play.
In order to heal, all tissue needs a blood supply. Tendons don’t have the best blood supply under normal circumstances, so injuries heal slowly. When the tendons are chronically scarred and stiffened already (like Rafa’s), the healing is even slower, so rest is an important part of the healing process. But by rest, I mean avoiding the excessive forces on his knees that practice and play exert. We know Rafa is relaxing and swimming and playing golf and he’ll likely be having physio and heat treatments and medication too.
Heath, may I please enquire – purely out of curiosity and nothing more – are you a doctor or in some way medically qualified (physiotherapist)? It’s just that you seem to have such a good grasp on all this so I just wondered? No offence meant, just curiosity. Thank you.
Clinical Nurse Specialist/lecturer in Sports Medicine for twenty five years – now retired.
Thank you. I appreciate you answering. :)
Thank you. Totally agree about the rankings versus titles issue, although the drop in rankings will make it harder for Rafa to reach the later stages of tournaments especially after the long break. But hey, this is Rafa, if he plays and moves freely without thinking he might hurt his knees, anything is possible.
if he skips 3 or 4 tournies this dosent mean hel fall to 55th in rankings he will if he only plays n wins monte carlo n rome n reaches smei finals of 2 slams hel be above the no 12 rank player
Very sad news but expected,this injury is more serious then they try to show,in a strange way the name of the injury changes everyday.I sometimes wonder if he really turns back after all of this.He clearly enjoy playing golf more than tennis.Wish him the best but not expect great things from Rafa anymore.He has done it all,plus he has enough money.He can test him self in golf and poker.
I still thankful to him some exciting tennis through out the years.
BY BY RAFEL I WİLL MİSS YOU and YOUR TENNİS.
Emir, with respect, I think you’re reading rather more into this than it warrants. Rafa’s tendinitis is well known, the tendinopathy of the patellar tendon was announced when the Hoffa syndrome was reported, and Rafa’s medications, which can mask some of his condition, had to clear his system before a real baseline test could be made. There is no way to tell exactly how long healing of such injuries can take, and so he is re-evaluated periodically.
BTW, his team is under absolutely no compulsion to tell the public ANY details of Rafa’s health. The poor guy’s got enough to do, keeping his spirits up while trying to cope with all this, hoping desperately to recover his health and fitness and swagger and standing — to preserve his CAREER — all in the public’s eye, without having to consider the concerns of tournament sponsors and endorsements and sportswriters and fans like us. How hard it must be for him to get his hopes up, only to have them dashed repeatedly.
Tomorrow’s press conference with the doctors — which is a rare occasion for tennis players — may answer the questions bothering so many people. I hope there are good translators standing by, and reporters with some med/health background in attendance to ask detailed follow-ups.
“He clearly enjoy playing golf more than tennis.” I don’t know how you have arrived at that conclusion. If it comes to that, I wish him all the best at it, but there’s no reason yet to tell Tennis Rafa goodbye.
I agree with you Melissa on all points. I’ve seen comments such as emir’s posted on various websites as I’ve tried to stay abreast of Rafa’s condition for the past few weeks and frankly, it’s annoying. Some people seem to think that he should be bedridden or getting around with a walker and a permanent grimace on his face. I have a bad knee myself so maybe I sympathize with Rafa more than others. I try to tell myself that people who make these type of comments are probably young or very healthy and are therefore ignorant of what it’s like to deal with these types of health challenges as a daily reality. I am happy to see Rafa making the most of his time off, fishing, playing golf, going out with friends, spending time with family, etc. Honestly, some people seem irritated that he has a good attitude and isn’t huddled in fetal position in a dark corner somewhere lamenting his situation endlessly.
Thank you, dear. I, too, have bad knees, with no hope of them getting better. Some days, as you know, are better than others. So many things I once took for granted I now must give up or approach carefully–I do NOT want to see Rafa so limited.
Yes, it is very irritating to encounter all the negativism and uninformed suspicion. I actually saw someone remarking that he “looked too happy”; another said he was “enjoying himself too much” and should be back working on the courts!
I’m sure Rafa is having some “down” days whenever he gets bad news, especially while his colleagues are playing and succeeding. He certainly doesn’t need criticism and rumor from his fans.
I agree Melissa and Rafanatica, as I have had a knee issue as well. And how sad that some people are annoyed that their expectations of a sad, dejected Rafa are not being met. Healing is about much more than medical treatment. Rafa is doing exactly what I believe he needs to be doing – nurturing body and spirit by engaging with family, friends and activities that bring him joy during an incredibly difficult time of uncertainty about his career. That in itself will promote his healing and support the success of medical treatment. Maybe all the critics out there could lighten up and follow Rafa’s lead.
Sorry but what ı say is realistic.I am sure his body isnt as fresh as a flower after all the brutal years of competition,but it is more mental now.He isnt enjoying tennis anymore.(Tennis is uncle Tonys dream more than Rafa)Look at the body language of Rafa in 2011.It was negative.He never played the game with passion after he won 2010 Us Open.Thats why he lost to Djoko many times in 2011.
Tennis is his profession that brings million of dollars but he hates it like Agassi.
You cant play Golf with injured knees as well.The guy just wants to enjoy his life.he won everything,plus he is rich.I dont blame him.I wish him happiness outside of tennis.
Wow, you just continue to present allegations with no supporting facts. Mental? He isn’t enjoying tennis anymore? No passion? What are your sources for these statements?
“You can’t play golf with injured knees.” Really? Again, your source for this? Are you accusing Rafa of faking his injuries?
Pfffft.
emir, you are entitled to your opinion but you’re not entitled to speak as if you know what’s in his head and heart. Nothing you say is substantiated by Rafa himself or his team. Maybe your next assertion will be that he has been dishonest with the press and with his fans? Also, why don’t you refer to Heath’s post regarding whether he should be able to play golf during his recuperation.
Sorry, but what you say is anything BUT realistic. It’s entered the realm of mind-reading, so it’s not even worth refuting.
Knee injuries are some of the trickiest to diagnose and treat, that’s why “the name of the injury changes” with every doctor’s report (it doesn’t really change; the doctors adjust their diagnosis when they do further checks and discover more about the knee condition, which is par for the course with this type of injuries).
I fully believe that this is the best for Rafa and that he’s taking as long as his knees need to fully heal so that he can come back with full strength and little/no injury worries ever-present at the back of his head. The “negative body language” that you say he had can easily be attributed to the injury pain and/or fear of injury he was constantly playing with, which isn’t exactly a cheerful situation to be in and which, hopefully, won’t be a factor when he returns.
Wow, what unsubstantiated assumptions you have, Emir. How do you presume to know these things?
I agree, Melissa, and hope you are right. I know Rafa needs the break, I know he made the right decision to wait until he heals completely, but every time he announces he will remain off court for longer, I worry very bad news will come one day. And I really try not to think this way, please believe me, I really do. It’s probably the fact that he’s never taken such a long break that makes me think this must be very very serious. On the other hand, a longer break is also a good thing provided that his condition is curable and allows him to come back and play as freely as he wants. Apart from sinking in the rankings, which most of us agree is not the most important thing, this must be terrible for him both mentally and physically. It must be so hard to block negative thoughts out and focus on getting well without thinking what your shape or ranking will be when you start playing again.
God bless you, Rafa. If I didn’t know how much tennis you have in you, I would have written you off, but I don’t. Not yet.
Ch F, well, I join you in those hopes. Take comfort from what Heath, educated and experienced in these matters, tells us. And, to be fair, the docs have told Rafa at each check the minimum time he must take off from court practice, not the maximum amount it will take to heal. BTW, the decision that surgery is not necessary is a Very Good Thing. So he must be getting better, in at least one area.
Poor Rafa. This has to be so hard to weather. He seems to be managing better than I would have — than I have had. Until he gives up on tennis, how can we?
Vamos, Rafa!
To be honest I feel more happy to think he doesnt have serious injury and he isnt hurting.
And do you believe in the tooth fairy?
Emir did you watch the RG finals this year? The joy and passion he displayed after winning spoke a 1000 words. Anyways I think the only reason you are on this site is to post baiting comments and annoy the shit out of the other true Rafa fans.
All fans I urge you to ignore posts such as Emir’s and not given them some silly satisfaction.
Ohh you are true Rafa fan ı am not thank you.I also said ı didnt see any passion in his tennis 2011.Also if you dont see that Rafa at times not enjoying himself on a tennis court as much as he used to you are delusional.
emir, if anyone is delusional it’s someone who seems to think he knows what Rafa feels in his heart. Seriously…”Rafa hates tennis like Agassi”??? No passion since 2010? Did you watch the Australian Open final this year? Did you follow the clay court season this year? The French Open? If all these are not evidence of passion then I don’t think you know what passion is. Rafa is not superhuman and as such he must have good days and bad days at the office like all of us. Let us celebrate his positive attitude and continual striving despite the challenges that come his way instead of looking for ways to diminish him.
Poor Rafa. At least he is listening to his body and allowing it to heal. I am missing him this US Open but better for him to get his knees as well as possible.
If rafa has pain in his knee I feel pain in my knee too.I lova you rafa.I miss you veri much.I`m hopping you are happy.Enjoy your time with xisca.I`m waiting for you.KISS
Thanks Heath, that makes me feel better. Ultimately, I guess only time will tell, and how his body responds to treatment and the rigors of playing once he is able.
Okay, on a lighter note, anyone else think Milos Raonic looks like David Hasselhoff? Hopefully he’s worn out from the “Baywatch” set and Andy then beats his head in.
Let’s go Andy!
What ?? Leave poor little Milos alone! ;)
I think its safe to say, that he is not going to play tennis this eyear…Next Ausi Open??
not surprising really…
i already have this feeling that he’s done for the season
hope he get’s better and make 2013 a season to remember!
I wish him the best but after 6 years is the first summer with no heart attacks !!! Tennis is so boring without him but so peaceful !!! It is a brake for him and for us too!Don’t you think guys?
I know exactly what you mean, timov. Since I don’t have an emotional stake in the results I find I can watch matches with zero anxiety. It’s kinda painful being a true fan, isn’t it? Why do we do this to ourselves? I guess it’s like love.
rafanatica,yes,it is love…passionately love! A bit of brake is o.k.,no?
ive stopped watching tennis altogether….like when pete sampras stopped playing!!!!!come on rafa get well soon i wana c tennis :(
In her most recent article @yahoosport, Julie Hayes suggests that to move better and save his knees (for prolonged career Rafa should drop off some weight. I somewhat agree with her, as with Novak, he seems move better after losing some weight. How about you guys?
I disagree. I don’t think Julie Hayes arguments are valid, neither are they based on any sound evidence. Just because Nole lost weight doesn’t mean Rafa should. Nole lost weight to improve his mobility whereas Rafa is probably the most agile mobile player on the tour. Losing weight would mean losing muscle mass for Rafa and he’s already done that by shifting to resistance training from weights back in 2007. If his medical team thought that weight loss would improve his tendon problem, I think they would have suggested it by now.
(Sorry, Heath, was posting same time as you. I should have known you’d handle this–ably!)
sorry – that should have been 2009, not 2007!
He already dropped mass around 2009, for that very reason.
I don’t know what Ms Hayes is basing her recommendation on. I look at a lot of Rafa pictures *ahem*, including *cough* shirtless ones, and I don’t see any extra weight. People who should know better are often uninformed–a couple of weeks ago the commies were saying how Rafa “weighs more than Roger and is bigger and taller than Roger” as if this were A Bad Thing and Causes All His Problems. Well, ATP profiles show that Rafa weighs the same as Roger:
Roger: 6’1″, 187 lb.
Rafa: 6’1″, 188 lb
Their skeletal structure is different, I grant you — Rafa’s rib cage particularly is deeper, bigger — but I swear I don’t see how Rafa can drop any significant weight.
Modifying style of play and limiting play on harder surfaces would seem to yield much greater benefits.
Hee! No problem :) We both think the same – and spend a lot of time looking at photos of Rafa ‘avec ou sans shirt’… ;)
Purely in the interests of “data-gathering,” of course. ;-)
Oh yes, purely for research purposes; it’s important to be rigorous…
Awesome Heath ! I think you are our resident medical expert in all things Rafa :)
Ain’t no way the boy weights a buck 88.
Wonder how long that’s been listed as such? Melissa, do you know?
There’s no way Rafa weighs that much. I’m guessing 175-180.
But…i could be wrong.
Joel, I believe all such data are renewed every January, but I may be wrong about that. I’m more surprised that Roger weighs 187. If those weights were given in January, I’d expect them to be off by as much as 10 lbs too high — these guys really burn the cals during the season. I thought that Rafa looked almost haggard by the time he won the French — although that might have been due as much to the pain as the heavy exercise the matches impose.
5-10 lbs one way or the other isn’t much. Some people vary by that much just on an every few days or week basis. I think Rafa’s probably somewhere in the 180s. I would guess Federer is in the low 180s. Much of the weight thing depends on the individual’s metabolic system.
Just because Rafa is playing golf and having a social life does not mean he is no longer passionate about tennis. He has been through the heartache and disappointment by missing the Olympics which must have been so hard for him so now he has accepted it and is making the best of the situation .what is he suppose to do? Sit around moping? That would not be good for his morale at all.
I believe he is still hungry for tennis and getting back to competition but when he feels the time is right. The decision to stop after Wimbledon was the right one IMO. I’m missing him ,the buzz has gone out of tennis for me at the moment and I cannot wait for his return.
Rafa retire from tennis, no way he is only 26 yrs old and still loves what he does just had enough of playing in pain. I think he may return for Davis Cup in December should Spain get through ,even better if it’s on clay.
Exactly! Rafa has not announced his retirement, only that he will be having time off to recover from his injuries. Honestly, the amount of absurd comments and speculation I have read on various pages, websites and forums people seem to think he should be swathed in bandages and hobbling around on crutches! And even I, in my very limited medical knowledge, can tell that playing a round of golf is nowhere near as stressful on the knee joints as pounding around on hard tennis courts for 2-3 hours in elite top level competition.
Just think when he returns, he will be PAIN FREE. That is his goal. And he will be awesome!
So true. It must become tiresome to have to keep taking pain killers and anti imflamatories. There comes a time when you just have to address the root of the problem and Rafa reached that point after Wimbledon.
Enough Is enough and I’m glad he his resting the knees and recuperating without surgery which is good news. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices to benefit in the future.
I wish him well however long it takes and god help the tour when he returns fit and healthy. He will be unbeatable and I’m looking forward to 2013.
So true Sharon, and he IS hungry for more, no quiestion about that. So spending his time as well as he can at the moment, when all his opponents are busy playing tennis, is so important for his wellbeing.
Some have a hard time to adjust to that, and I guess that´s why they try to keep the “kettle boiling” with speculations and hearsay.
That´s why this site is so important for Rafa fans to visit, because I think, that most Rafa fans try to stay grounded, being patient and realize, that a healthy Rafa is all we want.
Exactly! I’m all for Ms Sharon and Ms Tina.
I’m sure this site is one of the best supprots for Rafa.
GET WELL SOON RAFA.WE NOT ONLY LOVE BUT WORSHIP YOU.TENNIS IS NO MORE A SPORT FOR US (YOUR FANS).
I am very sure that Rafa will be back stronger than ever. He’s still 26 years old.
I miss Rafa more than words can say but I do not want to see him back until he is 110% fit and well. I also cannot get enthusiastic about the US Open at the moment. I enjoyed Ferrer’s match against Gasquet and as he is also someone I admire I shall hope that he gets past Tipsy in the semis. Also, I was happy to see that Marc Lopez & Granollers are playing in the semis of the men’s doubles. Nice that 2 of Rafa’s good friends are doing well. I know he will be encouraging them and watching their matches. I like the loyalty and support he expresses for his friends on the tour.
Vamos our Rafa & God bless.
Purely from a rankings perspective, this would put Rafa out of the fall season he will likely fall to #5 later this fall if Ferrer wins today and plays the fall tour. Realize rankings aren’t of concern, but next year at the AO, if Rafa plays, there’s a 3/4 shot he faces either Djokovic, Federer or Murray in the quarterfinals of the AO. I realize this is all looking WAY ahead. I think the sport needs Rafa more than Rafa needs the sport right now. With Federer out of the USO, there is little that stands in the way of Djokovic getting his 6th major win. I really hope Rafa is gearing up for act II of his career and nothing less. The sport will need it.
Well he won’t stay at no 5 for long cos if he meets the top guys in the quarters and beats them they will lose ranking points won’t they? It will be slightly more difficult at first when Rafa returns but it’s all about winning at the end of the day regardless of your ranking. Del Potro was no 6 when he won the USO in 2009 I believe. Need I say more?
It really depends on when he comes back and how the draws breakdown at the time. He still has finals points to defend at the AO and 2000 points to defend at the FO as well as 2000 points between Rome and Monte Carlo. He won’t be able to make up much ground until really next summer. There’s a small window where he could gain points at Indian Wells or Miami but again we are back to the hardcourt problem on his knees. The real issue next year is going to be how he recovers from training and playing on hardcourts. I have no doubt he’ll be back at #1 after Wimbledon next year.
Not to worried about the clay season. Can’t see anyone beating him on clay and can gain in Madrid now that it is returning to red dirt. He may play some smaller tourneys on clay to add points. The main concern is for him to return competing well and winning without injuries. That’s all I’m waiting for , rankings I’m not bothered about at the moment. He will move up the rankings before you know it. Nole ,roger have a lot to defend. We need to be patient.
Oh Sharon! Just have to say that I Love Your Logic! Vamos Rafa! Always.
If Rafa doesn’t play till 2013, he will have been sidelined with injury for more than 6 months and thus he can ask for protected ranking for the AO. If he does, he would be #3 seed entering in the AO, as this has been his ranking during the first 3 months of the period his been out because of the injury.
Good point; Rafa could re-enter competition with a #3 ranking after a minimum of six months if a petition is submitted and accepted. But as the ATP rule states, protected entry is not used to determine seeding – so a #3 seeding is unlikely – and that rule would apply for the first nine tournaments of 2013.
Thanks for that info Heath. But then I don’t get what’s the point of having a protected ranking if it’s not taken into account to determine seeding. Any idea?
Protected ranking is designed to ensure a player is eligible to enter enough tournaments to rebuild their actual ranking (assuming of course that the player comes back with something near his previous form); it doesn’t equate with seeding. I suppose what the ATP is arguing is that as Rafa has been out for six months, he doesn’t really deserve ‘safe passage’ to the semi-finals, which is what a #3 seed place is designed to do.
OK, understood. ;-)
Dear Rafa
Praying to god to make you fit and fine shortly. Concentrate on French Open and one more Slam from 2013 onwards other than 4-5 other main tournaments. God bless you. Get well soon.
Rafa I hope Allah let u take back the world number one again in very short period and put off all the others