Not liking it one bit.
Nadal apparently struggled with his movement in a straight set loss to Lleyton Hewitt at the exho event at the Hurlingham Club this week.
He did not speak to reporters, but uncle and coach Toni Nadal said it was still uncertain whether he can play at Wimbledon, which starts Monday.
Nadal plays another match Friday against Stanislas Wawrinka. Toni Nadal said the top-ranked player will decide after that. When pressed about Wimbledon, the coach did not sound optimistic.
“If it’s me, I’m (flying) to Mallorca,” he said, referring to the island where Nadal grew up.
(Source: Yahoo! Sports)
What really stinks up my hallway though is the way many commentators appear all too ready to cast doubt on the injury:
“I’m a little dumbfounded by all the talk on how bad his knees are. I think he pulled from Queen’s (a Wimbledon warm-up tournament) because he’s mentally spent. Last year at the US Open everyone was talking about how tired he was and he lost in the semis. Five days later I saw him practicing in Madrid (in the Davis Cup semis vs. U.S.A.) for four or five hours a day. I’m not exaggerating. . .I have a hard time believing he’s really that hurt.”
“I think he’ll be fine (at Wimbledon). It’s more of a mental battle for him in losing the French.”
-- Patrick McEnroe, on an ESPN hosted Conference Call, via GOTOTennis
There's been others like this. You know who you are.
Do people honestly believe this is some sort of flimsy excuse for the early loss at Roland Garros?
Or some vain attempt to cover his behind in advance of Wimby?
What I do know is I've never heard so much caution being emitted from either Rafa or Toni Nadal.
Call me pedantic but isn't this the same Rafa that played his way through blisters in that opening round loss to Ferrero at Rome last year? The same one legged Rafa that lost to Murray earlier this year at Rotterdam?
The Rafa that bends over backwards to credit his opponents' victories - sometime sickeningly so.
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