Mens Tennis Forums banner

Some more gentle comedy from Nadal....."25-second rule will harm the fans"

18K views 210 replies 104 participants last post by  Kiedis 
#1 ·
http://www.tennispanorama.com/archives/35199

Nadal: “The 25-Second Rule Will Harm the Fans”



Rafael Nadal Tennis Panroama News

By Barbara Galiza

(February 12, 2013) São Paulo - Returning to Brazil for the first time since 2005, Rafael Nadal will play the ATP 250 São Paulo this week. In his pre-tournament news conference, the world No. 5 commented on the improvements on his health and the new enforcement of the “25 seconds between serves” rule.



“People want to see long matches, competitive rallies and amazing shots. For me to play in a high level for four hours, I need more than 25 seconds,” said the Spaniard, famous for taking long between serves. ”I don’t think players are happy with the new rule. The umpire will have to decide when it’s up to follow it or not. Because if it’s something mathematical, it will harm the fans.”



Nadal returned to competition last week, in Chile, after being away from tour for seven months because of a knee injury. He was the runner up in Viña Del Mar, losing to the Horacio Zeballos, ranked 73th.



“I’m not ready to think about titles, I’m thinking about playing day by day”, he said. “I’m not worried whether this (the injury) is going to be a problem for the future, I’m worried about the time it will take (to be 100%). Last week was a positive result. There are days my knee limits me physically, but there are days it’s better. Every week, I have less bad days.”



To Nadal, part of the blame for his injury is the length of the hardcourt season. The surface isn’t ideal to the body.



“I find hardcourts the worst for the body. You don’t see footballers playing on hard fields, or any other sports with aggressive moments (being practiced on the same surface). They’re the most harming for articulations, knees, backs.”



“I don’t think a change to more clay and grass tournaments will be possible in my generation. The ATP needs to be more careful to prolong their player’s careers. I want to be able to still practice sports after I retire. Tennis careers are very important, but life is more,” said the 26-year-old player.



Even though he said to be taking tournaments day by day, the Spaniard admitted that the next Olympic Games is something in his mind:



“Being in Rio 2016 is a big goal of mine. I want to be there in condition to compete and also win what could be my last Olympics.”



Nadal also reaffirmed his stance on public records of the anti-doping controls held by the ITF. To him, if blood tests and urine tests are kept private, tennis is at risk.



“We need to know the person on the other side of the net is in the same condition as you are. Sport needs to be example to kids and an example of hard work. Everyone needs to know how many blood test and urine tests we go through or we will have the same problem as cycling”, he said.



Barbara Galiza is a journalist from Rio de Janeiro covering the Brasil Open as media in São Paulo for Tennis Panorama. She likes tennis and writing. Sometimes she blogs, most of the time she tweets. – @fiercetennis. Follow her São Paulo updates on @TennisNewsTPN.
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Re: Some more gentle comedy from Nadal....."25-second rule will harm the fans"

... and also win what could be my last Olympics.”

:lol: What could be, Rafa? You're not thinking about going on until 2020, are you?
 
#3 ·
Re: Some more gentle comedy from Nadal....."25-second rule will harm the fans"

:haha: Someone please tell him to stop playing Tennis if he couldn't cope himself with the rules.
 
#4 ·
Re: Some more gentle comedy from Nadal....."25-second rule will harm the fans"

similar article that also just came out today...

http://www.tsn.ca/tennis/story/?id=415804

SAO PAULO, Brazil -- The ATP was not doing enough to protect players' health and the increase in hard-court events will lead to long-term injuries that will affect players long after they retire, Rafael Nadal said on Tuesday.

"The ATP worries too little about the players," said Nadal, who was in Brazil to play his second tournament after a long layoff from a left-knee injury. "It should care more for them."

The 11-time Grand Slam winner said he doesn't expect major changes anytime soon, but thinks it's time tennis officials start thinking about ways to help improve the players' long-term health.

"For future generations it would be good to see a less aggressive tennis life," he said. "Not only because of what happens during your career, but also because of what happens after your career, about how is your body when your tennis career is over."

Nadal said that because of the way tennis was played, he doesn't "think it will be possible" for him to be a recreational athlete after his professional career.

The 26-year-old Nadal said hard-courts were "too tough" on players' bodies and made it impossible to keep them from getting hurt from time to time. Tennis was the only major sport where players had to play on cement, said the greatest clay-court player of the Open era, and thinks it's an issue that doctors must get involved with, not only players.

"This is not a subject for the players, it's a matter for doctors," he said. "The ATP has to start thinking about ways to lengthen the players' careers. I can't imagine football players playing on cement, I can't imagine any other sport involving aggressive movements such as tennis being played on such aggressive surfaces such as ours. We are the only sport in the world making this mistake and it won't change."

Nadal also complained of the ATP's attempt to strictly enforce the 25-second rule between serves, saying it will not benefit the sport.

"People like to see great rallies, long matches, and for that to happen, the 25 seconds are not enough," he said. "If the ATP wants a sport which is faster but doesn't take into consideration a lot of strategy or great rallies, then it's right doing this. I think the players in the locker rooms are not very happy with that rule."

Nadal, who was encouraged in his first comeback tournament in Chile last week in almost winning the title, said he was still not worried about wins and his main focus was to regain rhythm on the court.

"I need time, I need weeks of matches and practice," he said. "I'm not prepared to think about titles yet, I'm thinking day-to-day. After so many months without playing it's hard to think about titles."

He was to play his first-round doubles on Tuesday, and his first singles on Thursday.
 
#6 ·
Re: Some more gentle comedy from Nadal....."25-second rule will harm the fans"

:facepalm:

I guess the shorter season would also benefit the fans because fans want to watch less matches?! And the 2 year ranking would also benefit the fans.

A true altruist this nadal. He does it all for the fans.
 
#8 ·
Re: Some more gentle comedy from Nadal....."25-second rule will harm the fans"

Every rule that doesn't suits Nadal is bad for the sport, everyone knows that.
 
#11 ·
Re: Some more gentle comedy from Nadal....."25-second rule will harm the fans"

Damn it. Now the epic finals between Rafito and Egg will only take 6 hours instead of 7. Rip Tennis
 
#12 ·
Re: Some more gentle comedy from Nadal....."25-second rule will harm the fans"

even dull trolls can't defend this BS- but its great comedy gold MTF will remember for years to come

“I find hardcourts the worst for the body. You don’t see footballers playing on hard fields, or any other sports with aggressive moments (being practiced on the same surface). They’re the most harming for articulations, knees, backs.”

what surface is basketball played on nadal?
 
#17 ·
Re: Some more gentle comedy from Nadal....."25-second rule will harm the fans"

I can't imagine football players playing on cement, I can't imagine any other sport involving aggressive movements such as tennis being played on such aggressive surfaces such as ours. We are the only sport in the world making this mistake and it won't change."
Ughh? I guess you've never seen futsal, no?
 
#18 ·
Re: Some more gentle comedy from Nadal....."25-second rule will harm the fans"

Well this is surprising.
 
#20 ·
Re: Some more gentle comedy from Nadal....."25-second rule will harm the fans"

“People want to see long matches, competitive rallies and amazing shots. For me to play in a high level for four hours, I need more than 25 seconds,” said the Spaniard, famous for taking long between serves. ”I don’t think players are happy with the new rule. The umpire will have to decide when it’s up to follow it or not. Because if it’s something mathematical, it will harm the fans.”

Isn't this just admitting that he's cheating? Can't play according to the rules.
 
#22 ·
Re: Some more gentle comedy from Nadal....."25-second rule will harm the fans"

“People want to see long matches, competitive rallies and amazing shots. For me to play in a high level for four hours, I need more than 25 seconds,” said the Spaniard, famous for taking long between serves. ”I don’t think players are happy with the new rule. The umpire will have to decide when it’s up to follow it or not. Because if it’s something mathematical, it will harm the fans.”

Isn't this just admitting that he's cheating? Can't play according to the rules.
Yep. Hilarious that it's possible in tennis.
 
#23 ·
Re: Some more gentle comedy from Nadal....."25-second rule will harm the fans"

:lol: Humbalito making a fool of himself yet again, mistakingly thinking everything that is good for him is the best for the sport. "Will harm the crowd" my ass. Who exactly wants to watch him pick his ass for 45 seconds between every point. Pathetic. And what "4 hours" is he talking about. Matches that long happen like once a year for a player (and for most players not even that).

Seriously though, if the ATP wants to care about the players and still have good quality tennis, there is a solution:

Speed up the hard courts.

Then the matches would be over faster and players would get injured less and not so worn out. We would then also be able to have best of 5 set finals in masters.

But I guess Nadal would be against that suggestion since it wouldn't suit him. "Fans want to see 50+ shot rallies, no? Fans want to see long matches, no? Fans want to see injured players, no? Wait, maybe not, no?"
 
#26 ·
Re: Some more gentle comedy from Nadal....."25-second rule will harm the fans"

:lol: Humbalito making a fool of himself yet again, mistakingly thinking everything that is good for him is the best for the sport. "Will harm the crowd" my ass. Who exactly wants to watch him pick his ass for 45 seconds between every point. Pathetic. And what "4 hours" is he talking about. Matches that long happen like once a year for a player (and for most players not even that).

Seriously though, if the ATP wants to care about the players and still have good quality tennis, there is a solution:

Speed up the hard courts.

Then the matches would be over faster and players would get injured less and not so worn out. We would then also be able to have best of 5 set finals in masters.

But I guess Nadal would be against that suggestion since it wouldn't suit him. "Fans want to see 50+ shot rallies, no? Fans want to see long matches, no? Fans want to see injured players, no? Wait, maybe not, no?"
The majority of the fans DO want long rallies, as long as they're full of high quality shots like the Nadal-Djokovic ones and not of the Monfils-Simon kind. Just the select cult of Nadal/Djokovic haters on here, that are a majority on MTF, want to see 'spectacular' two shot rallies.
 
#25 ·
Re: Some more gentle comedy from Nadal....."25-second rule will harm the fans"

To OP, it was really worth waiting over a year to have such an epic 1st post. :worship:
 
#27 ·
Re: Some more gentle comedy from Nadal....."25-second rule will harm the fans"

:facepalm:

Cut off your OCD rituals or at least ass picking and you'll be well inside 25 seconds.

Do you imagine if some WTA player would adjust her panties before every serve? :)
 
#30 ·
Re: Some more gentle comedy from Nadal....."25-second rule will harm the fans"

25 time rule BENEFITS the fans.
Set that straight Nadal, you selfish bastard.

Every time I have to watch you play tennis, I hate how much time you waste between points. It is SO BORING!
IT IS SO BORING NADAL.

And this does not happen with most other players. They play with the right pace between points.
But YOU, NADAL, you are the WORST at it. You are so DULL.
 
#33 ·
Re: Some more gentle comedy from Nadal....."25-second rule will harm the fans"

“People want to see long matches, competitive rallies and amazing shots. For me to play in a high level for four hours, I need more than 25 seconds,” said the Spaniard, famous for taking long between serves.


What a joke. I think most people would find a swift 5-setter a la AO Fed-Tsonga is far preferable to a six hour grindfest padded out with timewasting OCD tics. And if a player needs to habitually break the rules in order to perform well, then his game is inherently flawed.

Obviously, it's true that OCCASIONALLY a little extra time is needed after an exceptionally long/taxing point. If the umpire decides to be "mathematical" about it in that case, then so be it. I guess guys like Zeballos can just deal with it better: intentionally take the time violation penalty, then hit a second serve ace. :shrug:
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top