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Rafael Nadal's dominance: Good or bad for tennis?

6K views 123 replies 67 participants last post by  The_Nadal_effect 
#1 ·
Well, it's only fair to have this kind of topic as there have been similiar ones when Federer was dominating the game ;)

Have a look here http://www.menstennisforums.com/showthread.php?t=62573 for example.

It would be interesting now to read the opinions when things have changed.

Do Rafa fans find it boring that their man is winning each tournament? Can Federer fans appreciate the achievements of Rafa? Can the dominance of Federer and Nadal not be compared?

Feel free to discuss, but hopefully everything will remain respectful and both fangroups can maybe feel a bit for the other one ;)
 
#2 ·
Same as before and as always.

Domination is only bad for tennis, when the player you dislike is the one that is dominating.
 
#3 ·
The thing is that it is different types of domination, difficult to compare.

With Federer in his prime, you knew everytime he stepped on the court he's going to win unless it was Nadal on clay.

With Nadal, there are still some questions marks, there are still some players that can beat him. I mean, it was only 6 months ago he was losing to freaking Seppi
 
#4 ·
The only place he's been dominant enough for it to be boring is on clay, and I do think this last French Open was rather boring in the end.

Nadal's overall "dominance" is relatively short lived and I don't really see how it could be compared to what Federer did at this stage. If he keeps it up for another year then it might make sense to ask. In Federer's dominant peak he was losing 4 - 6 matches an entire season ... Nadal has already lost 8 this season and almost certainly will lose a couple more times.
 
#11 ·
Your sarcastic Rafa praising posts stopped being funny years ago, dude.

Really? Who? The only one capable of beating him is Djokovic on hard courts and that isn't a given. The rest of the mugs of the ATP have no chance and just bend over for him. :shrug:
I'm still not convinced. Djokovic can beat him, yes. Roddick also beat him, Seppi, Davydenko, Tsonga, granted he is better than he was back in March, but i still don't think he goes into the USO with just Djokovic to worry about.

And lets not forget Federer, who dismantled Rafa twice in Shanghai
 
#51 ·
Your sarcastic Rafa praising posts stopped being funny years ago, dude.
Wrong. They were never funny. ;) :p
lulz. Too true.

You've got to be kidding, right? Or maybe a little anxious to start the Nadal bashing? Start this thread when Nadal actually has dominated for year after year as Federer did. That's when the snooze factor kicks in.
:yeah: Rafa isn't even the world number one yet but the Fed fans are already sick of his "domination"? That's a good one. Let's throw their own words back at them: "I don't understand how people can find genius boring? They must not be true tennis fans. Everyone should just sit back and enjoy witnessing this incredible time in the history and be honored to be alive to witness such greatness!" :)
 
#57 ·
lulz. Too true.


:yeah: Rafa isn't even the world number one yet but the Fed fans are already sick of his "domination"? That's a good one. Let's throw their own words back at them: [itime in the history and be honored to be alive to witness such greatness!"]"I don't understand how people can find genius boring? They must not be true tennis fans. Everyone should just sit back and enjoy witnessing this incredible"[/i] :)
Quoting the Fedtards is so wrong on so many levels - but I LOVE IT!!

Hopefully for them Fed regains confidence at the US Open and doesn't lose 1st or 2nd round or no one will be admiring his genius :D
 
#7 ·
Rafa's dominance on clay is bordering boring.

But can't really call him dominant on grass or hardcourts. On grass he only has the one Wimbledon win, and it was a nail biting five setter. And he certainly isn't dominant on hardcourts...has his share of wins, but I think if Nole can get himself together, he has the best chance in NY.
 
#9 ·
It's great for his fan base, and those who love him, without question.

For business, it's not what you want. The viewing audience/ticket buyers thrive on competition. A near pre-scripted outcome blows. :tape:

It is not good to have one name as a feature in squash matches 24/7. Outside of clay though, there is competition for Nadal, especially on a hardcourt.
 
#12 ·
I'm still not convinced. Djokovic can beat him, yes. Roddick also beat him, Seppi, Davydenko, Tsonga, granted he is better than he was back in March, but i still don't think he goes into the USO with just Djokovic to worry about.

And lets not forget Federer, who dismantled Rafa twice in Shanghai
This how I feel. This is Nadal's year but it's funny how things change so quickly.
 
#14 ·
Doris, I believe this is the closest you have gotten to being a pot-stirrer;)
If I weren't looking from a fan's :inlove: eyes, his domination on clay is definitely very boring. He really hasn't dominated anywhere else. Other than clay, I never get the sense of Nadal winning something inevitably. With Federer for over 3 years you always got that feeling. So I think its a little too early to start this thread. If Nadal maintains an all surface dominance for atleast an year or more, it makes more sense:D
 
#18 ·
Nadal isn't dominating. His reign will be more exciting due to rivalries with his fellow youngsters.
 
#19 ·
Nadal's reign will always be easier for the majority of fans to stomach, for the simple fact that part of what some people disliked so much about Roger's dominance was that it seemed to be appealing only to tennis purists and those with an elitist mentality, this belief was further perpetuated by the aloof manner in which Roger comported himself, while the general consensus seems to be that Nadal represents the face of humility and passion, which for the most part does away with this sense of snobbery and perfection that everyone despised about Roger's dominance, same story goes for Pete Sampras that had a simple approach to tennis and focused exclusively on winning majors -- people would have loved the idea of Agassi dominating, as he wore his emotions on his sleeve.

Never mind the fact that Roger and Pete are arguably two of the biggest dorks ever known to man, it's the aura that angers this new generation of tennis spectators that fear a revival of the glory days of tennis when only the elite were allowed to participate.
 
#26 ·
Prima I hear what you're saying but for the typical fan of tennis or any sport for that matter - you come to the match, you pay your money becasue you want to be part of something bigger than yourself.

For Sampras and now Federer it seems, they keep the public OUT to a certain extent because they need to focus on winning. So in the end their wins are for them only, the public just happened to be there watching. So they shouldnt' complain when the public flock to a more engaging sportsman.

Look I'm not a fan of Federer for the very reasons above - but if there is one thing I hope he takes for his gold medal is that tennis is bigger than Roger Federer. When on a personal level he was going through a difficult patch, he found glory in supporting his team mate, his country and tennis in general.
 
#20 ·
Good ... if you are a fangirl of his

but not good for everyone else, even ppl who may not have liked Federer's dominance will have surely respected how he took it in his stride and the grace of his tennis

but watching Nadal's endless posturing around the court like some caveman/angry teenager after every point (against some hapless mug he is gonna beat 100 times out of 100) just makes me wanna switch my tv channel - of course.. if you're a fangirl/boy you are sitting coming out with crap like "wow, look how fired up Rafa is!! what a spartan, what an animal!!! ... so much hunger :yeah: bla bla shit shit"

anyhow, with his style of tennis - he wont sustain this anywhere near the level that Fed did

of course the down side to that is Nole takes over - and he looks far more capable of sustaining greatness than this road runner .. but with a far better game to watch at least, and i'm hopeful that Nole can mature alot more on court unlike caveboy.
 
#82 ·
watching Nadal's endless posturing around the court like some caveman/angry teenager after every point (against some hapless mug he is gonna beat 100 times out of 100) just makes me wanna switch my tv channel - of course.. if you're a fangirl/boy you are sitting coming out with crap like "wow, look how fired up Rafa is!! what a spartan, what an animal!!! ... so much hunger :yeah: bla bla shit shit"
Quite.

I find his oncourt ruffian antics unbearable, particularly considering he's nothing of the sort offcourt. But that's precisely what countless other people love about him.

Anyways.

Most people read the question as "Will Nadal's dominance be better for the game than Federer's was?".

It's down to personal preference as to game styles I suppose. Other than that, I guess that many will find Nadal more charismatic than Federer was.
 
#21 ·
I don't think anyone thinks that Nadal will dominate tennis like Federer did for the next 4 years. That's the difference.
 
#25 ·
Good point here

talk about Nadal dominating this year - but this year still isnt in Fed's best THREE years is it :shrug: and maybe even four if you include 2005 when he lost only 4 matches (3 of which he would have won if he was a spartan)
 
#24 ·
I think tennis authorities should focus on returning tennis to a game where point building, ball placement, movement both along the base line and towards the net and the use of all four shots get equal weight in the game. 90 percent of the time we are watching a slug fest and players road-running along the base line and looking for 'angles'. Yes, his prospective dominance is bad for tennis, but this is not his fault of course. He is proof that something has to be adjusted in tennis technology. Remember the even more boring period of big serve (and occasional volley) domination on the fast courts. After making the balls slower, everything was OK. Now it is time for new adjustments.
 
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#30 ·
You've got to be kidding, right? Or maybe a little anxious to start the Nadal bashing? Start this thread when Nadal actually has dominated for year after year as Federer did. That's when the snooze factor kicks in.

As for me, Nadal will probably be exciting always. He plays every point with such intensity. Nadal, for me, although not for you, is simply a more entertaining player than Federer. Some of it is his passion and some of it is his personality. He's not a boring guy. I can't see him turning into one.
 
#45 ·
You've got to be kidding, right? Or maybe a little anxious to start the Nadal bashing? Start this thread when Nadal actually has dominated for year after year as Federer did. That's when the snooze factor kicks in.
I didn't started the thread to bash Nadal, just wanted to hear how different the situation is for both fangroups now. I remember the posts of the threads when Roger was winning month by month and how people complained this would ruin the sport. I just wanted to know how it feels now for the Nadal fans that Rafa has such a mental advantage towards the other players - same what Roger had during his dominant times - and if the Federer fans can maybe understand now what other players fans felt when Roger collected so many titles.

As for me, Nadal will probably be exciting always. He plays every point with such intensity. Nadal, for me, although not for you, is simply a more entertaining player than Federer. Some of it is his passion and some of it is his personality. He's not a boring guy. I can't see him turning into one.
Well, you have all the right to feel that way as his fan :)
 
#32 ·
I'm going to say it is a welcomed change for me.


For tennis in general, if it's good or bad? I don't know. Such effects often only kick in after years.
 
#36 ·
Humble indeed

what will Nadal's first quote be when he is No1 tomorrow "for me, Roger, still the best of the world and the favorite for Roland Garros"

ridiculous clowns
 
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