Nadal’s phantom foot injury steals game, limelight
Columnist By David Lord, 29 Jun 2011 David Lord is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- Bernard Tomic, Rafael Nadal, Tennis, Wimbledon, Wimbledon 2011
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As soon as Bernie Tomic started grabbing the tennis headlines around the world, you could bet your house on Rafael Nadal being injured. That’s the Nadal way.
I’ll put my cards on the table straight away, I don’t like the Spaniard’s gamesmanship, never have, never will.
And when he sought medical attention against Juan Martin del Potro, my immediate reaction was “here we go again”.
Nadal was doing it tough against the Argentine, who he eventually beat 7-6 3-6 7-6 6-4 in four hours.
But it was during the latter stages of the first set, when he was in such agony, he called for medical assistance.
What better way to take away del Potro’s momentum than to make him wait 10 minutes while a trainer attended to the injury.
Nadal’s normal trick of taking well over the legal 20 seconds between points wasn’t working, it needed a more dramatic headline seeker.
It was worth a double whammy, put del Potro off his game, which it did, and take away the headlines from that pesky teenager Tomic – a double achievement.
An MRI scan later proved there was no damage, but Nadal was convinced he had broken his foot.
There’s a huge difference between a broken foot, and nothing. Let his own quotes tell the story:
“I felt really bad during the first set, At 6-5, I felt terrible, I felt I had broken my foot. The point at deuce and the point that gave me set point, I felt terrible.
“I asked for the trainer at that moment when the game was done.
“I seriously didn’t know at that moment if I had a chance to continue playing.
“At 6-5 I pushed hard with the forehand and I felt something crushed there in the back of the outside of the foot.
“But as the match went through the pain got better and thankfully the tests showed no injury”.
Of course the pain got better; Nadal was back in control.
Let’s see what happens tonight against Mardy Fish. The American isn’t nearly as dangerous as del Potro, but there have been times during his hot-and-cold career when Fish can string together some sensational shots, to support a big serve.
If Fish gets hot tonight, you can again bet your house on Nadal’s left foot having another long visit from the trainer.
And without any doubt, Nadal will constantly take more than the allowed 20 seconds between points, often as much as 30 seconds, and not be reprimanded by the central umpire once.
It’s wrong, but it’s the Nadal way.
What time does Tomic play? Bernard Tomic faces Novak Djokovic on Wimbledon’s No. 1 Court at 10PM AEST
- Explore:
- Bernard Tomic, Rafael Nadal, Tennis, Wimbledon, Wimbledon 2011
June 29th 2011 @ 11:49am
Theresa said | June 29th 2011 @ 11:49am | Report comment
Thank you for writing this! Nadal did this at the French Open final and another Wimbledon match last year. No one ever calls him on the suspicious timing, unlike when Djokovic pulled similar stunts years ago. It’s also annoying that Nadal hardly gets called for time violations. I’ve even heard commentators defend him by saying that opponents don’t mind that he takes forever between points because it gives them a chance to catch their breath!
June 29th 2011 @ 11:54am
GREAT said | June 29th 2011 @ 11:54am | Report comment
Congratulations Mr. Lord. Someone had to say it.
July 11th 2011 @ 7:22pm
Alec said | July 11th 2011 @ 7:22pm | Report comment
yes and someone gullible as you would buy it….
June 29th 2011 @ 1:11pm
Jean Erica said | June 29th 2011 @ 1:11pm | Report comment
He’s done this so many times over the years I’ve lost count. Total gamesmanship.
…and let’s not even mention the look of his legs and arms. Surreal.
June 29th 2011 @ 1:55pm
Bakkies said | June 29th 2011 @ 1:55pm | Report comment
No surprises here. Djokovic and Nadal are from countries where Football (Soccer) is king and this frequently happens in matches to get free kicks, going down to stop play when the opposition gets momentum or to waste time.
June 29th 2011 @ 2:00pm
Titus said | June 29th 2011 @ 2:00pm | Report comment
Football is pretty much king in every country, so I can’t really see the relevance.
June 29th 2011 @ 2:14pm
Bakkies said | June 29th 2011 @ 2:14pm | Report comment
The revelance they are using football like tactics to slow their opponent down, using ”injury breaks” to relieve pressure on themselves while their opponent is on top. No one has mentioned Djokovic constantly bouncing balls before he is about to serve. You never see guys like Rafter, Hewitt, Sampras, Roddick, Agassi do it.
June 29th 2011 @ 2:32pm
Brian said | June 29th 2011 @ 2:32pm | Report comment
Actually Federer was much more of a soccer player than either Nadal or Djokovic, playing till he was 12 when he made the choice to focus on tennis
June 30th 2011 @ 5:17pm
Peter Vijay. said | June 30th 2011 @ 5:17pm | Report comment
Djoko Bouncing the ball many times is surely not serious as Rafa’s Momentum Killer tactics.Bouncing the ball more than 5 or 6 times may even back fire and end up losing rhythm on serve.Rafa is a hardcore cheat gets away with this nonsense every time.
June 30th 2011 @ 9:17pm
Tennisfan said | June 30th 2011 @ 9:17pm | Report comment
Nadal and Djokovic playing tennis. they should follow rules that apply to tennis, not cheat like footballers do …couple of cheaters as world no 1 and 2 ….great idols for younger generation..ATP might award them sportsmanship award this year.
June 29th 2011 @ 3:28pm
Viscount Crouchback said | June 29th 2011 @ 3:28pm | Report comment
Quite right, Bakkies. There are clearly some cultural issues at play here. Those of a “Latin” background – who are indeed often soccer-oriented – clearly find this sort of gamesmanship acceptable.
June 29th 2011 @ 3:52pm
Titus said | June 29th 2011 @ 3:52pm | Report comment
Yeah, cos Hewitt, Sampras, Agassi and Roddick were totally incapable of gamesmanship.
June 30th 2011 @ 10:04pm
betamax said | June 30th 2011 @ 10:04pm | Report comment
Come on Crouchback. Racial profiling is such a bad look.
My missus is Spanish and I have spent a fair bit of time there over the years, and I can assure you this type of behavior from Nadal doesn’t go unnoticed by either the press or the fans in Spain. My impression is that he has the same relationship with the Spanish that Hewitt has with Australians. Verdasco seems to be a much more popular player, but historically its hard to get a united opinion of anyone in Spain.
Incidentally, I was in Spain at the time of the infamous “El Classico” where Real and Barca players were out to shame themselves in equal measure by playacting and diving. The hammering they copped from the press and fans after that match was unprecidented, and rightly so. Next match, they cut it out.
My point is don’t think the behavior of Nadal is a reflection of the “Latin” way. Most play the game fairly and with undoubted skill.
June 29th 2011 @ 2:03pm
clipper said | June 29th 2011 @ 2:03pm | Report comment
I commented that there would be no way Nadal wouldn’t play his next match, for much the same reasons this article says. One day he’ll strike someone who’ll pull him up on the time he takes between points – it gives him a bit of an unfair advantage.
June 29th 2011 @ 2:31pm
JB said | June 29th 2011 @ 2:31pm | Report comment
I totally agree! It is just sooo wrong! I was so irritated when Nadal took a time out to have his foot strapped during the FO final against Roger just before he was about to serve to stay in the first set. Look what it did, Roger lost his rythm.
I know there are rules, but most players choose not to abuse them. Djokovic used to do it but he stopped already.
Nadal, on the other hand, thinks that he’s untouchable. How many times has he done it? Once, twice? Nah, I lost count already. Just annoying. C’mon, Nadal – win but win it by being fair and square.
June 29th 2011 @ 3:58pm
Sandra said | June 29th 2011 @ 3:58pm | Report comment
Nadal plays very good, but things like what he did with Del Potro are exactly the reason why he’ll never be close to what Federer is, what Federer represents in tennis and the reason why he’ll never be the best player in the history of tennis, like Roger… and he knows it. He’ll always be the next best thing… never the best, never Roger Federer.
June 29th 2011 @ 5:14pm
Alec said | June 29th 2011 @ 5:14pm | Report comment
Really? how about the “toilet break” that roger had when trailing davydenko in AO 09 then admitting that he really did that on purpose? also why is it nobody’s question delpo’s injury time because he lost? is that it? wow! so now MTO should be quantified it all depends on the acting chops of the player if the player appears to be really injured that he can have his MTO any moment? is that what you saying?
July 1st 2011 @ 12:16am
S said | July 1st 2011 @ 12:16am | Report comment
Excuse me ? Federer took a toilet break in the time allowed between sets and was back on court before the umpire called time. How does it affect an opponent’s rhythm whether Federer sat on his chair on court or went to the bathroom in the time allowed between the sets ? How does that compare to the 10 minute long MTOs that Nadal takes interrupting play during a set ? MTOs are allowed only between sets unless there is a serious injury rendering a player immobile or something. Getting your foot taped is Nadal’s definition of a serious injury ?
June 29th 2011 @ 4:00pm
Alec said | June 29th 2011 @ 4:00pm | Report comment
Another stupid sport analyst…you forgot to mention that Nadal was leading 6-5 40-30 on del potro’s serve….he stopped after hitting the ball and winning the points….he could stop right there and there and called for MTO but he chose to let delpo finished the serve…so wheres the momentum you are talking about…what happened to delpo’s acting skills? are you suddenly agreeing that yes that is not gamesmanship…come on be fair…
and by the way..how can you easily forget when Roger called for a bathroom break when trailing davydenko in AO2009? selective amnesia or just trying to be genius?
June 29th 2011 @ 4:38pm
Lucy said | June 29th 2011 @ 4:38pm | Report comment
Hey Alec, can you think of any other moment aside from the one incident at the Australian Open last year, where Federer has used blatant gamesmanship? When he asked for a strategic MTO or took longer than 20 (he’ll, even 10 or 16) seconds between points? When you can recall multiple instances of Federer pushing or breaking the rules the way Nadal does, let me know.
June 29th 2011 @ 5:11pm
Alec said | June 29th 2011 @ 5:11pm | Report comment
hi lucy, did you really have a proof that rafa always exceeds the 20 sec timer? are you saying that the umpires are useless that you are more intelligent than them and that you know the rules well? hmmmmmm…
also what can you say about Delpo’s injury timeout? are you saying that MTO should be quantified? it should be based on the “acting skills” of the players? it seems for this match thats the case it seems everybody is saying yeah delpo is really hurt but how would you know? why is it nobody is questioning it? nadal still played even though he has the upperhand he was leading 6-5 40-30 after the shot the injure his left ankle and yet he didn’t bother to ask for MTO immediately whilst delpo immediately everyone expects a timeout..please explain…
June 29th 2011 @ 4:42pm
k77sujith said | June 29th 2011 @ 4:42pm | Report comment
Hello David
I see your point, but don’t quite agree with you though. The world is aware of the fact that Rafa, for all the talent he possesses, is injury-prone, has chronic knee issues to deal with and just because one has a muscular body doesn’t necessarily mean he’s going to always remain fit and cannot feel pain or get injured. I think you must take into consideration the number of matches that are played every week in the tennis calendar. If you’re anti-Rafa, that’s fine. But, you forgot to mention Del Potro’s time-out. A clear example was his Aus Open 2011 loss to David Ferrer, when he could have easily retired hurt rather than play out the match. Rafa is a terrific sportsman and would never resort to such cheap theatrics…win or lose.
Rafa can never be Roger and Roger can never be Rafa. Both of them are great ambassadors of the game and champions in their own right. Period.
June 29th 2011 @ 6:03pm
SB said | June 29th 2011 @ 6:03pm | Report comment
There are some things that I agree with. He has played alot of matches, but Djokovic has played more, and he used to suffer with heat exhaustion…..but now he is fine. Only Nadal will take an injury timeout in a high profile game fust after his opponent has held a vital serve game or is ready to serve for the set or is playing well. Only him! And his comments about the foot are vague and there is no corroboration by the MRI scans. The pain got better when he ran more, hit harder after the injury timeout. And I knew the MRI scans would be clear. We are not fools! We can see a cheat for what he is! Professional cheat because he is doing it on the biggest stage where he has the all to lose. If no tennis violations are evident, one could say, it is gamesenship. But from a third person perspective and having watched tennis for 10+ years, I can tell that it is unsporting behaviour (it is like soccer players diving or a cricketer edging the ball but not walking – you are not showing integrity………therefore you are a fraud).
June 29th 2011 @ 7:13pm
Alec said | June 29th 2011 @ 7:13pm | Report comment
Ready to serve…lets focus on Delpo’s match. Nadal called for the MTO after delpo finished his serve. Nadal btw had the momentum..he was ahead 6-5 40-30 on delpo’s serve..where is the violation there? Im amaze that you just agrees with Delpo’s MTO is it because he loss? wow! stop the nonsense
June 29th 2011 @ 5:07pm
Alec said | June 29th 2011 @ 5:07pm | Report comment
Also what if the MRI result is different are you gonna still write about that? c’mon stop the nonsense…