Don’t feel blue: suck it up, Rafael Nadal
Roar Guru 
Rafael Nadal on Madrid's blue clay court (Image: Getty)
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2011 prize money: $7.7m. Grand Slam titles: 10. World Ranking: No.2. Career earnings: $45m. Based on these mind boggling statistics, you could hardly say that Rafael Nadal has the right to complain.
But, that’s what he has done on numerous occasions at the Madrid Masters this week on the controversial subject of the innovative, blue clay.
From the very start Nadal has criticised the new surface, declaring it “far from a clay court”.
Previous to this year’s headline grabbing Madrid Open the Spaniard lobbied heavily with the ATP to prevent this surface being used for the largely scrutinised tournament, however his appeal was rejected.
Yet Nadal is not alone in his opposition to the new surface with world No.1 Novak Djokovic joining the chorus of frustration, stating that, “this is not tennis.”
After losing for the first time to Spanish compatriot, Fernando Verdasco in the third round of this contentious tournament, Nadal went even further with his harsh judgements declaring that the tournament will be, “one less event for my calendar (next year)”.
This obvious threat to boycott next year’s tournament merely because of a slightly different playing surface is undoubtedly ludicrous and childish. Like the everyday man who has a job, tennis players must also encounter difficulties, frustrations and enormous disappointments throughout their careers.
However, to get paid millions of dollars a year to play the sport you love, as well as living your dream, is hardly a chore. That’s why in this instance Rafael Nadal has to suck it up and stop the whining and whinging.
If you don’t like the surface then bad luck, move on. The world No.2 should know better. If an average working man doesn’t enjoy his job and then decides he doesn’t fancy work that day, bad luck. He still has to work to support his family and make sure he is not fired from his job.
The Rafa outbursts of the past week have been unprofessional and just wrong. Surely he of all people can realise that the blue clay is garnering plenty of attention for tennis, which can only be good for the game.
Sometimes Rafa, you just have to suck it up.
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- Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Tennis
May 12th 2012 @ 6:21am
Roy Annecy said | May 12th 2012 @ 6:21am | Report comment
Don’t agree, Zac. Several players have said the bounce is different, and you don’t change a court with one of the Slams starting in two weeks time. Rafa’s complaining because he’s a pro. Pros don’t have to “suck it up”, that’s for amateurs. You think he’s spoilt? He’s not. He’s worked like crazy to get where he is. You think 45 million a lot of money for hitting a ball? Angelina gets that for just two movies, and she didn’t start when she was four years old and have to battle extreme physical stress nine months of every year. Rafa’s won Monte Carlo and Barcelona eight times each. Not even Rod Laver could do that.
May 12th 2012 @ 7:46am
bino said | May 12th 2012 @ 7:46am | Report comment
What is wrong with you? Players surely have the right to express their opinion, they are the ones playing not the organisers and certainly not you. He is not alone in this. This is not the only event and they can choose where to play. Nadal rightly said ATP and organisers can do what they want.
May 12th 2012 @ 9:59am
Turnover said | May 12th 2012 @ 9:59am | Report comment
He has to work harder than any average 9-5er. Don’t make out like it’s a casual swing twice a day for an hours. Also, with all his injuries and the pain he has played through, he has ‘sucked it up’ plenty of times…
It’d not just rafa who feels this way either.
I agree the blue look is somewhat appealing but you aren’t acknowledging the fragile relationship between the the ATP and the players. The players are on court far to many days a year. The ATP should at least provide surfaces they are happy with.
May 12th 2012 @ 11:30am
zacbrygel said | May 12th 2012 @ 11:30am | Report comment
I hear you guys when you have said that Rafael Nadal has sucked it up in the past and he certainly has. For example,
the tremendous mental toughness he showed in this year’s Australian Open final for 5 hours and 53 minutes
was just incredible. However, it doesnt mean he should boycott next year’s tournament as he has
threatened to do so. It’s just a surface and he should move on, suck it up and act like a professional which
he has done all 3 things so many times before.
May 12th 2012 @ 11:45am
zacbrygel said | May 12th 2012 @ 11:45am | Report comment
It seems like Roger Federer agrees with me. Read this: http://www.foxsports.com.au/tennis/roger-federer-refuses-to-join-novak-djokovic-rafael-nadal-in-criticising-blue-clay-at-madrid-masters/story-e6frf4mu-1226353562898
May 12th 2012 @ 7:34pm
Joel said | May 12th 2012 @ 7:34pm | Report comment
I agree with this article Zac. I think Nadal needs to just get over it. Every other player has the exact same problem. It is just another surface which is another type of clay. I think this should replace normal clay as the ball is much easier to follow and the court looks much better on a hole. Instead of 4 surfaces there are now 5. Get over it Nadal and co.
May 12th 2012 @ 11:12pm
Stephanie said | May 12th 2012 @ 11:12pm | Report comment
I think it’s not really the place for a spectator to tell Rafa and Djokovic to simply ‘suck it up’. They are the ones who have to play on it at the end of the day. If they feel that it’s too slippery and the ball bounces differently, then so be it. They’re expressing their opinions, like others have said. This isn’t just a ‘slightly different surface’ that they’re complaining about. They’ve played on it and they’ve certainly played on enough red clay courts to know the difference. Rafa isn’t one to complain; it always seems as if he tries to avoid conflict. The last ‘outburst’ that comes to mind is last year’s US Open when there was issues with wet courts and such. If anything, his ranking, prize money, etc. should only be more reason to trust his judgement. He’s been around long enough to know, ‘hey, this isn’t so good’. It isn’t about the money, he has enough of that. I don’t understand how you think he’s been unprofessional. He’s expressed his dislike for the court but he played nonetheless and said he wouldn’t return next year if the clay didn’t change back. He’s provided reasons for why he doesn’t like it, too. It wasn’t as if he just threw his racquet away and withdrew at the last minute. Besides, Roger has supported Rafa about the clay before.
If the King of Clay says something is wrong, then there probably is something wrong. Just saying.
May 13th 2012 @ 12:42pm
matt said | May 13th 2012 @ 12:42pm | Report comment
Great article and spot on. Rafa would do well to be an Aussie giving the extent and frequency of his whinging. If it’s not the blue clay then it’s the hectic schedule. Otherwise it is the regular drug testing (Rafa never did account for that sudden and short lived extra 10 mile an hour he found on his serve the one time he won the US Open. Oh sorry he did account for it – a “grip change” that he decided to adopt the day before that tournament and yet has never been able to “find” again since. Juice anyone?)
Oh and then there is his constant whining on the players council about things like the rankings system.
Funny thing is, I never see him complain about the 45 seconds he seems to be allowed to take between points every single time…
Federer is indeed the shining example on the opposite side of the court. His ability to play through adversity without complaint, and make the best of any given moment, is nothing short of inspirational. And that includes the adversity of turning up every week ready to be Rafa’s punching bag should the pair meet (I wonder if the roles had been reversed if Rafa would have run for the hills long ago a la Bjorg when the like of McEnroe and Conners turned up).
May 13th 2012 @ 1:30pm
zacbrygel said | May 13th 2012 @ 1:30pm | Report comment
Thanks for your nice words Matt. I agree with everything you said and I love how you included the bit about federer which is spot on.
May 13th 2012 @ 8:27pm
matt said | May 13th 2012 @ 8:27pm | Report comment
thanks @zacbrygel – looking forward to a few more good reads from you over the RG & Wimbledon period, cheers
May 13th 2012 @ 9:56pm
zacbrygel said | May 13th 2012 @ 9:56pm | Report comment
thanks @matt – I will make sure you will be kept updated over the RG and Wimbledon period in the best way I can!
May 13th 2012 @ 6:55pm
k77sujith said | May 13th 2012 @ 6:55pm | Report comment
Well, I think as pros, they need to make the adjustment which throws up a new challenge. Having said that, the groundsman did come out saying the blue sand takes nearly a year to become a normal clay surface. Maybe, the grounds person’s vision went wrong. Players do have the right to express what they feel, in the end, what they say is fabricated by the media who look for negativity all the time. Without doubt, both Rafa and Novak will return to Madrid next year. Thanks.