Nole and Rafa - a picture tells.......

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2011/08/32/Montreal-Djokovic-Nadal-Open-New-Tennis-Courts.aspx


The new No 1 and No 2 don't look quite as happy together as the previous No 1 and No 2. Was this the best picture taken, or an unfortunate choice? Is the bromance over? Discuss

You are right in that not often you see these two guys engaging in very friendly relations like you often saw between Federer and Nadal. I suspect Nadal must be ,in private, deeply resented to have found, unexpectedly, in Djokovic such a formidable competitors. I personally have never enjoyed that much the "cosy relationship" Fed-Nadal have had in the past, and I am inclined to think at this as personal weakness of Federer.

Ha Ha

They don't look comfortable together in that pic. To be honest I don't think they were ever the best of friends. Remember a few years ago Nadal wasn't happy with Djokovics impressions. There was I think something said by a member of Nadals team about Djokovics very public and very loud celebrations after his win in Madrid. I can also vaguely remember Djokovic saying something recently about it not being possable to be "friends" with other players. I presume by this he meant other top players as he's always appeared freindly with his fellow Serbian players.

I've always quite liked the way Nadal and Federer respect each other. They both see each other as the main rival and a cut above the rest. It would be understandable however if at times Djokovic felt a little resentful to not be included...

I don't think there is any bad blood although maybe Novak's ascencion to number #1 would naturally leave a bitter taste in Rafa and their camp. Both players have always been pretty gracious towards each other. It just has to be tough though to maintain any type of real friendship when you are basically playing for such large stakes and constantly facing the same guy. I personally, like a little bad blood in a rivalry, that is kind of the reason I loved connors so much, you don't have to try very hard to hate him if you were opponent. And why I always preferred the Roger/Novak rivalry to the Fed/Nadal rivalry because they didn't make kissy face at each other and you know that both guys don't really like each other. When has fed ever beaten anyone and given that aggressive of a finger point like he did after RG. You know the next time Novak plays Roger whether he will admit it or not, he will remember the little cocky finger wag.

socal1976 wrote:When has fed ever beaten anyone and given that aggressive of a finger point like he did after RG. You know the next time Novak plays Roger whether he will admit it or not, he will remember the little cocky finger wag.

After he beat Nadal Madrid 2009, but not with quite so much feeling! Actually I don't think he was cocky, that sounds like someone who is celebrating with over confidence about their abilities - I think it was defiance - I'm still here!

Actually I agree with you socal and with Jeremy, as a Fed fan I was always a little uncomfortable at how, well fawning he has appeared with Nadal sometimes. I cringed watching Fed welcome Rafa to Zurich last year to play the exhibition for his foundation, and even more so with the 'anytime he asks, I'll do anything for him' speech at the exhibition in Madrid for Rafa's charity.

Rafa is very disarming in his chumminess which has made it difficult for some of the players when Rafa bends the existing rules to his will on the court. Murray in particular has sometimes sounded like the kid on the edge of the cool group who is just so flattered that the most popular guy wants him as a friend (Miles McClaggen, post AM, hinted at this on Eurosport) Glad to see that Murray is beginning to look a little more clearly at this whole 'best sportsman of them all' thing - he fired back at a reporter who questioned his gamesmanship with MTO recently by responding that he and Federer had the best record of all with observing time rules and not using MTOs. You can't be Rafa's friend AND beat him, and I am glad that the penny appears, belatedly, to be dropping.

I meant to add that I do understand Hawkeye that the celebrations in Madrid were OTT, especially as it was Rafa's home soil - however I think that, while it is not to my taste despite being a fan of Novak, it is a very cultural thing and that Nole's success is such a big deal in Serbia. The country has had such a turbulent recent history and so much bad news which has resurfaced with the discovery of Mladic. Nole himself is an extrovert who sometimes doesn't know when to stop. However, I think he is a personality that brings something else to the game and we have three very distinctive 'big' personalities at the top now which can only be good for the game's popularity as a whole.

I think the top players have been a bit precious about his impersonations - they were very funny, just as Roddick's are or Agassi mimicking Fed before. No-one seemed to have a problem with that - I wonder if it was simply that Djokovic was the new kid on the block and he didn't show enough 'respect' - which is exactly why he has been able to break through against Fed and Rafa of course.

Good posts, timeplease. Give me a rivalry with a little bad blood anyday over the sort of odd friendliness of Rafa and Roger. I think you hit the nail on the head about Novak's celebration, I actually don't remember the Madrid celebration being anything too odd maybe I will have to check it out again on youtube. I have heard alot of stuff about how "overboard" his celebration was in Madrid in the last couple of weeks, but I don't remember anyone really commenting on it that much at the time. I think both Rafa and Novak are friendly enough and have a good relationship, but obviously playing each other 5 times in 7 months with one guy winning all of them probably has put some awkwardness and tension between them. I am sure as nice a person as Nadal seems to be he doesn't like answer the same question about how one guy keeps beating him.

socal1976 wrote:Good posts, timeplease. Give me a rivalry with a little bad blood anyday over the sort of odd friendliness of Rafa and Roger. I think you hit the nail on the head about Novak's celebration, I actually don't remember the Madrid celebration being anything too odd maybe I will have to check it out again on youtube. I have heard alot of stuff about how "overboard" his celebration was in Madrid in the last couple of weeks, but I don't remember anyone really commenting on it that much at the time. I think both Rafa and Novak are friendly enough and have a good relationship, but obviously playing each other 5 times in 7 months with one guy winning all of them probably has put some awkwardness and tension between them. I am sure as nice a person as Nadal seems to be he doesn't like answer the same question about how one guy keeps beating him.

I think Rafa has simply been caught off-guard by the Novak surge this year. Remember, his H2H with Novak was 16-7 prior to 2011. Novak has closed the gap in eight months and it can be hard for anyone to handle.

Yes, kemet, I concur it is kind of like a sucker punch from at a time and place when you are least expecting it. It may create some over sensitivity on part of Nadal, his camp, or his fans. One thing that must be remembered about Madrid the fans were obviously rooting heavily for Nadal and it was Novak's first win over Nadal on clay, and a very emotional match for a 2 setter. Novak was up double break in the first set, lost both breaks and still won the set 7-5 I believe.

socal1976 wrote:Yes, kemet, I concur it is kind of like a sucker punch from at a time and place when you are least expecting it. It may create some over sensitivity on part of Nadal, his camp, or his fans. One thing that must be remembered about Madrid the fans were obviously rooting heavily for Nadal and it was Novak's first win over Nadal on clay, and a very emotional match for a 2 setter. Novak was up double break in the first set, lost both breaks and still won the set 7-5 I believe.

It was quite a surprise, but Rome was something else altogether - couldn't believe that Djokovic, who looked dead on his feet the night before, could come back from playing such an exhausting semi (and the late one at that) to triumph so conclusively over the king of clay......it was some performance.

Yes, it was timeplease, I think that it became clear at that point that Nadal had some serious structural problems in his matchup against Novak that it wasn't just a hot streak or a one off. The two losses on the US hardcourts being closer matches was what I found so surprising.

socal1976 wrote:Yes, it was timeplease, I think that it became clear at that point that Nadal had some serious structural problems in his matchup against Novak that it wasn't just a hot streak or a one off. The two losses on the US hardcourts being closer matches was what I found so surprising.

they might not have been so close had they come after the clay season???? Nice talking to you socal, but dead on my feet, so going to say 'night night all and catch you tomorrow'

yeah take care time please, different time zone here so I am counting down to the Novak night match.

socal1976 wrote:yeah take care time please, different time zone here so I am counting down to the Novak night match.

Yeah, I was sure that I read in yesterday's schedule that Djokovic was the late match - surprised then because Fed in his side of the the draw so thought it would be tonight logically - which it turns out it is. Just watched the Fedmeister and would love to stay up and see Djokovic too but too many early starts so will be recording instead.

I think the action was rain delayed yesterday Novak was supposed to play yesterday.

the problem for Nadal is that Novak has a lot of charisma... and often outshines him when they are together.

You know it's the truth Nadfans

I don't know Josiah a lot of people find Nadal very charismatic usually the female fans.

female fans also find bieber charismatic..........

Now Josiah they are entitled to their opinion and their hormones, you don't like Nadal but I think he does some really jaw dropping things on the court and he has a certain flair and marketablity.