Much ado about Rafa ...

So what's going on with him, folks? What is it? Is he having to manage pain with some injury he's carrying that's not being made public? Is there something affecting him from his personal life? It was widely reported during the first week of Wimbledon that his parents were getting back together again - and I can honestly say that that single week was the only time Rafa has seemed to have any joy about him - but that doesn't seem to have happened. But then how do you explain the clay court malaise? Was he that hurt and wounded by the IW/Miami losses to the Prince of Darkness??

I'm telling you though Readers ... something-is-up.

Something is distinctly not right. Rafa's already coming out with quotes that its too late now this year to get in the further practice he needs this year to perhaps beat the PoD ... so maybe we all just have to suck it up for this season and hope Rafa can put right what is so obviously wrong, along with hoping that the stress the PoD will have to go through in maintaining all that he has won wears him down to a pulp. Lets face it, his only experience of defending any title so far is the 500 series event in Dubai.

So I gathered up some of the Rafateers' thoughts on this season and wrapped them up in post on the thread last night ...

"We've had many a discussion over Rafa and all of us have brought points which I think all have a factor. He did not take appropriate time off after his fabulous 2010 with only about 4 days break. He's had unfortunate illnesses in Doha which wasted him; he had tremendous pressure on him in Oz over the RafaSlam and when he started to find a bit of form in the quarters, he was injured. He was out for about 6 weeks, came back to IW and Miami without any serious match play and encountered Djokovic Mk II which was a shock to him and I think rocked him. He didn't play well at either MC or Barcelona, but as we've been made aware through his book about how much his parents divorce affected him, lets not forget that the weekend in Madrid saw the passing of his great friend, Seve Ballesteros, and how upset he was about that.

I seriously believe that was the end of any "friendship" there had been between him and Djoko because Djoko sacked their PR Benito that week, and whilst Spain was in mourning over Seve, he was bouncing around like a clown on court whilst he and his team be-decked themselves in Serbian shirts and then behaved like uncouth arses waving their flags and humping cars on the streets of Madrid that night. In Rome, Rafa got a sickness again and was still upset as it was the week of Seve's funeral - he signed SB at the end of every match.

He was woeful in the first week at the FO and then probably because it was the FO and clay, he could still find a way to win. The first week at Wimbers was the happiest we'd seen him in ages, but the Monday of the second week saw the injury to his foot and I believe that impeded him physically and in his head for the rest of it. Rafa has always had to know that he is in his best physical condition at tournies because he has always drawn his strength from knowing he is the fittest and relied on it. When he's not, it plays on his mind, affects his confidence and therefore his play, which becomes entirely negative.

When he started training again after Wimbers, they had to stop because of his foot, and he's only had 4 days practice before this leg of the season. He's only played one match before here, burnt his fingers ... and here we are.

Its August, and Rafa is talking next year, not now.

"I have a goal right now," Nadal said, "and that's improve my tennis to be good enough to compete against him for next year. For this year, I don't have enough time to practice, but hopefully for next year, yes, I have to change and improve a few things, and that's what I'm going to try."

They're not playing the real thing right now for a myriad of reasons and for a stack we won't even know about. But at some point - and it may only be next year - we will see Rafa again."

What do you guys think??

Anyhow ... I'm off to pick up Rafa's book from the Post Office to see if there any clues in there. But most of all, I want to enjoy the read. We will always support him - whatever.

VAMOS!!