Happy New Year Everybody!!

May I take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy New Year!!

Hope you have as much fun at Midnight as Rafa did doing this, and let's hope for all of us ... peace, health and happiness in 2013.

Why February is always a Rafa fan's favourite month ...

Why?  Because when we were in the depths of despair in 2010, Rafa brought us Gypsy.

And when we were feeling in a similar vein in 2011, Rafa slipped off those jeans and got down to his undercrackers for Armani ...

And when we were still reeling from 2011 and another Australian disappointment what did Rafa bring us in 2012?  Why, a surprise inclusion in the Swimwear edition of Sports Illustrated.

And so what will Rafa bring us in February 2013?  Well ... all we ever want anyway. Just him. For more of this ...

and this ...

VAMOS RAFA!!  We're all behind you!!

Rafa's daily dose ...

Rafa's Facebook entry on today's news ...

"My knee is much better and the rehabilitation process has gone well as predicted by the doctors, but this virus didn’t allow me to practice this past week and therefore I am sorry to announce that I will not play in Doha and the Australian Open, as we had initially scheduled." 

"As my team and doctors say, the safest thing to do is to do things well and this virus has delayed my plans of playing these weeks. I will have to wait until the Acapulco tournament to compete again although I could consider to play before at any other ATP event."

Rafa's quotes ...

"I am sorry and very sad to announce that I will not play in the Australian Open," the 2009 Australian Open champion said. "My knee is coming along okay, but a stomach virus has left me unable to get ready in time to tackle the rigours of a Grand Slam. 

"Because of the virus, I have been unable to get any match practice and simply would not be doing myself or my friends in Australia justice if I went down there so unprepared. You need your body to be at its best for the Australian Open," Nadal said. 

"It was a difficult decision and I am extremely disappointed to be missing such a great event. I love coming to Melbourne and playing on Rod Laver Arena before the Australian crowds. It brings out the best in me. It hurts to have to wait another 12 months before I get another chance. In the meantime, the focus is now on desperately trying to get back on the tour."

The Australian Open website are carrying the announcement here.

I'm very, very sad for Rafa and sad for us to be deprived of him once more.

On to February ...

... and now it's the Australian Open

Nadal now plans return in Acapulco: "The safest thing to do is to do things well & this virus has delayed my plans of playing" #tennis

— Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) December 28, 2012

... I did ask for no endless speculation.

So very, very sad. :(

Rafa out of Doha ...

It's all over Twitter that Rafa is out of Doha and there's to be a formal press conference at 3pm UK time which will no doubt make it official.

I'm sorry for Rafa that sickness has come to him at this time, and I'm sorry for us too.

So I guess the endless "will he? won't he?" debates about wild cards, Kooyong, Sydney, Auckland and of course blah, blah, blah about whether he'll even show up for the Australian Open will now rumble on.  If his PR wasn't so inconsistent it wouldn't be as bad.

To be continued ...

Rafa's 2012 ...

A great video here put together by @RafaelNadalFC

Yeah ... sometimes I do feel like throwing my hands up in the air. But not long now ... c'mon Rafa, we'll still be waiting.

Get Well Soon, Rafa!!

The images are old, but the news is new ... or basic if nothing else.

But the word is that if Rafa is feeling better from the stomach virus which caused his withdrawal from Abu Dhabi, then he'll travel to Doha later in the week. His first match would be on 2nd January.

Would I rather he came back trying to work his way through a field rather than straight in against the likes of Murray or the PoD? Yes, probably. Sigh ... just a little while longer everybody.

Rafa's daily dose ...

"Feliz Navidad a aquellos que la celebran y felices fiestas a todos!!" 

"Happy Holidays to all and ENJOY!!!!"

You too, Rafa. You too ...

... and Rafa wishes US a Happy Christmas!!

... but not without reminding us to Drink Responsibly.

Haha Rafa ... VAMOS!!

BON NADAL everybody!!!

Thought you might like this seasonal offering from rafaelnadalafiliation to get us into the mood.

I would like to wish you and yours a very Happy Christmas! and thank you for all your support and for your continuous popping by to follow this blog.

It's been a very difficult year for us Rafa fans and a few unknowns are still to follow over the next few months. But let's stand firm in our support of Rafa and each other, and here's for a few more dips on that Rafarollercoaster!!

Enjoy yourselves everybody, stay safe and VAMOS IRRESPONSIBLY!!!

Rafa's IB3 Interview ...

At Interview Central this week, Rafa also appeared on IB3.

I'm afraid I don't have a transcript to bring over for you, but you can follow some of the interview quotes if you want to mangle David J Nadal's Twitter page.

Rafa's Banesto photo-shoot ...

Rafa's photo to accompany the Times article has caused quite a stir. I mean, it's not entirely flattering, but does it reflect the mood and tone of the article that Mr Harmans was trying to convey? Possibly. To me it seems to be reaching into his soul ... and it looks like a tired one.

However, Rafa has also been involved in a photo-shoot for Banesto that seems much more like what we're used to.

And here's the video of the shoot ...

photo via http://rafanadal-kingoftennis.ru

Conversation serves only to heighten the apprehension ...

Make use of my Times log-on with the article that served as a pre-cursor to the big interview that has been published today.

Mr Harmans talks of the Christmas Dinner that Rafa had with his team the other night, and that rather than leaving Rafa with a feeling that he'd be back better than ever, he senses his nervousness. Of course Rafa is nervous. And it would be so un-Rafa-like to trumpet any grand return. He'll know better how he feels in a week's time ...

Here's the article ...

Thirty of Rafael Nadal’s clan, friends and supporters sat down around a dinner table on Thursday night to celebrate the bonds that tie them together. His family was there in force; his manager, trainers, public relations boss, sponsors and doctors were all in attendance. The mood was typically Spanish: light-hearted, contented, if a little reserved.

The man in the centre has had his life put on hold for the past six months, as have the majority of those around him. When Nadal is out there in the middle, he is comforted by the sight of so many he loves and respects, and it has been the same as he has tried to work his way back to the fitness levels necessary to compete with the young titans at the top of the tennis game. It did not particularly help that Nadal was not feeling 100 per cent in himself, a little chill serving to remind him that he is not impervious to catching a cold.

That has been the sense in tennis since Nadal was bashed around Centre Court in the second round of Wimbledon this year by Lukas Rosol, a Czech who lost in the next round to Philipp Kohlschreiber, of Germany and failed to qualify for the US Open before ending the year by winning an ATP Challenger in Bratislava and rising to No 73 in the world, eight places from his career high.

It did not require mention of Rosol to make Nadal come out in a sweat.

The tennis world has been fevered with expectation about the Spaniard’s return to the scene since he left Wimbledon in July. He has come close a few times, but, he says, has got himself into a worse state by thinking too optimistically about his preparedness rather than letting nature take its course. He says that he is not patient but trying to remain positive.

I had hoped to come away from our conversation certain that he would be back better than ever, but the sense was more of nervous apprehension. He is being cautious, not willing to say too much too soon. He knows that Spain is agog, and that is a tremendous pressure to bear. He is the country’s most favoured sportsman and at a time that Spain is in the grip of a savage economic downturn, they want their hearts to be lightened. They know that, in Nadal, they have someone who can do that.

They may have to wait a while for complete fulfilment. Nadal is not quite there; he is a little way from being ready to play. He needs to be given him time and space. By the French Open in May, perhaps, the real Nadal will be with us. It will be worth waiting for ...

New blow to management as Rafa jumps ship ...

Seeing as I've re-discovered my full access to The Times, I thought I'd bring over a couple of other pieces.

This one is to advise that like Federer, Rafa is also jumping ship from IMG - just as Djokovic gets in on the party. They must be giving him plenty of the filthy lucre to lure him over as soon as the two jewels in their crown have left. Gives him more $$$s to tuck away in his Monte Carlo tax haven home bank account, doesn't it?

And there seems to be a suggestion that Rafa will set up on his own, with his Dad and Carlos Costa.

Here's the article ...

Rafael Nadal is preparing to join Roger Federer and leave IMG Worldwide, the sports management company, just as it announces the recruitment of Novak Djokovic, the world No 1, to its portfolio of sporting stars.

When Federer declined to sign the new contract offered by IMG in May, the upshot was bound to be a realignment of the representative forces in tennis. The prospect of Nadal taking a similar decision — setting up on his own with his father, Sebastián, and Carlos Costa, his manager, taking care of his business enterprises — prompted the pursuit of Djokovic, for which IMG’s head of tennis, Fernando Soler, was in Monaco last week to finalise negotiations.

The loss of Nadal from the books will be another blow to the prestige of IMG, which had the world at its feet when Mark McCormack was the supremo. The company’s credibility has taken a number of knocks since his death in 2003. At least persuading Djokovic that he should move from the Creative Artists Agency to become its tennis top dog will be seen as a significant consolation prize.

Mike Dolan, the IMG chief executive, told the Financial Times before the Djokovic signing that the rise in the value of sports rights was inflating the size of deals that sport stars could attract, making it harder to hold on to the top names, such as Federer and, it appears, Nadal.

The next story is whether Andy Murray will re-sign for XIX Entertainment, which has managed him for the past three years. The signs are that, despite moves from IMG and Lagardère Unlimited to prise him away from the company owned by Simon Fuller, the music entrepreneur, that Murray will remain loyal.

Whoever represents whom, the stars of the game will be playing for greater wealth than ever at the Australian Open next month. The grand-slam tournament has announced that the two champions will each receive A$2.4 million (about £1.56 million) and there will be a 32.7 per cent increase in prize money for the first-round losers, in line with recent announcements from fellow grand-slam events.

Nadal, who stepped down from his position as a vice-president on the ATP Player Council during this year, nonetheless greeted the news. “It is good to see that tennis keeps improving, keeps being healthy,” he said. “That is what we fought for, to make our sport bigger.

“This improved situation will help, but we cannot stop here. We need to keep working hard to make it bigger and bigger and to keep improving a lot of things, and especially for the guys of lower ranking, that they have more opportunities to keep travelling every week and to have a good career.”

The Spaniard also greeted with enthusiasm the news that, from 2015, there will be a three-week gap between the French Open and Wimbledon, thus extending the grass-court season. “I hope to enjoy these weeks,” he said. “I really work hard for that. My goal is [the Olympic Games in] Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

“For you, three weeks on grass is great, and for me, too. It is an historic surface, which is less aggressive for the joints and for our bodies, and it is great to create more tournaments on this surface.

“I would like to see more tournaments on clay in the future, too. The sport has to move in the right direction and that is to try to have players longer on the tour. Playing so much on hard courts makes it very difficult to predict that it will happen.”

"It will take time to be the real Rafa again ..."

I have a log-on to The Times, so I've brought Rafa's interview with Mr Harmans over here. He isn't free from concern - even Neil mentions his nervousness - and he's starting to play again with an admission that the knee is not perfect. And before I get cross with Rafa or anything I ask myself this question ... will it ever be? And he'll be packing his bags and heading straight back to Mallorca if he can't compete as he wants to. He's staying positive to the challenge and he has to start somewhere.

Anyhow, enjoy the article ...

After six months out with a knee injury, the Spaniard is set to take a first step back to competitive action. But, he tells Neil Harman, it will have to be a cautious one ...

The Vall d’Or golf club in Porto Colom, Majorca, is decked in twinkling Christmas lights, its tree fully adorned, and Rafael Nadal takes a soft seat in a corner that is a touch cramped so that he has to keep moving around, feeling for and flexing the most talked-about left knee in tennis.

On the table are copies of his biography, newly published in Italian, ready for him to sign; the front cover shows Nadal naked to the waist and with a degree of haughtiness on his face.

Looking at that and looking at him now, the suspicion is that he has lost a little weight, and his manner is thoughtful and a touch apprehensive. The preparation for the formal announcement of his return has carried over from weeks to months, the bulletins on his Facebook page, once brimful of images of swimming, fishing and family, have been replaced by gym poses and his efforts on the practice court as Nadal has stepped it up. Now he is ready. Or is he?

He would love to tell you that he is free from concern, that the burdens have vanished, that he will be dashing about in the Abu Dhabi exhibition for three days next week like a frisky lamb, the like of which is depicted in the golf club’s nativity scene.

But he is guarded, and properly so. Of course, he wants to be back to the old Rafa right away, swirling his racket like a cutlass, threshing a swath through the opposition, as the ball spits and dips from his strings accompanied by the guttural “aaarrggerr” he emits as it finds its spot in the corner.

That will not be the case in the Emirates next week. He will be playing to win; not much point being out there otherwise, but he will be playing foremost in the hope that he feels no pain. That is more important. And if he does feel a jolt, he will stop, pack his bags, fly home to Majorca and the process will start again.

“I am not nervous,” he says, nervously. “The only thing is the knee, the rest of the things, I can play better, I can play worse, it doesn’t matter how I play tennis in the next month or a month and a half; for me, my goal is not Abu Dhabi, it is not Doha, it is not the Australian Open — my goal is try to be fit, to be 100 per cent recovered with my knee and 100 per cent fit in personal performance by Indian Wells and Miami [the two hard-court American Masters 1000 events in March], to try to arrive to Monte Carlo and all the clay-court season in good shape.

“I’m going to try to play in Abu Dhabi, knowing the knee is still not perfect. The doctors say that the images are very good, so that is a big calm for me, but I still feel something. I need to be careful. I need to be focused on how the knee is getting better or worse every day, and don’t make a mistake that can be negative for my future.

“Not yet do I have the feeling that I am 100 per cent ready to compete, to say, ‘I’m going to go there, I will be ready to run for every ball, to play aggressive, to do what I want with my legs and then try to play my best tennis to win.’

“Today it is not the case, so I really don’t like to be on a court and don’t feel I can compete and run as much as I can and I want, so if that happens I will be changing my mind and will be back in Majorca and will keep practising with my recovery and change to try to play on clay. I don’t want to start with big doubts on the knee.”

With those cautionary thoughts in mind, those preparing the red carpets in Doha in the first week of January and at the Australian Open thereafter had better hold their horses. Nadal has not expended so much energy, tried to be as patient as a hyperactive 26-year-old champion can possibly be, and presented as much optimism as he can in the circumstances to throw it all away again.

A hard-court stretch beckons at the start of the year and it has been on these hard courts that the joints and muscles take their worst pounding, accelerating the wear and tear of the patella tendon that caused him to miss the last six months of the 2012 season.

“I accepted the situation very well and that it is part of my career,” he says. “Nothing can be easy and it is another challenge for me to try to be back to my best after a while out of competition. Missing the Olympic Games was a real negative, a sad moment, and the other is that, with this injury, nobody can tell me that I have four months, six months, eight months; it is day by day.

“If you break your leg and they tell you have eight months out — the first two months this, the second two months that — then you will start something. It is very sad, but it is easy because you create your plan in your mind. This is about going into the gym every day, working very hard, and with a lot of days like you don’t feel you improve. That is very tiring mentally.

“The uncertainty is the worst part. I haven’t been afraid about retirement or all these kind of things. I don’t have zero doubt, but the only thing is, tennis is not forever. It is not like golf, when you have 20 or 25 years. Tennis is a limited time and you know the time I lost last year will not come back.

“That is the negative thing of our sport, but it is a challenge, and with all that I won in the last eight years, it gives me a lot of calm to wait for the right moment to come back. Another thing I think is that you never know if this period of time will help me to have a longer career because I had a break mentally.

“I am a positive guy and I think that I won’t forget how to play tennis in six, eight months. I don’t know when I will be back, but it will take time to come back to my best. I will work very hard to be back where I would love to be. I’m going to play tennis another time, it’s not something I have forgotten how to do.

“I played more than 600 matches on the tour and I haven’t been two years without playing a match. The last tournament I played with real conditions was the French Open and I won it, so the emotions for that final and how I won are still there.

“What will not be important for me is the first point in Abu Dhabi. It will be when I feel that my knee is ready. It is not the right time yet to feel these kinds of things. I will have these feelings hopefully at the end of February and the beginning of March — that is when I’m going to be 100 per cent fit and when I really start the season and feel ‘let’s start to win now’.”

You pause to let him reflect on the raw emotions at Roland Garros — where he won his seventh clay-court grand-slam tournament title and eleventh overall in May — and those at Wimbledon three weeks later when he persuaded himself that he was ready to play when he knew, deep down, that he was not. “Different things in my head make me feel very emotional [about winning the French Open],” he says. “Don’t forget I lost the Wimbledon final [of 2011], the US Open final, I lost the Australian final after almost six hours, and in Indian Wells and Miami.

“I felt I was playing great the whole [French] tournament, I felt the match was right, I was two sets to love and then the rain was there, the court starts to be more slow and [there are] heavy balls, so the top-spin was not creating pain on the game of [Novak] Djokovic and I spent a very bad night preparing for the next day. Not much sleep.

“I had the problem of the knee, with injections to put it to sleep before the semi-final and final, so a lot of facts, with a lot of people supporting me in this period of time, made me emotional.

“I was enjoying more than ever being back in the real competition, because in 2011, although I won a lot against almost everybody except Djokovic, my passion for the game was going down — that was my feeling. In 2012 I was enjoying it a lot more.

“The difficult thing was stopping. To say, ‘I’m not going to play Wimbledon because the knee is not good.’ When you are there it is very difficult. I am saying, ‘Please, doctor, do everything, but put me on court.’ They gave me more injections so I didn’t have the feeling, but I didn’t practise well for a week.

“I played the first match and the second with that, with no feeling. It is impossible to compete like this, but I tried. But if you are back in that position and you will do the same and lose in the second round, I will say, ‘No, I’m not that stupid, I’m not going to play.’ Before the tournament, I couldn’t predict that, but I tried.”

Might it be possible for Nadal to try to modify his style, to put less pressure on the areas of his body that have taken such exertion over the years? No one has played the game in his fashion and none may in the future.

“I would love to be that good to change, but I am good because I play this way,” he says. “If I play like [Roger] Federer, I’m not good, that’s the reality. Everybody plays with everything they have, so Federer understands the sport one way, Djokovic another way, Andy [Murray] another way, and I understand it my way.

“I didn’t start playing tennis a few months ago, I started at 3. My style has been always similar, that’s true, but my position on the court has improved, my serve has improved. But the general game you cannot change, the mind you cannot change. I think my way worked well. I don’t have a lot of options.

“My way is to play when I am ready to play my way. When I have played like this I’ve had the right results. I’ve been competing for everything and feeling I can beat everybody. So I am 26 years old, it is not the time to change a lot of things. It is time to recover well, to improve a few things that can help you, to run a little bit less. But the essence of the game will be the same.”

In Nadal’s absence the scenes shifted, as he knew they would. Murray won the Olympic gold he craved, Murray won the US Open that Nadal had won before. He watched the stories unfold with a sense that what he had always imagined would happen to the British No 1 had rightfully come to pass.

“You have asked me this question [about Murray winning a grand-slam] a lot of times,” Nadal says. “When you lost the confidence that Andy would win a grand-slam or would be a great champion, I always answered the same. When you are No 4 in the world, playing semi-finals and finals of grand-slams, all the same time playing Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, you will win a grand-slam soon. Because you got there time and again, if you feel great and the opponent doesn’t feel that great, you will win.”

But at two sets all, with Djokovic having won sets three and four, did you think Murray would prevail? Nadal pauses. I nudge him for an answer. “I was watching, yes, I will say I really thought Andy would win because the tennis owed him something. That was my feeling. The Olympics was a big change and with the calm of winning that at home, you go to a grand-slam final and you feel that Andy, before the match, believed he was the favourite. If you really believe in yourself, it doesn’t matter if you were leading by two sets to love and the opponent comes back. I really felt Andy would win, even though you know how much a great champion Djokovic is and how many matches he had saved in difficult circumstances.”

So he drives the five miles from the golf course to his home in Portocristo — his family lives in various homes around a picturesque bay where everyone can see everyone else — to pack for the trip to the Middle East. Spain, a country in the depths of financial despair, where there have been 21 successive quarters of rising unemployment, needs some good news, and Nadal may be about to provide a welcome respite from such overriding gloom.

“The situation in Spain is negative, so I cannot say being me is difficult,” he says. “What is difficult is the people who are suffering, trying to find work every week and to survive with very few things. That is difficult. Not being Rafa Nadal. It is a dream for me and I am lucky and I say thanks for the life and for what is happening to me.

“I really have done in all my life what I felt [inside]. I didn’t create an image. I don’t do things for what others will think of me. I do it my way. I try to do what for me is correct, what the close people to me and family taught me, and that is what I have done all my life. I feel very lucky to be who I am. I say thanks for the life, the sponsors who have confidence in me even more than ever in these kinds of moments.

“I have missed the feeling when you go inside the court, competing for something brings you something very special. This is not because you play a tennis match, but you are going to play in front of a lot of people who are cheering for you, who you know are behind you, supporting the sport, and that is something I missed. But I have to accept and await the right moment to be back.

“It will take time [to be the real Nadal again]. The people have to know when you are outside of the competition and haven’t played for a long time, you will have problems to come back to your best, but that is the beautiful thing of life — it gives you challenges, and this is another one. I think I have passed a few before with a very positive feeling and I hope that is going to happen again.”

Full set: Nadal’s grand-slam titles

2005 French Open Seeded No 4 in his first appearance at Roland Garros, the 19-year-old Spaniard beats Mariano Puerta in four sets

2006 French Open Roger Federer is the victim as Nadal wins in four once more to seal his second grand-slam title on clay, his favourite surface

2007 French Open Nadal beats Federer in four again, becoming the first man to win this title three times in a row since Björn Borg from 1978-81

2008 French Open Nadal equals Borg’s record of four titles in a row at Roland Garros with victory over Federer, losing just four games

2008 Wimbledon After 4hr 48min slugging it out on the Centre Court turf, Nadal beats Federer 9-7 in final set of “the greatest match in history”

2009 Australian Open Another five-setter against Federer ends in victory under the Melbourne lights, Nadal’s first hard-court grand-slam final

2010 French Open A fifth title on the Roland Garros clay is secured with relative ease, in three sets against Robin Söderling

2010 Wimbledon Nadal breaks a nation’s hearts by beating Andy Murray in the semi-finals before winning in three against Tomas Berdych

2010 US Open Nadal completes a career grand-slam with his first victory in New York as he beats Novak Djokovic in four

2011 French Open After three tight sets, Nadal wins the fourth 6-1 to see off Federer in a successful defence of his title

2012 French Open An eleventh grand-slam title — and record seventh at Roland Garros — is sealed with a win over Djokovic

The Tie-Break interview ...

Rafa's Tie-Break interview on Canal+ is out and linked here.

Now of course it's in Spanish and I'm not able to remotely advise what he's discussing ... but the opening scenes of Rafa on the court is a welcome sight if nothing else.

If I'm able to provide links to a transcript over the weekend then of course I'll do so. I'm as keen as the next Rafafan to know what he's been discussing.

Benito was right in alluding to all the "Big Interviews" this weekend, wasn't he ... ;)

Woot! Woot! Rafamag alert !!

Rush out tomorrow morning and go and bag yourself a copy of The Times.

Rafa speaks exclusively to Neil Harman about his hopes and fears after his injury.

source @suttonnick and via @RafaelNadalFC

Rafa's Canal+ Deportes Interview ...

The full thing is going to air soon, but this snippet has been released as a preview.

Rafa talks about how his knee is better, but not perfect. But he's felt some progress over the past two months which he didn't have over the first three. He's accepting that at first he will have to compete and then stop, compete and stop. Monte Carlo is still the place that he is targeting to be fully back on track tennis-wise.

More patience over the first 3 months of the year is still called for, I think. We've come this far waiting for Rafa ... we'll have to learn to be patient some more.

One week today, Rafa. Good luck!!

Yo!! Happy Christmelf ...

Dope! Happy Christmas everybody!!!

Christmas Dinner with the Team ...

Oh I love this entry every year.

It's always accompanied by a really dreadful photograph. Out of focus, lights distorting the picture ... and the obligatory alien eyes.

And I'm not even sure I can blame Maymo for this one. Because the only person you can't see in the whole picture is the bloke obscured by the guy who's second from the right in the forefront. Is that Maymo??

Happy Christmas to the Team. You've had to work hard with Rafa over these past six months. We so hope all the hard work will pay off ...

VAMOS!!

Stay tuned ...

"Big interviews with Rafa Nadal this week end coming out. Stay tuned."

Benito today has been promoting some "Big Interviews" with Rafa this weekend.

*YAHOO*

Can't wait. He's got the Canal+ one tomorrow night and then I believe he will be speaking with IB3 on Saturday.

Busy, busy, busy Rafa ... but us fans can't wait!!

VAMOS KIA !!!

Good old Kia.

Not only have they made a super video clip to encourage our support of Rafa, their Facebook publicity gives us this ...

"We have spent six months waiting for Rafa Nadal again to tracks and we want to give you our full support in his return. We have launched Mission Nadal to give encouragement. In addition, you can go to see Nadal in the semifinals of the Australia Open out your cry because... your cry is his strength!!"

I tell you whot, Rafa.  There'll be plenty of crying when we see you back on court my lovely.  Of the tears and Vamos! variety!!! 

Rafa's daily dose ...

Rafa's Facebook message today is really simple ...

"Entrenando con Toni! Practicing with Toni!"

Serve Rafa!, serve!!!

Prankster Rafa ...

Yesterday we saw David Bisbal's present to Rafa - his CD.

And this is how Rafa reciprocates ...

There's something hiding in that Babolat bag David ... no, not a set of shiny new tennis racquets.

A leg of ham!!

Very funny, Rafa ...

Rafa's excited !!!

But not as much as us!!

Rafa made this brief video clip to confirm that he will be playing in the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi and that we'll see him on the 28th December. VAMOS!!

Fantastic news! And maybe this was the thing that he was teasing us with yesterday, that today is a special day. It is indeed a special day if Rafa has intensived his training to a level where he can feel comfortable to once again compete on court without feeling any negative effects from his injury.

It was suggested by Toni that if Rafa felt any negative effects, then he wouldn't play in the exho, and that it wasn't worth risking all he has done over these past few months for the sake of another week. But it all must have gone well ... so isn't that just the best present??

Misión Nadal ...

This is simple, almost silence ... but so, so effective.

I'm loving it!!

Hhhhmmmm ...

I'm still pondering what Rafa might be revealing tomorrow.

He's obviously filmed his Tie Break interview and @callejamac has tweeted this picture of Rafa with the interviewer, Roberto Carretero. Maybe something will be revealed in the interview?

It's being aired on Canal+ at 10 pm CET.

Christmas present ideas ...

Short of ideas for a stocking filler? Why not spend a few Euros on a Rafa Foundataion wristband? And pay three times as much for the postage and packing. :D

Mind you ... they do keep you well informed of your transaction's journey across Europe before it reaches you. ;)

Rafa's daily dose ...

"Practicing on the court! Tomorrow will be a special day, I'll tell you ;)"

Rafa's being a bit of a tease today. What can he mean? What can be so special? 

What does he have to tell us?? *rubs chin*

Could it be that he's about to announce another Alma Nadal?? Marca are reporting here that Rafa will re-schedule the charity match he was due to play against the Prince of Darkness at the Bernabeu Stadium this year for July of next. July 14th to be exact. Now Marca does not have the best of reputations for accurate reporting sometimes ... but it kind of makes sense to try to go for it again, doesn't it? I mean, it's all in a very good cause.

Henyways ... it's with baited breath that I await Rafa's special day announcement tomorrow. :))

Rafa's Regalo ...

Rafa shows us the present that David Bisbal sent him ... his own CD. That's novel ;) And does Rafa make some sort of reference about the one that he's sending him and that he thinks he'll like it?? A Babolat bag??

LOL

Tie Break ...

On Friday night at 9 pm local Spanish time, Rafa will be interviewed on a sports programme called Tie Break by Roberto Carretero. Rafa's condition will be analysed, there'll be a chat about his injury and finally ... what he expects for the start of the new season.

View the promo via the link here ...

Making of the Babolat video ...

Still scared, Rafa??

Rafa's daily dose ...

"Practicing on monday! Today gym Who's in?"

All together now ... "I'm IN !!"

Facebook chat: Tennis players react to Rafa's return ...

Oh this had me laughing so much ... follow the whole convo here.

via @jesna3

You looking at me??

Liking this pic ...

via @RafaelNadalFC

What would you do in the dark with Rafa??

Why, help him play with his new Babolat of course!!

No idea how Scared-Of-The-Dark-Nadal managed to film this. BOO!!

Hehe ...

Rafa practice video ...

Rafa's intensified practice of today. VAMOS!!

Oh Happy Day !!!

Tengo muchas ganas de volvera lapista en Abu Dhabi! Gané el Mundial de Mubadala en 2010 y 2011, este año me... fb.me/1Iy4PMiVF
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) December 11, 2012

It all started this morning with this exciting tweet and Facebook entry from Rafa ...

"Can’t wait to get back on court in Abu Dhabi at the end of the month. I won the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in 2010 and 2011 – would love to get my hands on the trophy again this year!"

Now to get such positive words from Rafa about his return and all but confirmation of his attendance at the exho in Abu Dhabi is just a fantastic early Christmas present for us fans. What great news!!!

And as the day progressed, we got more encouraging words from Rafa which were brought to us by IB3's David Nadal (@davidjnadal) who has some English translations if you want to follow the link to his Twitter timeline. Equally, @genny_ss has also done some translating which you can read for yourself on her Twitter timeline here, but I've brought a collection of some of them over for you to gloss over ...

Rafa's words this morning: "I'm happy with the improvement. The knee is behaving quite well." 

"Week by week, I'm increasing the intensity of work. Medically, the injury is being left behind." 

"The most important thing is that the knee allows me to practice in the way I want, and so far things, are going well." 

"My goal is to reach Acapulco well prepared and then be really fit for Indian Wells and Miami."

Toni continued by saying that Rafa's intensity level during training is now very close to that which is needed for competition, and that they trust he will be able to train at 100% next week.

And then came this tweet ...

On Dec 26, the Nadals plan to go to Abu Dhabi
— David J. Nadal (@davidjnadal) December 11, 2012

However, just as a precautionary word, Toni did state that if Rafa doesn't feel he's at 100%, then they won't make the trip as there is no point ruining all the hard word just for one week.

I find all of this very, very positive but again, they're still taking a stepped approach. Obviously what Rafa has done to date is working fine and he's practicing at the moment at the level he wants to be at. It still has to be stepped up, they'll do that next week, and hopefully Rafa will also react well to this. They obviously have every intention in travelling, but quite right that they don't risk all that Rafa has been through these past 6 months for the sake of a week.

But he sounds positive.  Excellent news! Keep going Rafa!!  Fingers, toes and everything else still  crossed.  VAMOS!!

Roland Garros 2012 ...

I love this picture.

It's been chosen to grace the cover of the official Roland Garros 2012 book, but it's fantastic in its simplicity.

Instantly recognisable and definitively ... Rafa.  I adore it.

Rafa's daily dose ...

"Practicing with Toni and Francis!"

Well the thigh porn is welcome in its return, Rafa ... but you look knackered.

There's been globules on the interweb recently of Toni saying they were going to step Rafa's training up this week - but I take everything he says with a pinch of salt these days. That said, Rafa does look totally exhausted.

Here's hoping it's all going well.

Remember folks ...

If you're partying tonight, don't forget ... leave the car at home.

Or ask Taxi of Dad to pick you up like I do. Hehe ...

Rafa's Diario de Mallorca interview ...

Rafa gave an interview to diariodemallorca.es which was published today and the link is here 

I'm going to caveat this in advance as of course, I can't do anything else with it but put it through a Google mangle.  Bear that in mind when you're reading it, try to keep an open mind and take from it what you will.  And as it's the season of good will to all men, there's some meat towards the end to keep the extreme going - I know it's desperate times.  

Reading this, as difficult as it is at times because of the translation, one thing still shines through for me and it's Rafa's indomitable, amazing spirit.  Keep going ... we're desperate to see you back on court again, but hang on in there cos your Springtime will come ...  VAMOS!!

RICARD CABOT "Growing uncertainty or hope?"

Hope. In the last month and a half of evolution has been pretty good. I am very happy.

The goals are the same, come back in Abu Dhabi and then go to Australia.

Timing is this, but we can not deceive, took five months without competing or training at a high level. If I can train at a high level in the remaining weeks, then I will go to Doha with the ambition to compete and play, but it will be without the expectation of a result.

And to think about winning in Australia is a anathema, today.

It's very difficult to get a good result input. I hope to be in good condition at the end of February or early March, well prepared physically, mentally and with my tennis.

"What has been the worst thing in these six months of these since you stopped?

First, not able to play Wimbledon, and then when I had to give up the Games. And then, the uncertainty of knowing when the knee would start to go well again. The doctors said it was not a very complicated injury, but the fact is that the knee was not right. The first three months, without seeing any evolution and to go to the gym with no results, it was tough.

"It was discouraging?"

I'm a pretty positive person, and I had my team and my family to help me through this difficult time. I was happy because I've been with them.  For the first time in a decade I've had  half a year at home. 

"Have you felt any strange re-discovered pleasures that had been forgotten?"

I'm pretty familiar, and when just a tournament, if I can, the first thing I do is go back to Mallorca. Nothing has changed.

"Have you noticed pressure to return to the circuit?

No, on the contrary, I'm grateful to the sponsors who have understood the situation and have not  given me any pressure. I have always been supported by them. And maybe this break allows to lengthen my career a little more.

"There are different injuries, and Del Potro has struggled to return to what he was. Are you afraid that the same thing might happen to you?

Well, I will have to give it a go. It is the beauty of life in general, its a challenge for me. I know it will cost me to get back all that I have achieved in recent years. I will do all the necessary work, always thinking positive.

"An injury of this type should be used to assess everything in the right perspective and re-evaluate the fact of whether or not you are the number 1."

Being number one is not a priority. It is or is not. Depends win many games and injuries to respect you. I spent eight years in a row in the top two in the world. Logically I prefer to be No 2 rather than No 4, but what makes me happy is to have the option to win a tournament, go out there and compete with options, be competitive, be in control of the situation. To me it is a fun and exciting challenge.

"From the first time there are un-sureties about this injury. Why?"

There is always speculation. The tendon regeneration is complicated and takes time. This is reality.

"Have you been reading up about this injury, have you consulted encyclopedias, Google?"

No, I do not obsess about these issues. I trust the doctors who have treated me.

"Was the day you had to withdraw from the London Games the worst day of your career?

It was the worst event that has managed to give me in my life. But it was worse in 2005 when I had a foot injury, which was much more problematic and more serious than this. Moreover, now I'm 26, having achieved more than I could ever have imagined, so I look at things more calmly.

"When you were introduced as the Spanish flag bearer, had you no doubt that you would go?

After Wimbledon I was wrong, but I trusted that things will recover. I was convinced that they would. I informed the Spanish IOC at all times of the risk they ran and I doubted whether it was appropriate to attend the flag presentation. But they asked me, and I loved it.

"When did you first feel the knee?

Indian Wells I was wrong and it got really bad to the semifinals of Miami, where I retired against Murray. Between Miami and Monte Carlo I had two weeks off and clay is good because it was less aggressive than hardcourt. I competed with discomfort, but without limitations. In the semifinals of Roland Garros I had to play with infiltrations to my knee, which is very bad for the tendon, but at the time, I was thinking more about my seventh win Roland Garros rather than the knee.

"Was Wimbledon aware that maybe you should not have gone."

No.

"Being eliminated in the second round against world number 100 was a surprise."

No. The last two weeks I trained only one hour a day, without running, very bad, and playing with my knee numbed. I had no choice to do that to play more rounds. You always think you can, but it was not possible even though I did my best.

"If you could go back, would you have still played play at Wimbledon?"

I cannot go back. These are things that I cannot change. If you ask me now, I would not have played. It is easy to analyse here, but when you're there, on fire, having won Roland Garros, things look differently.

"Which hurt more.  The defeat against Lukas Rosol or to Soderling at Roland Garros 2009?

There is no point in comparing.  Both have something in common in that the knee was bad, but I could still compete in Roland Garros. In Wimbledon I couldn't. The defeat was a Death Foretold Rosol for me.

"What you fear most now are changes in surface?

Surface changes always are aggressive and I have been trying to avoid them. I will play in Acapulco to compete on clay, gain confidence and rhythm.

"Your calendar will now go based on how you feel?

I've prepared my calendar, I have it all planned out. What I cannot predict is whether my knee will be better or worse or if I win more or less matches. This is not the tournaments you play, but you get the parties to dispute.

"It is the same with the Davis Cup."

I cannot deny that the first round I play it very complicated, but it is not known. Live in Davis Cup emotions different from other tournaments and I really enjoyed playing it.

"How do you see the tennis from the sidelines?

I've watched some tennis, but not every day. When you are at home and you can do what you like, you prefer to do other things. I've watched games that I've been excited to see.

"The virtues and defects are best detected rival watching the game on television?

We all know there are no surprises.

"It's as if there is unanimity that tennis has lost some interest without you. Like something is missing."

It's not my place to say. There have been exciting moments. Murray won his first Grand Slam and Olympic gold, David Ferrer his first Masters 1000. And I'm happy for them. I guess David will move up in the rankings in January, and I will be happy for him. Above being an athlete, your opponent is also the person.

"Have you been in contact with Federer, Djokovic or Murray?"

I have sent messages of support and I've congratulated them when they won.

"Can you say that Federer is your friend?"

My friends that I have in Manacor, they are lifelong fiends. Then there's Carlos Moya and Marc Lopez, among others. Federer, Murray or Djokovic I consider them colleagues. Unfortunately, no I have 300 friends. They are what they are.

"What has been to a normal day in recent months?

Recovery hours at the gym and a little that I can do when I'm away.

"You took it as a semi-vacation?"

Holidays are when you want to be on vacation. When your head is somewhere else, it's not a vacation. But I've spent more time at sea.

"Have you missed the bustle of the tournament, with all that entails, such as trips, parties, press conferences, advertising commitments?"

Advertising commitments I have kept. What I've missed is the absence of competition, feeling the adrenaline of the competition. To tell you the truth, this is when I miss the circuit, because now is when I start to find either. When you feel bad, do not you approach playing.

"How have you found social networks?"

"It is a very important communication medium that allows me to keep in touch with my fans. It's the future.

"Do you see yourself playing until ...?"

Until the body and head say so. My goal is to get in a position to Brazil 2016.

"When you retire, I imagine life will very different from the last few months?

I guess so. At first I imagine there will be a little quiet, but I love the sport in general and I will continue with it in one way or another. Fundamentally tennis, but I do not rule out participation in other sports.

"The economic crisis has somehow come to tennis? Do you feel it when faced with a player with the ranking on what's going wrong?"

"The truth, the crisis has reached all sectors directly or indirectly. Anyone who says otherwise is to deceive oneself. But economic level has not affected the circuit, which continues to grow. But is not the time to boast about anything. It's time to work, to accept that we went through a bad time and try to have the attitude necessary to change the situation, since the people in the street to direct us to that.

"In your environment it has been noticed?

I'm from Mallorca, Manacor, I belong to this world. I have colleagues who are suffering, and when you see adverse situations you cannot stay on the sidelines. You suffer with them and do what you can to help.

"Have you gone through doping controls in these past few months?"

Yes, I do not complain about the controls, but the methods. It's easy to look good and not say anything about it, but not me. I say clearly, I want drug testing, but we do go through unpleasant situations that I cannot agree nor support. At six-thirty this morning I did a blood and urine test. Yesterday, at six-twenty, as well. Two days in a row. This is not what you get for being an athlete. Callers at your door at that hour have you scared to death if something bad has happened. Also, I live with my parents.

"Why at six in the morning and two days in a row?"

"You have to be able to be located, 365 days a year, for one hour a day, which I propose, which are the seven. You do not think it is legal, because it goes against your privacy and security. It seems inconsistent and unnecessary. When they come, I invite them to have a coffee. They are workers and I have nothing against them. I want to spend controls. I know I'm clean, never in my life would take anything. I understand the sport with a philosophy, and would rather retire before cheating.

"Being a sports icon tired, bored, weighs?"

It would be arrogant of me to qualify me in this way. On the contrary, what is happening to me is very positive, things that I had not been able to live and dream and I am grateful to life for everything that has happened.

Well said, Pete ...

Nice, rational comment here by Pete Sampras ...

“It is going to be a tough process for Rafa,” he told Tennis Channel. “He is someone that needs to practice a lot and needs to play a lot, not only for the sake of his game but mentally as well. It will take some time, not only tennis-wise, but having the confidence in his legs again. It will take him time to get back into the groove. But I believe he will be right there. He will do all of the things he needs to do to get back to where he needs to be. I see him coming back strong. At 26 with 11 majors, if he stays healthy and plays for another four or five years, I think he is very well going to pass my total of 14 majors.”

Whoops ...

Thanks for the message, Rafa. But I read it a bit too late ... *cheershh*

Maymo's School of Photography ...

Yes! Yes! YES!!

It's been months in the waiting, but now we have the return of one of my favourite features ... Maymo's School of Photography!! *happydance*

Rafa's Facebook entry tonight said ...

"With family and friends enjoying the day."

... whilst the - "cough" - photographer gave them all the eyes that make them look like aliens. RESULT !!!