2017 French Open...ATP 2000...Roland Garros...Paris, France

[don_budge]

Love or hate Rafa, one thing you cannot deny is his competitive nature and never say die attitude. Yes, he has his flaws and quirks, but he also has 10 French Open titles, and thats no fluke. Incredible feat for any player.

Nadal-10 French Open Titles

Kuerten, Burguera, Laver, Federer, Agassi, Djokovic - 10 French Open Titles Combined

Nadal games won/lost
116/35

This is the 3rd time (2008, 2010) Nadal has won French Open without dropping a set. Ties Bjorn Borg as only other player to win 3 grand slam titles without dropping a set

Nadal never lost more than 4 games during a set during 2017 French Open.

Nadal becomes just 3rd player to win a grand slam in their teens, 20s, 30s. (Laver, Sampras)

Butt picking, drink bottle rearranging, time violations and other faults be damned. If another player did those things could he win 10 French Opens? Doubt it. Nadal had an incredible tournament and a remarkable career on the terre battue.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

Well said. Very well said indeed. For the sake of the game he must be congratulated. But most of all klacr...I am very impressed with you. I feel like you were writing to me in a way. Reminding me...don_budge, for the sake of the game...BITE YOUR TONGUE!

What makes me happy about the French Open if there is something to be salvaged...50% of both the semifinals and the finals were players using one hand backhands. A tiny thing. But on a positive note.

The game is bigger than all of us...this is a moment that reminds me of just that. Well played my Friend.

[klacr]

Well said. Very well said indeed. For the sake of the game he must be congratulated. But most of all klacr...I am very impressed with you. I feel like you were writing to me in a way. Reminding me...don_budge, for the sake of the game...BITE YOUR TONGUE!

What makes me happy about the French Open if there is something to be salvaged...50% of both the semifinals and the finals were players using one hand backhands. A tiny thing. But on a positive note.

The game is bigger than all of us...this is a moment that reminds me of just that. Well played my Friend.

Thanks. truth be told, I was writing it more for myself. I'm not the biggest Rafa fan but when you look at the numbers, at the feat, at what he accomplished...damn. You can't say thats a fluke or that he didn't earn it. There are many great players out there, none of whom have come close to doing what Nadal has done at the French Open. Important to see the accomplishments and appreciate him for the competitor he is. He may ruffle our feathers with his quirks or attitude, but there are been many players with far better or worse traits and none of them can hold a candle to Nadal's skill. He won the French open 10 times due to more than being "a phony". Maybe a "phony" can steal one or two slams, but 10 in one event, 15 overall? we are dealing with a player that clearly knows how to compete in a sport we deem ourselves to be experts in. Nadal may have flaws, but I would kill to have flaws that give me 15 grand slams.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stotty]

Thanks. truth be told, I was writing it more for myself. I'm not the biggest Rafa fan but when you look at the numbers, at the feat, at what he accomplished...damn. You can't say thats a fluke or that he didn't earn it. There are many great players out there, none of whom have come close to doing what Nadal has done at the French Open. Important to see the accomplishments and appreciate him for the competitor he is. He may ruffle our feathers with his quirks or attitude, but there are been many players with far better or worse traits and none of them can hold a candle to Nadal's skill. He won the French open 10 times due to more than being "a phony". Maybe a "phony" can steal one or two slams, but 10 in one event, 15 overall? we are dealing with a player that clearly knows how to compete in a sport we deem ourselves to be experts in. Nadal may have flaws, but I would kill to have flaws that give me 15 grand slams.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

All true...irrefutable...but just one thing.

Through 'La Decima', Nadal overran the 20 second threshold between points 90% of the time. 10% I can accept, 90% is bordering on outrageous. He has a game style that against some opponents often demands lengthy recuperation. I find this unfair when his opponents are playing closer to the baseline and trying to exploit Nadal's deeper positioning by pressing and making him run more. The tactic gets cancelled out if Nadal is allowed so long between points to recover.

That said, the final was an outrageous display of tennis and I have never seen Nadal hit his backhand so well. It could be an interesting Wimbledon.

[klacr]

All true...irrefutable...but just one thing.

Through 'La Decima', Nadal overran the 20 second threshold between points 90% of the time. 10% I can accept, 90% is bordering on outrageous. He has a game style that against some opponents often demands lengthy recuperation. I find this unfair when his opponents are playing closer to the baseline and trying to exploit Nadal's deeper positioning by pressing and making him run more. The tactic gets cancelled out if Nadal is allowed so long between points to recover.

That said, the final was an outrageous display of tennis and I have never seen Nadal hit his backhand so well. It could be an interesting Wimbledon.

I don't disagree on the time. But if umpires do not consistently call him on it then why should he change. He knows its an advantage and so he uses it. The issue should not be with Nadal. It should be with the consistency of the umpires.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[stotty]

I don't disagree on the time. But if umpires do not consistently call him on it then why should he change. He knows its an advantage and so he uses it. The issue should not be with Nadal. It should be with the consistency of the umpires.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

You are absolutely right of course. But for me, no player should need telling to abide by the rules, it should be automatic. Nadal knows the rules but choses to break them. He's not someone umpires want to cross and uses his superstars status and sultry glances to inhibit umpires. Sure the umpires need to grow some balls, but my point is more a moral one. An athlete should have his own moral compass for these things. He shouldn't have to be told.

If sport can build character rather than reveal it, then this is where it should all start for young players. Coaches should do their utmost to build an impeccable moral code in their students. Abide by the rules. Do what is right not what is wrong. This is how character is built. This is how good people are saved from being less good or even bad. It's really, really important.

I don't like the way the game has gone in terms of behaviour. I particularly hate the way some tour players violently smack up expensive rackets in full view of a few million TV viewers. It's not a good look.

I am not anti Nadal. Parts of his character I like very much. He doesn't smack up rackets, for example. He's polite, and a workhorse the like of which we've never seen before. He has an abundance of good qualities. But his time-wasting is diabolical, very deliberate and designed to give him the edge.