Is Nadal the world's best athlete?

[SteveKerrsJunk]

Those iron man athletes and the like are much more impressive IMO. Could Nadal do all that in succession? I doubt it.

[jjgold]

I have Nadal as fiercest competitor of all times and Jordan second

[No coincidences]

I have Nadal as fiercest competitor of all times and Jordan second

What. The. f\*\*k.

[shari91]

Do you personally think he's clean?

I actually do purely based on the amount they're tested. Some of the arguments people come up with about him could be flipped around and used on someone like Roger. The rumours started when this Spanish guy came out of nowhere and started to beat Fed. But again I could list Fed's road to Slams and even a casual tennis watcher would piss themselves laughing. Fed got extremely lucky in that he started to peak right when guys like Sampras and Agassi were at the end of their careers and there was no one really decent around to challenge him. So he kept amassing titles for a couple of years and then this Nadal guy showed up who started to beat him. If he'd been born 5 years earlier, I'm not sure if Fed would be anything more than a footnote in tennis now. So people started to say he must obviously be doping to beat the GOAT and it went on from there. The stuff he's winning with though can't be improved with doping ie shot placement, curvature on serves and shots. He's not overpowering the big guys at all. That's why I have a hard time believing the doping claims, even ignoring the fact he's always had clean results. If he were winning all these titles due to muscling guys around, serve speed, etc, then yeah I could see more of an argument for it but that's not the case.

[Hardcoar]

I actually do purely based on the amount they're tested. Some of the arguments people come up with about him could be flipped around and used on someone like Roger. The rumours started when this Spanish guy came out of nowhere and started to beat Fed. But again I could list Fed's road to Slams and even a casual tennis watcher would piss themselves laughing. Fed got extremely lucky in that he started to peak right when guys like Sampras and Agassi were at the end of their careers and there was no one really decent around to challenge him. So he kept amassing titles for a couple of years and then this Nadal guy showed up who started to beat him. If he'd been born 5 years earlier, I'm not sure if Fed would be anything more than a footnote in tennis now. So people started to say he must obviously be doping to beat the GOAT and it went on from there. The stuff he's winning with though can't be improved with doping ie shot placement, curvature on serves and shots. He's not overpowering the big guys at all. That's why I have a hard time believing the doping claims, even ignoring the fact he's always had clean results. If he were winning all these titles due to muscling guys around, serve speed, etc, then yeah I could see more of an argument for it but that's not the case.

This is a good post, although physical fitness does play a larger part in the qualities mentioned than you're giving it credit for.

[pulledclear]

He needs to work on shoulders/traps

Listen you fckng goof tooth twig. You know less about building muscle then you do about betting and thats almost impossible. Listen and learn dummy.

[NolaDrewDats]

Golfers? LOL.

Yes. Its not the same physicality as most sports but the amount of torque along with hand eye coordination combined with the size of the object you're hitting and the size of the target you're trying to get said object into, compared to the amount of space surrounding it.

Golf is the hardest sport out there to become great at, hence the greatest athletes.

[SteveKerrsJunk]

It's gotta be Lance Armstrong, Barry Bonds, or Roger Clemens.

[I/O]

Yes. Its not the same physicality as most sports but the amount of torque along with hand eye coordination combined with the size of the object you're hitting and the size of the target you're trying to get said object into, compared to the amount of space surrounding it.

Golf is the hardest sport out there to become great at, hence the greatest athletes.

wow

[NolaDrewDats]

wow

Can you refute my point?

[bruceBRUCEbruce]

Those iron man athletes and the like are much more impressive IMO. Could Nadal do all that in succession? I doubt it.

with proper training, why not?

the ironman stuff takes far far less pure athletic ability than tennis-I'm not knocking their abilities or endurance, but none of them have the god-given talents that Rafa possesses

[I/O]

Yes. Its not the same physicality as most sports but the amount of torque along with hand eye coordination combined with the size of the object you're hitting and the size of the target you're trying to get said object into, compared to the amount of space surrounding it.

Golf is the hardest sport out there to become great at, hence the greatest athletes.

[I/O]

there's a much better pic on the net of that dipshit, about 100 lbs bigger, blowing through a cigarette

[NolaDrewDats]

Ok. Thats John Daly?

He wasnt always fat and a slob, and was a winner and only before he became that way.

[I/O]

Thanks for playing

[NolaDrewDats]

Im not saying any other sport is easy or anything, that was just my personal opinion.

[Optional]

Those iron man athletes and the like are much more impressive IMO. Could Nadal do all that in succession? I doubt it.

Iron men are amazing but almost anyone with an average natural physique could train and become good enough to make an iron man field. Because it's so focused. Run fast, swim fast, ride fast.

The sport has to require extraordinary brains, technique and skill, as well as the base things like strength, speed and endurance, to count as best athlete I think.

[jjgold]

Nadal is a freak..Bionic Man might be best description

[No coincidences]

I actually do purely based on the amount they're tested. Some of the arguments people come up with about him could be flipped around and used on someone like Roger. The rumours started when this Spanish guy came out of nowhere and started to beat Fed. But again I could list Fed's road to Slams and even a casual tennis watcher would piss themselves laughing. Fed got extremely lucky in that he started to peak right when guys like Sampras and Agassi were at the end of their careers and there was no one really decent around to challenge him. So he kept amassing titles for a couple of years and then this Nadal guy showed up who started to beat him. If he'd been born 5 years earlier, I'm not sure if Fed would be anything more than a footnote in tennis now. So people started to say he must obviously be doping to beat the GOAT and it went on from there. The stuff he's winning with though can't be improved with doping ie shot placement, curvature on serves and shots. He's not overpowering the big guys at all. That's why I have a hard time believing the doping claims, even ignoring the fact he's always had clean results. If he were winning all these titles due to muscling guys around, serve speed, etc, then yeah I could see more of an argument for it but that's not the case.

My guess is he's "tested" in the way Bonds or Clemens or Lance were "tested."

It is not in the sport's best interest to bust its star. Maybe when he's washed up and tennis has squeezed everything they want out of him, we'll find out the truth. Or maybe he really is clean. I have my doubts, and like baseball players juicing, it actually has very little to do with becoming physically intimidating or "bigger" and much more to do with endurance and recovery time from injury.

[Ghenghis Kahn]

I have Nadal as fiercest competitor of all times and Jordan second

you fukking high?

[Ghenghis Kahn]

Nadal is a freak..Bionic Man might be best description

it's called juicing pal. same shit arod's getting crucified for. get some and you might actually get laid.

[No coincidences]

Yes. Its not the same physicality as most sports but the amount of torque along with hand eye coordination combined with the size of the object you're hitting and the size of the target you're trying to get said object into, compared to the amount of space surrounding it.

Golf is the hardest sport out there to become great at, hence the greatest athletes.

While I agree with the first part of your last line, your definition of "athlete" must be a whole lot different than mine.

[NolaDrewDats]

While I agree with the first part of your last line, your definition of "athlete" must be a whole lot different than mine.

My definition is someone that is highly skilled or trained in a sport.

[bavaria9]

IMO there are more athletes on the planet than Nadal that could be proclamed World's best athelete.

[Kaabee]

It's estimated Nadal ran between 9 an 10 miles in that 2 1/2 hour three set match this morning, if it went five sets, he would have run about 19 miles I'm told.

Then you have to factor in the hand/eye coordination, striking the ball in the process of running thosse 10 miles, carrying that 10 oz racquet, not to mention doing all those gymnastic type splits and what not returning the ball.

Take a look at Nadal, he's 6'1" 185 lbs, ripped, with about 8 percent body fat.

Guy has my vote as the best athlete in any sport alive right now.

Whoever estimated that needs to go back to math class. Someone studied how much time they are actually running around in a tennis match and it's only 18% or so. That would mean Nadal has to run 9 miles in 27 minutes. Good luck Rafa.

[stevenash]

Uhm... I don't know what kind of crack your sources are smoking, but he did not run ten miles against Federror. That's preposterous!

This graphic is from last years Joker match, yes I am aware this match is in it's fifth set, but it gives you an idea.

4 1/2 sets into the match, Joker is pushing 16 miles, and Rafa is pushing 14 miles.

What do you think, it's a walk downtown to the donut shop?
These guys log serious mileage.

[Optional]

Whoever estimated that needs to go back to math class. Someone studied how much time they are actually running around in a tennis match and it's only 18% or so. That would mean Nadal has to run 9 miles in 27 minutes. Good luck Rafa.

3 minutes per mile. Done in short sprints. Sounds plausible.

[Optional]

This graphic is from last years Joker match, yes I am aware this match is in it's fifth set, but it gives you an idea.

4 1/2 sets into the match, Joker is pushing 16 miles, and Rafa is pushing 14 miles.

What do you think, it's a walk downtown to the donut shop?
These guys log serious mileage.

That says Tournament distance, so 2-2.5 miles per match by that figure. Sounds low to me though.

[crazykind]

http://tennishasasteroidproblem.blog...ael-nadal.html

Later in 2006, the Spanish doping scandal known as Operacion Puerto uncovered widespread blood doping, spearheaded by a Spanish doctor, Eufemio Fuentes. Initially, this was assumed only to involve cyclists. However, a French newspaper stated that athletes in other sports were also on the list of athletes receiving Fuentes’ services, including some top Spanish soccer players and Rafael Nadal. Nadal, of course, denied any involvement, and Spanish sports authorities denied any non-cyclists were involved (something proven to be a lie now that Operation Galgo [Greyhound] has opened up). To this day, the full list of atheletes' names connected to Operacion Puerto has been sealed by a Spanish judge...




Im not saying im convinced he's doping, but it is certainly a topic worthy of debate...

[Kaabee]

3 minutes per mile. Done in short sprints. Sounds plausible.

in case you aren't leveling:

it might be, except of course they aren't always sprinting. in fact they are probably never going at their top speed since it takes a considerable distance to reach it.

[ACoochy]

Nadal is a freak..Bionic Man might be best description

Say that to his knees...

[matt1216]

It's estimated Nadal ran between 9 an 10 miles in that 2 1/2 hour three set match this morning, if it went five sets, he would have run about 19 miles I'm told.

Then you have to factor in the hand/eye coordination, striking the ball in the process of running thosse 10 miles, carrying that 10 oz racquet, not to mention doing all those gymnastic type splits and what not returning the ball.

Take a look at Nadal, he's 6'1" 185 lbs, ripped, with about 8 percent body fat.

Guy has my vote as the best athlete in any sport alive right now.

I would have to say yes, I just hope he's not loaded on the drugs. Most loved Lance Armstrong befor they found out what was really going on....

[TheMLBKing]

Not sure if he's the world's best athlete as how do you really measure that? So many guys are dominant in other sports. But is he the best male tennis player we'll ever see in our lifetime? Yes. If you look at who his road to Slam titles vs Fed it's a bit of a joke. And then of course if Fed is supposed to be the G.O.A.T then surely the guy who has dominated him should be given an even higher title than that. I think a guy like Usain Bolt should be taken out of the equation as sprinters have an extremely short shelf life and only dominate for a relatively short period of time. However when you look at soccer, NFL, AFL (ie Gary Ablett Jr) or NBA players it's a tough comparison. None of them have his stamina and they're all backed up by way too many teammates if they're having an off night. But for the footy players (AFL/NFL) players, they're also getting the crapped knocked out of them on a weekly basis although again their season is very short.

Ok I've talked myself around to it... yes he is.

And NoCoin, they do get tested. Usually when they leave the court in big matches but also often at home or randomly otherwise. Players complain because sometimes they're woken up at say 6am on match day for a piss test and obviously they can't refuse so their training/rest schedule is fukked up.

lol please go. LeBron >>>>> Nadal

[InTheDrink]

3 minutes per mile. Done in short sprints. Sounds plausible.

You realize that's a constant speed of 20 mph over that stretch of time? Lol

[Optional]

You realize that's a constant speed of 20 mph over that stretch of time? Lol

Hey, I'm optimistic!