Rafael Nadal

[Lucas]

NADAL SET TO LEAD BUENOS AIRES FIELD


Rafael Nadal will play in Buenos Aires for the first time since 2005.

Spoiler:

World No. 3 Rafael Nadal is set to return to Buenos Aires for the first time since 2005 when he leads the field at the 2015 Argentina Open presentado por Buenos Aires Ciudad. Tickets for the ATP World Tour 250 clay-court event, beginning on 21 February, go on sale on Friday, 12 December.

“I’m very excited to return to Argentina in February to play the Argentina Open,” said Nadal. “I love playing in Latin American because it feels like home. After having to pull out at the last minute this season due to stomach problems, I’m very excited to go back in 2015. I hope I can play my best tennis there and see all the Argentine fans, who love our sport so much.

The 28-year-old Nadal will be joined in Buenos Aires by current leading Argentine Leonardo Mayer, who is set to make his fifth main draw appearance at his hometown tournament.

“It’s an honour to play at home in front of my people,” said Mayer, who reached a career-high World No. 25 in the Emirates ATP Rankings this year. “The Argentina Open is an extremely important tournament for us and I hope to be at my best to give my all on the court. Having Rafa in Argentina is a great honour and a luxury for everyone that likes tennis.”

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis ... Aires.aspx

[Shinoda]

Biedny Ferru nie wygra ani 1 turnieju w sezonie.

[Lucas]

Can Rafael Nadal's mind conquer his ailing body in 2015?

Spoiler:

- Rafael Nadal landed a record extending ninth French Open title this year and also reached the final of the Australian Open. But typical for the Spaniard in recent campaigns, those grand slam accomplishments mingled with further health woes.
Looking back on his 2014, it's no wonder, then, that Nadal utters: "Too many things (happened) to be happy during" the whole year. "That's part of my life, though. It's happened a few times in my career."

Indeed.

And in keeping with Nadal's approach during his recovery from an avalanche of afflictions in the past, he vows to "keep working hard."

"Now I have a month to prepare for the 2015 season, and that's my goal," the 28-year-old told CNN's Open Court in late November shortly before the groundbreaking ceremony of the Rafa Nadal Sports Center and Academy.
"I'm going to work as much as I can, hope to be healthy for that. If I am healthy, I am confident that I can come back strong again."
Jimmy Arias, a former top-five player who made the semifinals at the U.S. Open and quarterfinals at Nadal's beloved French Open in the 1980s, isn't about to disagree.
"Ever since he came onto the tour, he had all the markings of a guy that would be done with tennis by 26, 27, because his game was such a grind mentally and physically," Arias, now a tennis analyst for several networks, told CNN.com.
"He's obviously outlasted that age. He's made of sterner stuff than most of us because he's able to keep coming back from injuries and long layoffs and continues to dominate.
"Now, you get the sense that he's going to be as always -- if he's physically fit.
If Nadal's body might be giving him a few problems, his mind remains as strong as ever. It's his psychological strength that sets him apart from the rest, according to Arias.

"I would say he's the greatest mental player in the history of the sport. Not strategy, necessarily, but the ability to play every point as if that's the most important one you've ever played, and do it every match."
Nadal is a veteran at coming back, having been slowed by, most notably, injuries to both knees.
However, this year saw the 14-time grand slam champion miss a chunk of time due to a back problem, wrist complaint and appendix surgery, in that order.
It all began at the Australian Open in January, when Nadal hurt his back while warming up in the final against Stan Wawrinka.
Holding a 12-0 record without conceding a set to the Swiss heading into the contest, a hampered Nadal fell in four sets with the ordeal leaving him in tears.
Recently he has undergone stem-cell treatment to aid his back after the same therapy, he said, helped his problematic, famous knees.
The back bothered Nadal, he added, throughout 2014.
"I repeated the treatment that worked very well for my knees at the end of last year, so I am doing that for my back now and I hope I have a good success on that," he said.
When the wrist sidelined Nadal at the U.S. Open, it ensured another year he skipped a major -- the last time he contested all four in a season came in 2011.
Contrast his attendance with Roger Federer -- the only man ahead of Nadal on the grand slam ladder with 17 titles. The smooth Federer has appeared in 60 consecutive grand slams, a men's record.

Nadal subsequently underwent appendix surgery in early November, ruling him out of the prestigious year-end championships in London.
"I started this year believing that I was ready for everything again," said Nadal, looking back to the start of 2014.
"I started well, playing the final in Australia, but during the final I injured my back. It was hard for me to accept that I didn't have the chance to compete in the final," he added, referring to his defeat by Wawrinka in the opening slam of the season.
"Then I went down for a while. Takes a little bit of time to recover from that mentally and physically. I was coming back to my best again ... playing better and better every single week and arriving in Roland Garros with a great level.
"Then I won there and I was fully confident again. It was the most beautiful part of the year for me."
Wimbledon's grass hasn't been as pleasant for Nadal since he nabbed the last of his two titles in 2010.
Hindered by his knees in 2012 and 2013, he was on the receiving end of two of the biggest upsets in Wimbledon history, exiting to Lukas Rosol and Steve Darcis, respectively.
In the most recent edition, Nadal succumbed to fearless young Australian Nick Kyrgios, who seemingly could do no wrong on his serve in the fourth-round tussle. Kyrgios struck 37 aces and was broken once.

There was, though, a positive for Nadal.
"I felt the knees were more comfortable playing there," he said. "That's important for me.
"I loved that match, but I couldn't win that match. That can happen on grass but I was proud the way that I played this year."
Next year Nadal's chances at Wimbledon should increase, since an extra week features between the French Open and the year's third grand slam.
Nadal isn't thinking yet about winning a 10th French Open or triumphing at Wimbledon, more preoccupied with being ready -- and competitive -- for the Australian Open next month.
Nadal won the Australian Open in 2009, but lately his memories of Oz presumably haven't been as upbeat.
Aside from his back issue versus Wawrinka, he retired in 2010, injured his hamstring in 2011 as he sought a fourth straight grand slam title -- or the 'Rafa Slam' -- and lost the longest grand slam final in history in 2012 to Novak Djokovic.
"My main goal today is try to put my body and my tennis again in a competitive way," said Nadal.
"That's what I'm going to try to do during this December. I am thinking I am (focused) about Australia because I like a lot of years in Australia, and I felt that I was doing the right things there so many years during my career.
"I have a special motivation for that."

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/16/sport ... ?hpt=hp_c5

[DUN I LOVE]

2014 w liczbach

Ranking: 3
Bilans meczów: 48-11
Tytuły: 4 (Roland Garros, ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Madryt, Rio de Janeiro, Doha)
Finały: 3 (Rzym, Miami, Australian Open)
Zarobki: $6,736,843

[Nadalito]

Intensywne przygotowania Rafaela Nadala. Hiszpan trenuje z Richardem Gasquetem

Spoiler:

Rafael Nadal intensywnie przygotowuje się do startu nowego sezonu. W rodzinnym Manacor Hiszpan trenuje wraz z Richardem Gasquetem.

- Treningi z Rafą to ciekawe doświadczenie. W zeszłym tygodniu trenowaliśmy w Barcelonie razem z Granollersem, Fogninim czy Chaczanowem. Mogliśmy tam zostać, ale otrzymaliśmy możliwość trenowania z wielkim mistrzem. Żaden tenisista nie przeprowadza swoich zajęć na takim poziomie intensywności jak Nadal - wyjaśniał trener Richarda Gasqueta, Sergi Bruguera.

W rozmowie z dziennikiem L'Equipe Hiszpan, mistrz Rolanda Garrosa z lat 1993-94, wyjaśnił, dlaczego razem z Gasquetem przyjechali do Manacor, by trenować z Rafaelem Nadalem. - Gdy sparujesz, zawsze możesz nieco poluzować. Ale nie z Nadalem. On cały czas prosi o większą intensywność. Jest w stanie odbijać piłkę z wielką mocą przez cztery godziny dziennie.

- Richard dobrze znosi te obciążenia, jest bardzo zmotywowany. Nasze treningi rozpoczęły się w poniedziałek i potrwają niespełna tydzień. Nie mamy więc wiele czasu - dodał szkoleniowiec Francuza.

Tymczasem Nadal przekonuje, że z każdym dniem jego forma jest coraz lepsza. - Trenowałem z Coriciem, Zimonjiciem, Lajoviciem, Carreño, a teraz jest Richard. To dla mnie ważne, aby zwiększać intensywność treningów - powiedział Majorkanin.

http://www.sportowefakty.pl/tenis/48910 ... -gasquetem

[Nadalito]

Tommy Hilfiger Signs Rafael Nadal as Ambassador



NEW YORK — Rafael Nadal will be stripping down to his underwear again.

Spoiler:

Tommy Hilfiger Corp. has signed Nadal to serve as global brand ambassador for the Tommy Hilfiger underwear and Tommy Hilfiger tailored collections. The 28-year-old tennis star, who has signed a two-year agreement with Hilfiger, will be photographed in Spain early next year and will appear in the fall underwear and tailored clothing ad campaigns. Laird & Partners will create the ads that will run in print, online and on billboards worldwide. The photographer hasn’t been confirmed yet. In addition, Nadal will attend exclusive Hilfiger launch events in North America, Europe and Asia.

This is the second underwear modeling gig for Nadal for a major fashion brand. In 2011, he appeared with Megan Fox in steamy ads for Emporio Armani Underwear and Armani Jeans.

Industry sources estimate Nadal’s two-year Hilfiger deal could be worth $3 million to $4 million. Hilfiger officials declined comment.

Nadal has won 14 Grand Slam titles and is ranked number three in the ATP rankings. The Spanish tennis pro has struggled with various injuries, including a wrist injury that sidelined him from the U.S. Open in August. He had season-ending appendicitis surgery in November. Nadal is training and has confirmed he will participate in the 2015 Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi from Jan. 1 to Jan. 3 and the Argentina Open in February.

“Rafael Nadal has been a longtime personal friend and supporter of our brand, and I’m continuously inspired by his dedication and passion for his sport,” Hilfiger said. He said he originally met Nadal in Monaco during the Monte Carlo Grand Slam about eight years ago. He and his entourage have been wearing Hilfiger’s clothes for some time.

“We believe the underwear business can be a huge business for us,” said Hilfiger, noting that the business has been underdeveloped at the company. Hilfiger has a strong tailored clothing business, both in the U.S. and Europe, he said. “We want to take it to a new level with performance fabrics, slimmer suits and more sophisticated tailoring. We’ve become very serious about the tailored clothing business,” said the designer.

The U.S. tailored clothing collection is licensed to Marcraft. The global tailored clothing collection is produced in-house. The tailored collection includes suits, sport coats, furnishings and ties. Both underwear and tailored collections are sold at Tommy Hilfiger stores globally, through select wholesale partners and online at tommy.com.

Asked whether Nadal will have an input into the collection’s design, Hilfiger said, “He’ll tell us what he likes and doesn’t like. He’s talking to us about what kind of fit he likes and the fabric.”

Nadal, who has a contract with Nike to wear the brand during his tournaments, also has deals with Bacardi, Richard Mille, Quely and Kia Motors.

Hilfiger said he expects that Nadal will wear the Hilfiger clothing during his free time. “Whenever he wears a suit, he’ll wear our suit. All of our suits are now elevated. We have new fabrics and details and all sorts of innovation. The styles are for comfort and a man on the go,” he said.

Hilfiger believes the company will benefit from Nadal’s global recognition.

“If you go to countries like India, China and Japan, tennis is enormous. There are fanatics and fans that don’t watch American sports, but they watch tennis,” he said. “The international sports fan watches tennis. The schedule is so rigorous. He’s playing every week.” Hilfiger said the tour takes Nadal all over the world and he’ll represent the brand worldwide. This is the first time Hilfiger has had a major global athlete under contract.

“I’ve always admired Tommy Hilfiger’s cool, all-American designs which are sophisticated and easy to wear, and I’m excited to be partnering with the brand,” Nadal said.

WWD interviewed Nadal last year, when he described his style off the court as “classic,” which would be a good match for Hilfiger.

“I’m a classic guy. I like to wear jeans, polo shirt, normally. To go out, it depends on the situation, or if I am in the winter or I am in the summer, no? If I am in the winter I like to wear jeans, shirt and jacket. If I am in summer, I like jeans and T-shirt or jeans and polo. Classic,” he said. However, on the court, Nadal’s true colors come out. “[On the] court, I am not that classic. Court is a little bit different. I like the bright colors. I like the powerful colors on court,” he said.

Born in Manacor, Spain, Nadal has ranked among the world’s top five tennis players since 2003. At the age of 24, he became the youngest athlete to complete the Grand Slam and is the second player in the world to have completed the “Career Golden Slam,” after winning the French, Australian and U.S. Opens; Wimbledon, and a 2008 Olympic gold medal. He holds a record for his nine French Open victories, the most won by a single player, including five consecutive title wins.

Avery Baker, chief marketing and brand officer at Hilfiger, said the company approached Nadal directly. “He’s been a friend of Tommy’s for a long time and a supporter of the brand. We feel he personifies the spirit of the brand. He’s one of the world’s most iconic athletes, and he’s got a touch of the rebel spirit. He has tremendous appeal globally for men and women around the world.”

She said the company did market research and found that Nadal had a 91 percent awareness level in Asia, 95 percent in Europe and 75 percent in America. “He’s very likeable.”

She called the appointment “a pretty significant move for us.” The brand hasn’t done a singular category-focused campaign on a global scale in a long time. “It will complement what we do with Hilfiger’s institutional campaign,” Baker said.

She predicted the combination of “The Hilfigers” and the Nadal campaign will impact the consumer. Asked why they decided to hire Nadal for tailored clothing and underwear, she said, “Obviously we have an extremely strong men’s business globally. We think these are the two categories that have the most significant growth potential. We wanted to get back into underwear in a more sexy way. Tailored is a business that we really believe in, and it’s been growing a lot and has a lot of potential and is so important to continue elevating the brand.”

Sports figures are increasingly finding a home with apparel brands. Some strictly are the face of the brand, while others have developed actual collections for the company. David Beckham designs swimwear and bodywear for H&M, does a capsule collection for Belstaff, and recently struck a multifaceted deal with Global Brands Group for his own brand; basketball star Shaquille O’Neal has a men’s tailored clothing collection with Peerless Clothing; soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo has launched men’s shirts and footwear under the CR7 label; Henrik Lundqvist, the New York Rangers hockey player, launched a clothing line called the Crown Collection in 2012 and creates capsule collections and is the face of men’s underwear and bodywear for Bread & Boxers, and Nacho Figueras, the Argentinian polo player, has been the face of Ralph Lauren’s Black Label line since 2005, and was selected to represent the entire line of Polo fragrances.

http://www.wwd.com/menswear-news/clothi ... al-8079320

[Nadalito]

Australian Open 2015: World No 3 Rafael Nadal fit after appendix surgery


Rafael Nadal: In training for the first Grand Slam of 2015

Spoiler:

The 14-time Grand Slam winner had an injury-plagued year and was diagnosed with appendicitis in October before undergoing surgery in November.

Nadal, the 2009 Melbourne champion, took to social media to post on his Facebook page that he has been training for the first Grand Slam of next year with Frenchman Richard Gasquet and his coach Sergi Bruguera.

Nadal wrote: "Training hard this week with Richard Gasquet and his trainer, Sergi Bruguera!"
No problems

"The operation on my appendix was good. No problems at all. I am able to practice for a lot of hours at a high intensity. After five months of pain, that's important to me," he said.

"The operation on my appendix was good. No problems at all. I am able to practice for a lot of hours at a high intensity. After five months of pain, that's important to me."

Rafael Nadal

"The main thing for me is I am able to work hard in these next weeks. I am sure the level of intensity and level of competition will be helpful for me.

"I will try to spend as much time on court as possible. Every match that I have the opportunity to play is important."

Nadal's last competitive outing was a straight-sets loss to Croatia's Borna Coric in Basel during October.

The Australian Open will take place from January 19 to February 1. Nadal will play in an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi and an ATP tournament in Doha in January to warm up for the Open.

He will also face 1998 US Open and 2003 Wimbledon finalist Mark Philippoussis, US Open junior singles and doubles champion Omar Jasika and fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco in charity exhibition matches on the Wednesday prior to the start of the Open at Melbourne Park.

http://www1.skysports.com/tennis/news/1 ... ix-surgery

[Lucas]

Rafael Nadal lands Tommy Hilfiger underwear deal

Spoiler:

Get ready to see tennis pro Rafael Nadal strip down to his skivvies as the new global brand ambassador for Tommy Hilfiger underwear and tailored clothing. Meanwhile, controversy continues over Dov Charney’s firing at American Apparel.
-Beginning fall 2015, 14-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal will star in Tommy Hilfiger’s underwear ads worldwide. [Daily Front Row]
-More than 30 American Apparel employees have signed a letter to the board protesting the firing of former CEO Dov Charney, who was ousted over sexual harassment accusations. [The Cut]
-Can’t get enough Demi Lovato? You can now catch her on the telly as she brings her star power to Skechers’ latest TV spot. [MTV]
-Some more 2014 Google search stats for you: “Normcore” was the most-searched fashion trend of the year, while Kate Upton took home top honors for most-Googled model — take that, Kendall! [Vogue UK]
-Fashion e-tailer My-Wardrobe has been bought out by Net-a-Porter. All remaining My-Wardrobe staff will depart from the brand in the coming weeks.

http://nypost.com/2014/12/18/rafael-nad ... wear-deal/

[Lucas]

Nadal to announce "a move that will change tennis"

Spoiler:

Rafael Nadal has been making more headlines off the tennis court than on it in recent weeks. Following his deal with Tommy Hilfiger, Nadal’s racquet manufactures Babolat have also incorporated Spanish star Nadal into a new advertising campaign. The enticing line in this advert is that Rafa is “soon reveal a move that will change the history of tennis.” A bold claim!

If that line doesn’t get fans speculating, nothing would. The internet was abuzz with theories on what revolutionary idea Nadal would be willing to be the face of. Babolat are a well-known tennis brand who manufacture Nadal’s current racquet, so the smart money is on some form of technology incorporated into the racquet itself.

I would put my support behind the theory that this technology will enable live tracking of a range of statistics, especially as the numerical analysis in the modern game is on the rise. Data like swing speed could be measured and analysed to add a new dimension to following a match. Whether Nadal would be happy for this data to be public information is another matter.

Tennis website fourtylove announced a potential leak of “The New Move,” claiming that the innovation from Babolat is an energy drink branded with Rafael Nadal images. The energy drinks, labelled ‘pure energy,’ doesn’t seem to fit with the direction sports companies are heading within an increasingly health conscious market, but is an interesting and certainly innovative concept.

Responses to this apparent leak have been mixed, with claims that it is a clever hoax and not related to the true announcement. Whoever put together the mocked up images of the energy drink have nailed the branding and you wouldn’t be surprised to see them receiving a call from the Babolat marketing department.

The official advert, which gives nothing away, is similarly professional in it’s production. It really manages to build excitement around this apparently revolutionary announcement. What it will be, only time well tell, but for now you can watch the advert below and look forward to Nadal returning to action in 2015, maybe in a way we have never seen before.

http://lobandsmash.com/2014/12/18/nadal ... ge-tennis/

[Lucas]

[sheva]

Francisca po 10 latach zakończyła związek z Rafą. Ponoć ten wspaniały chłopak, wzór wszystkich cnót, odbywał orgie z modelkami.

http://www.puntodebreak.com/2014/12/27/ ... n-relacion

[Anula]

Francisca po 10 latach zakończyła związek z Rafą. Ponoć ten wspaniały chłopak, wzór wszystkich cnót, odbywał orgie z modelkami.

http://www.puntodebreak.com/2014/12/27/ ... n-relacion

Día de los Santos Inocentes.

Coś w stylu naszego prima aprilis.

[Saboteur]

Krychowiak też hehe zażartował tego dnia...

[TadX]

Francisca po 10 latach zakończyła związek z Rafą. Ponoć ten wspaniały chłopak, wzór wszystkich cnót, odbywał orgie z modelkami.

http://www.puntodebreak.com/2014/12/27/ ... n-relacion

Día de los Santos Inocentes.

Coś w stylu naszego prima aprilis.

Rany, dobrze, że piszesz. Własnym oczom nie wierzyłem .

[Buzz]

Gdzieżby mógł, przecież to taki rodzinny chłopak,...obściskiwanie Siekiery, czy Bar Rafaeli należy potraktować jako "wartość dodaną", ale jednak w ramach wykonywania obowiązków zawodowych.

[DUN I LOVE]

Świat wielkich pieniędzy nie takie rzeczy widział.

[Buzz]

W jego przypadku wybór mógłby się wydawać prosty, bo wielkie pieniądze już ma. Natomiast zastanawiam się czy ja wybrałbym pieniądze, czy te Siekiery...?! ...chyba jednak pieniądze!

[DUN I LOVE]

Ja chyba też.

[Anula]

Ja chyba też.

Prawdziwi z Was szczęściarze, że nie musicie dokonywac takich wyborów.

[Samurray]

Rafael Nadal not expecting miracles ahead of MWTC opener against Andy Murray



Rafael Nadal is not expecting miracles when he takes to centre court in Abu Dhabi on Friday, the Spaniard conceding that he is searching for some rhythm having lacked consistent match play over the past six months. The world No3 contested just seven matches since Wimbledon last June having struggled with a wrist injury followed by appendicitis, which forced him to opt for surgery at the expense of competing at the ATP World Tour Finals. Nadal also received treatment for a persistent back problem he had picked up last January at the Australian Open and is now on his way to regaining full fitness. He had three practice sessions so far in the UAE capital, one with Andy Murray on Wednesday and two with stand-in coach Francis Roig on Thursday.

“The level of tennis for me, I don’t know yet,” Nadal told reporters in Abu Dhabi ahead of his opening Mubadala World Tennis Championship match against Murray on Friday. “I practiced well, but when you compete it’s different. When you’re out for a while the comebacks are difficult always and here you’re going to compete against the best players. So it’s predictable that probably I’m going to suffer a little bit. But at the same time, I’m going to try my best to win, but win or lose, spending time on court will be a very positive thing for me.”

The Mallorcan is no stranger to injuries, having been hampered by recurring knee problems, which some have suggested are a result of his heavy duty style of tennis. Having turned pro in 2001, Nadal has already spent 14 years on tour and has picked up 14 grand slams over the past nine years. While some may think it may be time for him to scale back on the number of tournaments he takes part in but Nadal insists he does not feel he is over-extending himself.

“Every year we have the same question especially when I have injuries,” the ex-world No1 said. “But I try to make the schedule that is right for me, is right for my tennis, is right for my body. Sometimes you have accidents you can’t predict. Last year I had some accidents. It’s not injuries I had because I played too much. I had appendicitis, that is not an injury from tennis. I had the wrist, that’s not an injury because I played too much. I was practicing in Mallorca a very normal shot and I had a bad movement. I was unlucky. In the final in Australia I had an aggressive movement with my back, so it wasn’t like the knee or an injury that happens because you’re tired."

“It’s true that this year I’m going to play in Rio de Janeiro and in Buenos Aires. I’m going to try to play a bit more on clay because it’s normally easier for my body. I’m playing Abu Dhabi and Doha before Australia, that’s the minimum thing that I can do try to be ready for the season. Then I’m going to play on clay, hopefully that will give me the chance to play matches and put me in rhythm. And then Indian Wells, Miami. Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid and Rome and Roland Garros. That’s my scheduled plan, I think I can’t play less.”

http://sport360.com/article/tennis/3084 ... ndy-murray