By Scoop Malinowski
Rafa Nadal scored one of his most one-sided blowout Grand Slam finals today at age 36 as he annihilated Casper Ruud 63 63 60 to win Grand Slam title no. 22.
It was another age-defying electrifying display from the most accomplished tennis player in history. Ruud was reduced to a patsy punching bag for the ageless wonder who despite a claimed foot injury continues to maneuver around the court with the wreckless abandon of a teenager.
After the championship point, Nadal threw his racquet to the ground and covered his face with his hands, smiling to his box, a rather muted strange reaction compared to some of his other memorable falls the ground in a state of ecstasy.
The disappointing but historic final was the result of a botched draw that resulted in Nadal playing top seed, world no. 1 and defending champion Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinal which every tennis observer in the world, knows should have been the final played today.
Kiki Mladenovic and Caro Garcia reunited after a few years break from each other, to win the women’s doubles final today after losing the first set to Americans Jess Pegula and Coco Gauff.
Artwork by Andres Bella.
Andres Bella · Babolat · Rafael Nadal · Roland Garros
Kenneth Lundgren · June 6, 2022 at 12:54 am
excellent and vivid recap
tennis needs stringent PEDs testing
catherine · June 6, 2022 at 1:33 am
What, no women’s final ?
Maybe I missed something 🙂
Scoop Malinowski · June 6, 2022 at 8:45 am
Iga Swiatek won her second Roland Garros title and first Grand Slam as world no. 1 with a decisive dominant performance vs 18 year old American Coco Gauff 63 61. Swiatek has established herself as the dominant force in the WTA and at age 21 her upside over the next decade is limitless. Swiatek has now won 35 matches in a row, equalling a mark set by Venus Williams in 2000. Gauff has now lost in all three of her Grand Slam finals – 2022 French open singles and doubles and 2021 US Open. The mens doubles was won by Arvealo and Rojer, Rojer is the oldest man at 40 to win a Grand Slam and Arevalo is the first man from El Salvador to win a Grand Slam title. In other news Anett Kontaveit has parted ways with her coach Dmitry Tursunov who lifted her from a wta world ranking of 35 to her current no. 2. Tursunov is arguably the best coach in tennis today, he also guided Sabalenka to the wta elite status.
catherine · June 6, 2022 at 9:11 am
Tursunov appears unable to set up a long term coaching partnership with any player since parting company with Sabalenka. From what I’ve read/heard he seems a demanding coach with idiosyncratic ways. Has he ever coached ATP ? Might be better suited. And as I understand it he had some problems as a player but I don’t know the details.
Long hiatus now for Russian players unless there are some events in Europe before the action moves on to US.
Scoop Malinowski · June 6, 2022 at 9:37 am
Catherine, Tursunov is a wonderful guy, had the pleasure to interview him many times for my books and Biofile. Very normal, regular guy, very smart and funny. He’s worked with Vesnina, Sabalenka and Kontaveit and all had major success with him. As has been said many times on this site, the most unstable job in professional sports is to coach a WTA player. WTA players sometimes demand more than just coaching, if you know what I mean, and another coach has told me, “To coach a wta player is to be a slave.” The media is controlled and will never explore this topic because it’s unfavorable for the wta and wta players. But it’s a deep dark secret about the wta. Kontaveit looks like a dummy for dropping the ball on Tursunov, my guess is it has to be about money. We’ll never know the real story.
catherine · June 6, 2022 at 10:44 am
I didn’t mean there’s anything wrong with Tursunov – just that he’s not one of those coaches who has long term associations with his players. May be a little cerebral for some.
A few years ago he wrote an article which appeared on the WTA website about coaching women. It was probably the best piece that’s ever been written on the topic. Unfortunately I didn’t keep a copy. As far as the ‘deep dark secret’ goes I would agree with you it usually turns out to be money. Certainly was the main reason Kerber deep-sixed her extremely productive partnership with Fisette and thus the latter part of her career.
I wonder how much actual ‘coaching’ Wim has been able to do with Naomi sínce off-court activities seem to take up so much of her time.
catherine · June 6, 2022 at 10:54 am
Just came across this:
https://www.tennismajors.com/australian-open-news/dmitry-tursunov-the-honest-interview-with-the-outspoken-coach-who-helped-kontaveit-to-become-a-winning-machine-528984.html
Scoop Malinowski · June 6, 2022 at 12:57 pm
Catherine, can you name two or three long term wta coaching associations? I think Danielle Collins has used close to two dozen coaches in her wta career so far. I think Almagro lasted one week. Bouchard stevens kerber raducanu are coaching merry go rounds. One former ATP pro told me recently he had of offer from a wta player team but he won’t coach any women because he refuses to be “a slave.”
Scoop Malinowski · June 6, 2022 at 3:28 pm
Catherine I read that interview when it first was posted and loved it, fine work by Carole Bouchard. Very informative and insightful. Tursunov is a fantastic coach, probably the best in the business right now.
catherine · June 7, 2022 at 8:37 am
Maybe Raducanu should give him a call. She’s keen on short term coaching arrangements and she’s going to get awfully sick of losing in the first round.
Scoop Malinowski · June 7, 2022 at 10:07 am
She’d be silly or dumb not to reach out to Tursunov asap. If he can’t fix her no one will.
catherine · June 7, 2022 at 12:14 pm
If Emma can play ten minutes without injury – she had to retire in Nottingham after 3 games v Golubic. Abdominal strain. Shades of Andreescu. Too much training or not enough ?
Emma has a slim body build. Swiatek has the perfect body build for tennis. Sturdy but flexible.
Scoop Malinowski · June 7, 2022 at 1:06 pm
Emma is under enormous pressure and expectation to win more majors and more big titles, her US Open miracle was a miracle but also a curse in that anything less than winning majors is a failure. The failures are adding up and have done damage to her confidence and self belief. Every WTA player also is extra inspired to beat her and so they can rationally believe, “Hey if she won US Open, so can I.” The fact Emma is now the glamour girl of the wta and the subject of countless modeling shoots and million dollar sponsor deals only adds to inspiring every other wta player to get their bite out of the million dollar baby. All the failures and losses have drained her confidence tank. Her self belief is shattered right now. Now to enter the grass court season pressure cooker with all this mental baggage, it’s no surprise that her body is also shattering. Instead of entering each grass match with excitement and spirit and optimism, she must be feeling dread and paralyzing pressure before each match now.
Sam · June 7, 2022 at 4:18 pm
I don’t care what the “official” tally says—the Asterisk Open doesn’t count. Nadal won the first runner-up trophy there. This one counts, but it’s only #21. And if Djokovic had competed back in January, more than likely he would’ve snagged #21 too—and possibly #22 in Paris. We’ll never know for sure.
Since January, the Grand Slam “count” is officially damaged—and is now just a big joke.
Sam · June 7, 2022 at 6:58 pm
Scoop, I assume that by now you’ve heard about Nadal’s intensive injections to numb his foot in Paris. Apparently those meds don’t just numb pain, but can also enhance performance. 🤔
So . . . are we still supposed to be impressed with Nadal’s “performance”? 😏
Scoop Malinowski · June 7, 2022 at 7:08 pm
Sam I agree, Nadals 22 is fraudulent, it came with some help by the establishment. I even sensed a hint of shame in Nadal when he covered his face with his hands after winning the championship point. The agenda to destroy and eliminate Djokovic by the establishment is very obvious at this point and it’s ruining the integrity of the sport.
Scoop Malinowski · June 7, 2022 at 7:11 pm
Yes I have read and it’s disturbing he’s taking these drugs which may be illegal but because of TUE, it actually becomes legal doping. WHo knows if he’s faking the injury to get the TUE to get the illegal peds or what is really going on here. There should be full public disclosure of all these TUE cases but because they are keeping all TUE information secret invites severe suspicions.
Sam · June 7, 2022 at 10:46 pm
Oh, and one more thing, Scoop. Nadal deserves the Hypocrite of the Year Award: 🥇
Rafael Nadal has declared it would be “impossible” for Novak Djokovic to win the Australian Open if he “really, really” has an injury.
https://www.news.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open/nadals-call-bulls-on-djokovic-rafa-uncle-toni-weigh-in-on-injury-farce/news-story/00e18d77a37ccb3442e353c0fc2fbbcb
Scoop Malinowski · June 8, 2022 at 7:57 am
Sam, Also like to see Nadal disclose his TUE activities and name the drugs he’s injecting for his foot. What is there to hide? Imagine the media frenzy if Djokovic had all these suspicion clouds over his head. The hypocrisy of the sport and the tennis media is embarrassing at this point.
Sam · June 8, 2022 at 2:41 pm
Also like to see Nadal disclose his TUE activities and name the drugs he’s injecting for his foot.
Scoop, ever heard of the show Name That Tune? Well, with Princess Rafa, it should be Name That TUE!!! 🤣
What is there to hide?
Apparently quite a bit. And it seems obvious that Nadal wasn’t really injured, if he believed that Djokovic couldn’t have won in Melbourne with an injury. 🙅🏻♂️
Imagine the media frenzy if Djokovic had all these suspicion clouds over his head. The hypocrisy of the sport and the tennis media is embarrassing at this point.
Right—it would be “Russian collusion” all over again. 🙄 It’s best to boycott the mainstream tennis media as much as possible. 🚫
Scoop Malinowski · June 8, 2022 at 4:10 pm
Stefanos #Tsitsipas: “There was a match I thought I couldn’t play because I felt too much pain. Not to the point of Rafa, but I had a similar situation at the ATP Finals. I felt extreme pain in my leg. They gave me an injection and I played one of the best matches of my life.”
Wish Tsitsipas will specify what exactly the shot he took which allowed him to play one of his career best matches with an injury? (Was it legal or illegal?) Is the philosopher trying to tell us something??? Do all players have access to these secret shots, or just certain players?
Sam · June 8, 2022 at 5:43 pm
Scoop, when exactly did Tsitsipas make this comment?
From what I’m reading, it seems that Nadal has been getting these “painkiller” injections before matches for a decade or more. I mean, why bother to dope secretly when you can just do it in plain sight? 🤔
In the final analysis, it simply doesn’t matter whether this kind of doping is technically “legal”; even if it is, it’s completely unethical. 🤮
Scoop Malinowski · June 9, 2022 at 12:37 am
Sam, as far as I know Tsitsipas said it this week. Nadal is the favored superstar right now, no chance he gets caught on anything, he’s totally protected.
Scoop Malinowski · June 9, 2022 at 11:28 am
At some point Nadal’s skeletons/secrets (if they truly exist) will be leaked. But by whom? Could Federer be the one to do it?
Scoop Malinowski · June 9, 2022 at 12:12 pm
Controversial boxing fitness coach Angel Heredia quotes: “There will be doping for as long as there is commercial sports, performance-related shoe contracts and television contracts.” — “I’ve created 20 different drugs that are still undetectable for the doping testers.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%81ngel_Guillermo_Heredia_Hern%C3%A1ndez
Sam · June 9, 2022 at 4:04 pm
At some point Nadal’s skeletons/secrets (if they truly exist) will be leaked. But by whom? Could Federer be the one to do it?
😏
Controversial boxing fitness coach Angel Heredia quotes: “There will be doping for as long as there is commercial sports, performance-related shoe contracts and television contracts.” — “I’ve created 20 different drugs that are still undetectable for the doping testers.”
Yeah, it’s all about KING MONEY. 🤑
Scoop Malinowski · June 9, 2022 at 6:21 pm
Time to echo my favorite quote once again… “The truth is never told. It has to be learned.” 🙂
Sam · June 10, 2022 at 3:33 pm
Pretty much.
By the way, what exactly was that Nietzsche quote again that you wrote just a few weeks back? 🙂
Scoop Malinowski · June 10, 2022 at 4:28 pm
One must shed the bad taste of wanting to agree with many. Whatever can be common always has little value. It the end it must be as it is and always has been. Great things remain for the great, abyses for the profound, nuances and shudders for the refined, and, in brief, all that’s rare for the rare. – Friedrich Nietzsche
I actually had a “friend” or semi friend in Longboat Key who made an issue of me using Nietzsche quotes on facebook. The fragile fella was actually offended by Nietszche because he dared to say some things that were critical of Jews.
Sam · June 12, 2022 at 2:24 am
Thanks, Scoop. 🙂
Well, even the most objectionable people sometimes produce memorable quotes. It’s a lot like listening to music or appreciating art—you don’t necessarily have to like anything about the artist himself in order to enjoy the product. 😏
Scoop Malinowski · June 12, 2022 at 7:41 am
Now Rafa is going to most likely play Wimbledon says Uncle Toni who is not with Felix this week. Murray into a grass tourney final vs Berretini. Sock loses in semis of Nottingham Challenger to Evans who will play Thompson.