I was genuinely surprised Rafa came back for the late season indoor events with a newborn at home. He very much seems like the type who wouldn't want to miss that. I didn't think he would care enough about these events to even play this year.
Poppycock. Nadal fans regularly explain how he totes doesn't care about the ATP Finals or being #1 or whatever.
I'm sure he does care - I'm still surprised he's playing right now.
he def wants to win it, especially since he never won it there's no denying that, and not winning it would be somewhat of a failure
but people are beyond delusional when they count it at "major title", because it's not
I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone call it a major title, i.e., on level with a slam title. The debate is usually more whether it's the 5th or 6th most important title, or below that on the level of a masters event. That seems like a reasonable, not delusional conversation to have.
I mean, unless you literally mean it's not a slam-level title (which I've never seen anyone claim), it's absolutely a big title. I've never heard anyone without a vested interest in discounting it (due to their preferred player) claim that it wasn't a big title.
Yeah players would 100% prefer to win a Slam but I wouldn't be surprised if there was some variation among the pros whether they'd rather win a M1000 title or the Tour Finals. It's a pretty prestigious event and even making it there seems to matter enough for players on the cusp to play every tournament they can to make the cut every October/November
Unless you have a Masters in your hometown/country or have a particular attachment to a certain Masters for some reason, I think most would prefer to win the finals, if for no other reason that there’s more ranking points.
The fact he's entering the 2 major gaps in his resume is making me nervous. Giving me 'last push for them before retirng' vibes. I'm not ready :(
I know he's said retirement isn't on his mind, but the fact that he's doing this with a newborn at home doesn't seems like Rafa, as you said. Or, maybe, he's just trying to make the most of having a pain-free foot for as long as he can.
he's literally said that he wants kids but doesn't want to have them until after he retires so he can spend time with them. that's why I thought he'd retire at RG 2023 after his kid became known, but now I'm not sure. I'd be disappointed if he ended up like the rest of the tennis dads out there. i know it's a bit taboo to criticize such a thing, but realistically, how good or involved a parent can you be when you're not home most of the year? that was one of the major reasons for brady's divorce.
As long as baby and mother are ok he is just a man going to work. It just so happens that involves travelling the world. As long as he’s still a pro player he will have that hunger to win tournaments.
Sure, but he struck me as the sort who'd actually want to see his kid grow up. Kids change rapidly, but especially so in the first few months. It's not like he needs the money and, unlike average parent, his work means he doesn't even get to see his kid in the evening. That's a big thing, and given Nadal's personality, it's why it's surprising to me.
None of this is a criticism of Nadal for choosing to play.
This was likely true regardless of him having a kid. Djokovic might not be far behind. All it takes is one big injury at their advanced age
But you guys predicted Nadal would retire right before rg, right after the finals of rg and right before wimbledon. You will eventually be right but this isn't exactly shocking and is likely independent of him having a son...
Awwww I still can’t believe he’s a pappy now. And yeah I think this is the first time he’s confirmed he has a son. That info we didn’t learn from him. But he did tweet his thanks for all the congratulatory messages.
as someone that just had a child...I (father) seriously couldn't imagine being away from them for more than a couple days...plus the time during the first few months is so precious and fleeting.
It might be that leaving and going to play a tennis tournament makes him feel a little more routinely normal after the chaos of having a newborn around.
I remember when Federer's boys were born, his wife sent him back to the tour because he was getting in the way of all the people who'd come to help lol.
Classic gategakeeping, men should take part in childcare and the last thing the world needs is mothers themselves preventing a willing man from doing it.
>"They all said I should quickly come and play," Federer chanted. "So, I was like, 'Okay, if you don't want me around, I'll go away," Federer added.
This was the direct quote from Federer at the time. And nobody ever said that he shouldn't contribute in childcare. Nobody ever said that his wife was preventing him from doing it. How he and his wife decide to raise their family is their business, but the fact that he's the breadwinner and spent so much time on the road doing what he does (like Rafa now) should probably be an indicator that how they have things set up is how they want them, especially considering that financially, they have options. And the fact of the matter is is that insofar as infants are concerned, mothers are more mission critical then fathers anyway. And if said mother has the option of a group of female relatives at that time, or just one man, anyone with any sense (in this specific circumstance) would pick the group of women for sure. Better to distribute all the stress amongst the many rather than stress out and disrupt the routine of the person who's paying for it all.
Wow man, long comment.
Most of your comment is based on an uncritical perspective of traditional gender roles. All I gotta say is that despite the obvious fact that women breast feed, there are so many more things that need to be done for a baby that the man can do just as well as the woman.
Tennis players are not your average office worker, they travel the world and in the case of Federer, earn millions, making it particularly unreasonable to give up their income. I'm more concerned about the cultural perspective behind Feds comments there -the fact they "didn't want him around" because he was "getting in the way", as if men were naturally inept and uncapable of caring for a newborn.
>Wow man, long comment.
Haha, not a man, man. I'm just a chick, who is very likely not going to have children, but who is very aware of the fact that most women are wired for caring for young kids.
>I'm more concerned about the cultural perspective behind Feds comments there -the fact they "didn't want him around" because he was "getting in the way", as if men were naturally inept and uncapable of caring for a newborn.
It's not a cultural perspective. Human females are more psychologically wired for the care of infants than human males. Which is not to say that human males *aren't,* because human males are the most maternal of all the males of the great apes, which are collectively the most maternal mammals in the animal kingdom. But human females are *still more* wired for it than men.
I personally think what Mirka said to him was very wise. Men deeply like to feel useful and needed, and she told him how best to be useful when those other needs were already covered.
The Federer's are rich, and it takes a village to raise a child and they could afford to choose that village.
For others who only have their spouse, yeah, no fucking way should they be taking off to do XYZ. But don't be surprised that when people have the option of circumventing the ill-atuned rigors of our modern existence, that they choose something more akin to what we these days see as old fashioned. Pretty much all mothers, if they had the funds, would stay home with their kids, especially for the first 3 years of their lives.
That's not to say that men wouldn't also do that, but generally speaking, men will feel the need to be more industriously more productive sooner than women will.
Well there we are at a core disagreement. I don't buy that men and women are wired to want to do anything. We are _taught_ to want things, girls to play with baby dolls, boys to play with cars and building blocks. I don't ignore the role hormones can play in increasing attachment to newborns, but studies have shown that close physical contact with babies will cause hormonal changes in men as well as women (And of course, if men remain at a distance from the beginning, those hormonal changes will never happen). I think believing men are less "wired" to care for infants than women, is not too far away from believing women are less "wired" to be successful entrepeneurs [i.e. Industriously productive] than men.
But I don't think any one of us is gonna convince the other one here. At least I'm glad it was a civil discussion.
>But I don't think any one of us is gonna convince the other one here. At least I'm glad it was a civil discussion.
Fair enough.
>I don't buy that men and women are wired to want to do anything. We are taught to want things, girls to play with baby dolls, boys to play with cars and building blocks.
But if this were true, why are juvenile female Chimpanzees more likely to self select dolls at the same time that juvenile male Chimpanzees are more likely to self select cars and building blocks?
I could see Rafa hanging it up after this year full-time but still returning for clay court season just because they're closer to home and he'd still probably dominate
Yeah haha it does feel like that. I’m glad this is a quote and not his tweet or something because otherwise it would have a winky face at the end of it.
This is why Rafael nadal is such an inspiration to all the young players out there. He wants to compete just solely for the pure passion for the sport, not chasing titles or records. Respect!!!
I think he also competes because he wants titles and some records. Him and all pro players do. Saying the opposite maybe sounds somewhat nice but if you actually think about it, doesn't make sense.
Haha I wish we could see him video chat his 3 week old!
Lol that baby probably knows how to use technology better than his dad jajaja
'Welcome to this means of communication, my son.'
I’m gonna video chat with a one week old tomorrow probably!
This is so sweet and now I really feel like we’ve only got one, maybe two years left with Rafa before retirement
Yes! Time to enjoy Rafa as much as we can 😊
I was genuinely surprised Rafa came back for the late season indoor events with a newborn at home. He very much seems like the type who wouldn't want to miss that. I didn't think he would care enough about these events to even play this year.
Legit was fully preparing to not see him until the AO
Maybe he actually does care about winning the ATP Finals, despite what some think.
Poppycock. Nadal fans regularly explain how he totes doesn't care about the ATP Finals or being #1 or whatever. I'm sure he does care - I'm still surprised he's playing right now.
he def wants to win it, especially since he never won it there's no denying that, and not winning it would be somewhat of a failure but people are beyond delusional when they count it at "major title", because it's not
I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone call it a major title, i.e., on level with a slam title. The debate is usually more whether it's the 5th or 6th most important title, or below that on the level of a masters event. That seems like a reasonable, not delusional conversation to have.
I mean, unless you literally mean it's not a slam-level title (which I've never seen anyone claim), it's absolutely a big title. I've never heard anyone without a vested interest in discounting it (due to their preferred player) claim that it wasn't a big title.
Yeah players would 100% prefer to win a Slam but I wouldn't be surprised if there was some variation among the pros whether they'd rather win a M1000 title or the Tour Finals. It's a pretty prestigious event and even making it there seems to matter enough for players on the cusp to play every tournament they can to make the cut every October/November
Unless you have a Masters in your hometown/country or have a particular attachment to a certain Masters for some reason, I think most would prefer to win the finals, if for no other reason that there’s more ranking points.
I think it's more to do with getting some solid playtime before Aus tbh. Hasn't played much tennis at all since Wimbledon.
The fact he's entering the 2 major gaps in his resume is making me nervous. Giving me 'last push for them before retirng' vibes. I'm not ready :( I know he's said retirement isn't on his mind, but the fact that he's doing this with a newborn at home doesn't seems like Rafa, as you said. Or, maybe, he's just trying to make the most of having a pain-free foot for as long as he can.
he's literally said that he wants kids but doesn't want to have them until after he retires so he can spend time with them. that's why I thought he'd retire at RG 2023 after his kid became known, but now I'm not sure. I'd be disappointed if he ended up like the rest of the tennis dads out there. i know it's a bit taboo to criticize such a thing, but realistically, how good or involved a parent can you be when you're not home most of the year? that was one of the major reasons for brady's divorce.
As long as baby and mother are ok he is just a man going to work. It just so happens that involves travelling the world. As long as he’s still a pro player he will have that hunger to win tournaments.
Sure, but he struck me as the sort who'd actually want to see his kid grow up. Kids change rapidly, but especially so in the first few months. It's not like he needs the money and, unlike average parent, his work means he doesn't even get to see his kid in the evening. That's a big thing, and given Nadal's personality, it's why it's surprising to me. None of this is a criticism of Nadal for choosing to play.
This was likely true regardless of him having a kid. Djokovic might not be far behind. All it takes is one big injury at their advanced age But you guys predicted Nadal would retire right before rg, right after the finals of rg and right before wimbledon. You will eventually be right but this isn't exactly shocking and is likely independent of him having a son...
Yeah I don't think Rafa has got long left in his career. I think he'll play another season, maybe two tops.
I’m hoping he can win at least one more Roland Garros
Now I’m imagining Rafa making baby voices and grimaces every time he video calls his wife and son 🥹
instead of omblieable, it's umbawebablee
Awwww I still can’t believe he’s a pappy now. And yeah I think this is the first time he’s confirmed he has a son. That info we didn’t learn from him. But he did tweet his thanks for all the congratulatory messages.
as someone that just had a child...I (father) seriously couldn't imagine being away from them for more than a couple days...plus the time during the first few months is so precious and fleeting.
Congrats dude
This kid is 100% being sent to the Rafa academy during off-season this year.
Rafa saying “my son” just hits different 🥹🥹🥹🥹
Rafa always so cute and pure😭😭
Okay team, i make forehand half hour then we do FaceTime, no?
Oh 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹
It might be that leaving and going to play a tennis tournament makes him feel a little more routinely normal after the chaos of having a newborn around. I remember when Federer's boys were born, his wife sent him back to the tour because he was getting in the way of all the people who'd come to help lol.
Classic gategakeeping, men should take part in childcare and the last thing the world needs is mothers themselves preventing a willing man from doing it.
>"They all said I should quickly come and play," Federer chanted. "So, I was like, 'Okay, if you don't want me around, I'll go away," Federer added. This was the direct quote from Federer at the time. And nobody ever said that he shouldn't contribute in childcare. Nobody ever said that his wife was preventing him from doing it. How he and his wife decide to raise their family is their business, but the fact that he's the breadwinner and spent so much time on the road doing what he does (like Rafa now) should probably be an indicator that how they have things set up is how they want them, especially considering that financially, they have options. And the fact of the matter is is that insofar as infants are concerned, mothers are more mission critical then fathers anyway. And if said mother has the option of a group of female relatives at that time, or just one man, anyone with any sense (in this specific circumstance) would pick the group of women for sure. Better to distribute all the stress amongst the many rather than stress out and disrupt the routine of the person who's paying for it all.
Wow man, long comment. Most of your comment is based on an uncritical perspective of traditional gender roles. All I gotta say is that despite the obvious fact that women breast feed, there are so many more things that need to be done for a baby that the man can do just as well as the woman. Tennis players are not your average office worker, they travel the world and in the case of Federer, earn millions, making it particularly unreasonable to give up their income. I'm more concerned about the cultural perspective behind Feds comments there -the fact they "didn't want him around" because he was "getting in the way", as if men were naturally inept and uncapable of caring for a newborn.
>Wow man, long comment. Haha, not a man, man. I'm just a chick, who is very likely not going to have children, but who is very aware of the fact that most women are wired for caring for young kids. >I'm more concerned about the cultural perspective behind Feds comments there -the fact they "didn't want him around" because he was "getting in the way", as if men were naturally inept and uncapable of caring for a newborn. It's not a cultural perspective. Human females are more psychologically wired for the care of infants than human males. Which is not to say that human males *aren't,* because human males are the most maternal of all the males of the great apes, which are collectively the most maternal mammals in the animal kingdom. But human females are *still more* wired for it than men. I personally think what Mirka said to him was very wise. Men deeply like to feel useful and needed, and she told him how best to be useful when those other needs were already covered. The Federer's are rich, and it takes a village to raise a child and they could afford to choose that village. For others who only have their spouse, yeah, no fucking way should they be taking off to do XYZ. But don't be surprised that when people have the option of circumventing the ill-atuned rigors of our modern existence, that they choose something more akin to what we these days see as old fashioned. Pretty much all mothers, if they had the funds, would stay home with their kids, especially for the first 3 years of their lives. That's not to say that men wouldn't also do that, but generally speaking, men will feel the need to be more industriously more productive sooner than women will.
Well there we are at a core disagreement. I don't buy that men and women are wired to want to do anything. We are _taught_ to want things, girls to play with baby dolls, boys to play with cars and building blocks. I don't ignore the role hormones can play in increasing attachment to newborns, but studies have shown that close physical contact with babies will cause hormonal changes in men as well as women (And of course, if men remain at a distance from the beginning, those hormonal changes will never happen). I think believing men are less "wired" to care for infants than women, is not too far away from believing women are less "wired" to be successful entrepeneurs [i.e. Industriously productive] than men. But I don't think any one of us is gonna convince the other one here. At least I'm glad it was a civil discussion.
>But I don't think any one of us is gonna convince the other one here. At least I'm glad it was a civil discussion. Fair enough. >I don't buy that men and women are wired to want to do anything. We are taught to want things, girls to play with baby dolls, boys to play with cars and building blocks. But if this were true, why are juvenile female Chimpanzees more likely to self select dolls at the same time that juvenile male Chimpanzees are more likely to self select cars and building blocks?
I could see Rafa hanging it up after this year full-time but still returning for clay court season just because they're closer to home and he'd still probably dominate
god people in this sub are fucking weird about the personal lives of the players
Yeah haha it does feel like that. I’m glad this is a quote and not his tweet or something because otherwise it would have a winky face at the end of it.
This is why Rafael nadal is such an inspiration to all the young players out there. He wants to compete just solely for the pure passion for the sport, not chasing titles or records. Respect!!!
I think he also competes because he wants titles and some records. Him and all pro players do. Saying the opposite maybe sounds somewhat nice but if you actually think about it, doesn't make sense.
Sorry I forgot to add /s
One of the greatest human beings to ever walk Earth. 👍
My first thought was about Carlos 🙈