Can anyone enlighten me and tell me why on Earth ATP website doesn't (at least obviously as in the past) show the ATP race any more... what's the trouble of seeing the true list of quality in 2009?

They removed it because it confused some fans

Well Done Rafa. I hope this is a good omen for you at the O2 in November.

which fans?
I thought people with below average intelligence don't like tennis anyway....no I don't buy that one....

They removed the chase because it was pointless. It did nothing other than clutter the rankings system.

At the end of the year, the rankings and the chase would have been identical - or as close to identical as you can get - so there will be no difference in terms of who will be the Top 8 qualifying for the Masters Cup.

guys....my understanding is that the top 8 (ATP rankings) will be playing in November this year.... that means Nadal, Fed, Murray, Djoker, Delpo, Roddick, simon, tsonga with verdasco...hovering and davydenko hovering....for a place....last year when the tennis was played at the alternative venue for the last time - in Shanghai - the top eight played then in accordance with ATP rankings.....as Djoker is the defending champion, he will be playing at the O2 arena in November...as will the rest of the current top eight....the only real changes will be likely around no.7 or no. 8 with a possible attack on these two positions by the current no. 9 or 10. depending on the points system....currently, I think that Davydenko is no. 10? am sure he will be fighting for a place at the tourno in november.

Furthermore, Wembley arena is the second largest venue in Europe with a crowd capacity of 90,000. The largest venue is Camp Nou in Barcelona with a max. crowd capacity of 98,722. The O2 only has a crowd capacity of 23,000. So the ATP site in terms of releasing further tickets of 165,000? simply does NOT make any sense....

in any case....I pre-registered for tickets way back in september last year and was able to buy two on a pre-registered basis in April this year....as far as I know, all tickets have now sold out.....

Djoker being the defending champion has nothing to do with whether or not he will be in it this year.

Malteser don't you think the tickets are based on one day and therefore that figure seems allright?

Ricky...you miss my point...my fault for not being clear.....whilst I know that Novak being defending champion is nothing to do with the tourno as such....it is unlikely based on the points system that he isn't going to be able to defend his title......

Rafa.......14960.....No.1
Roger......10470....No.2
An dy M....9020......No.3
Novak......8830......No.4
DelPotro...4830.....No .5
Roddick....4220.....No.6
Simon......4050.....No.7
Verdasco..3830 .....No.8

8 players qualifying currently for the masters tourno at O2.

Tsonga. ......No. 9 ...3430
Davydenko...No.10.....3205

I guess Ricky what I am trying to say (but not very well!!!)...is that it is unlikely that any of the BIG FOUR will lose their places before November tournament....and that if there are to be any changes....it's gonna be the upper end of the seedings....most likely davydenko and tsonga fighting for a place.....as their points are so much lower than the higher end players......

Malteser, they are London Masters cup is NOT BEING PLAYED at Wembley but O2 Arena...(fomerly known as the Labour-fiasco-Millenium-taxpayer money-gone down the pan- Dome), and I've got the ticket for semi final day yehaaaa!

noleisthebest,

You creased me up over your alias name for the O2 Arena

Hmmm.... this is the earliest he's ever qualified, right? Normally it's always been after Wimbledon. Roland Garros hasn't even been held yet. Then again, he's never won a GS at the beginning of the year. Still, it's pretty awesome.

Hope he can actually WIN it this time around.

malteser - OK now I see what you mean. yes, there is no way Djokovic won't make it into the MC.

noleisthebest...read my post C-A-R-E-F-U-L-L-Y please. I K-N-O-W it's at the O2! I was saying that the ATP website had posted a further 165,000 tickets...but the crowd capactiy at O2 was only max 23,000. And then discussed the wembley stadium as the being the S-E-C-O-N-D largest stadium in Europe and so O2 (ex millenium as you said) doesn't come any where near....)...Get it?!!!!


SGHiceman.....thanks for that....but I have semi finals tickets too...(meeing noleisthebest for lunch!!!! :-)........so I couldn't see how further tickets could be given on this day when 1)...All Sold Out and 2).....only max of 23,000 that day in any case.

If you are saying 165,000 on 'any' given day.....then 23,000 is the max.....the tourno is only over 7 days anyway.....so I had heard all tickets were sold out....

Am I missing something?

Just make sure that it's for lunch, and not a face scratching match.:-)

danny....do you live in uk? try get yourself a ticket on ebay or something then may be meet for a coffee? :-)

Hey guys here is an article for you Nadal lovers :)
And just to say the part about the 50 year old ladies is hilarious


No man is an island ... except for Nadal
By Tim Keown

Could it be the language barrier? Is that the reason Americans have a limited understanding of his genius? Maybe we're the lucky ones, then, since the silences might contain the best insight into Rafael Nadal. There is something undeniably magnetic about him, yet he appears ignorant of his charisma. Watch him as he speaks at a press conference or at center court after a match. He is awkward, almost bashful, looking up from under his long, dark hair to wonder why people are laughing at something he didn't intend to be humorous. His facial expression says: I will just keep smiling while I try to figure it out. He doesn't seem to comprehend the defining tenet of his popularity: He exudes pure, unadulterated joy in a way few tennis players ever have.
The notion that he doesn't fully grasp his own celebrity is one of many fascinating paradoxes about Nadal. On the court he is intense, fierce, nearly feral. He doesn't so much play the game as stalk his prey. But on a languid March evening in the California desert, Nadal is the picture of calm. Dressed in a salmon-color polo and shorts, he is slumped on a couch in the players' lounge at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on the eve of his win over Andy Murray in the final of the BNP Paribas Open. When it is suggested that his relentlessness intimidates opponents, crushing their will, the 22-year-old Spaniard seems almost hurt. "No," he says. "I never try to intimidate. Everything I do is for me, not [to affect] the other player." And when the match is over, when he has merely beaten or completely broken an opponent, he is almost apologetic.
The most famous example came after the Australian Open in February, when Roger Federer stood in front of a microphone at center court and cried. The great Federer had been reduced to tears by the mounting frustration of keeping up with this kid, this tireless force of nature. Nadal, who won eight of their first 14 head-to-head matches, had beaten Federer five straight. Between sobs, Federer praised Nadal before saying, "It's killing me."
Nadal, head bowed, clapped uncomfortably. What do you do after you break a man? When Federer couldn't continue, Nadal walked to the microphone and said, "Roger, sorry for today."
The response from the crowd: laughter. A welcome chance to ease the tension, sure, but Nadal wasn't joking. He was sorry. Not for winning but for inflicting so much emotional pain on a man he deeply respects.
"It's important to understand this is only a game," he says, his English clear though heavily accented. "I am lucky: My job is one of my hobbies. We are just hitting a ball, and every week we are in the locker room together. You try your best on the court, but off the court we are not rivals."
Nadal by the numbers
Last year's Wimbledon final -- let's just call it the best match ever -- established Nadal as more than a clay specialist. He not only won his fifth Grand Slam but also notched his first away from Roland Garros. By August, Nadal had supplanted Federer as the world's No. 1. This spring, he collected tournament title No. 35, reaching the milestone at a younger age than both Federer and Pete Sampras.
And still Nadal is something of a mystery. He is an international heartthrob in clam diggers. He does everything righthanded -- except play tennis. Asked to describe the moment of winning Wimbledon, Nadal says, "I only remember this." And here he does something unexpected: He closes his eyes and opens his mouth wide in a silent scream of exhilaration, then tosses his head and arms back against the cushions of the couch, re-creating the moment in which he lay on the court, victorious and exhausted.
The reenactment was surprising, but not the economy of the description. He has a savant's ability to distill a problem into its purest elements. Along with warlike intensity and supreme athletic ability, clarity of purpose is one of his defining attributes.
And so this leads back to a 2008 Wimbledon final story. Nadal won the first two sets, Federer the next two. Heading to the final set, it was assumed Nadal's moment had passed, that momentum would carry Federer to his sixth straight Wimbledon title.
A rain delay before the fifth set sent the players to the locker room. There, Nadal's uncle and coach, Toni Nadal, was met with a burst of his nephew's clarity. "I won the first two sets, so why can't I win another?" Rafa asked. In his mind, he faced the same situation he had faced from the third set on. "What has changed from two sets ago? Every time I am one set away from winning. This is the same: One more set, and I win."
So armed with inarguable logic, he took the court with one goal: make Federer beat him. "My feeling was, Roger can beat me, but I'm not going to have a mistake," Nadal says. "If he beats me, it's because he is playing well, not because I made a mistake." (True to his word, Nadal committed seven unforced errors to Federer's 16 in the fifth set.) He shrugs and adds, "And so I won," as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.
Could it be the walls built around him? Does the notoriously insular world of tennis prohibit a fuller picture? Tennis is protective, but Team Nadal builds barriers meant to be impenetrable. Benito Pérez-Barbadillo, Nadal's publicity man, is the razor wire surrounding Fortress Nadal. He says, "My job is to be the loudspeaker, telling the world about Rafa. But I do not speak for him. He doesn't like that."
Pérez-Barbadillo is a former ATP publicist who has earned the nickname Señor No for his handling of media requests. "I promised you nothing," seems to be his favorite line. An interview with Nadal for this story came after two weeks of wrangling. And while it may be frustrating for those wishing for a more complete image of Nadal, the setup is perfect. Rafa is free to play tennis, enjoy leisure time and regale the throngs with his mere presence.
"Rafa's a sweet kid," an ATP official says. "There's just nothing compelling there. There's been almost nothing revealing written about him."
Nadal is self-conscious about his routines -- fussing with chairs on the sideline, lining up water bottles by label, then drinking from each -- but those can be excused as the natural extension of a game that relies on endless repetition and routine. Nadal seems as normal as an internationally famous 22-year-old can be. He understands the obligation to the press -- "It is my job," he says -- and is open and unhurried during The Mag's interview. Afterward, he plays table tennis with a female writer who is clearly infatuated. He graciously plays at her level for a few points before taking on doubles partner Marc Lopez in a wild, lengthy battle. Nadal seems even bigger in person; nowhere is his 6'1", 188-pound frame more impressive than at this tiny table. Lopez wins the match, prompting Nadal to toss his paddle and storm off in mock fury, yelling in Spanish, "I am superior!"
Nadal is an unashamed perfectionist, saying, "I have lived my whole life with high intensity." His practice regimen is taxing, just one factor that causes skeptics to wonder about his longevity. But the extra effort has improved his serve and net game, helping to boost him to No. 1. "His serve has gotten a lot better," says James Blake. "He's hitting it bigger and placing it better."
On the evening of his first day in Indian Wells, after 26 hours of travel, three hours of sleep and five hours of golf, Nadal practices for 90 minutes. Witnessed only by the cleanup crew and a few stragglers, he rages across center court in all directions before announcing the session's conclusion by sprawling on his back near the service line.
Walking to the car later, Nadal excuses himself for a detour into one of the volunteer trailers. As he says hello to the mostly elderly female group, Pérez-Barbadillo explains, "That is Rafa, right there. He is educated and polite. His family taught him well."
Nadal grew up on the Spanish island of Majorca, where he still lives with his parents and younger sister. They've lived in the same house for 12 years. As a child he played tennis and soccer, and part-time coach Francisco Roig says, "He could have been a first-division Spanish footballer." At 12, Nadal turned to tennis exclusively. He had a relatively normal upbringing. Unlike other prodigies, he was not shipped off to a high-priced academy for the privileged and talented, because his parents feared that world would foster an entitlement mentality. Instead he worked with Uncle Toni, who made him practice on poor courts with old tennis balls and subpar rackets to teach young Nadal not to use extraneous elements as excuses.
"Rafa is the same person he has always been," Roig says. "That is a greater achievement than being No. 1 in the world." Nadal maintains interests outside tennis; he can hit a golf ball 350 yards and loves to fish in the Mediterranean. He sees no reason to move out of his family's home, despite raking in an estimated $18 million annually.
"In Majorca, I can be myself," Nadal says. "I go to the supermarket and the cinema, and I am just Rafa. Everyone knows me, and it is no big deal. I can go all day -- no photographs." Hard to believe, considering that he and his girlfriend, Xisca Perello, are favorites of the European paparazzi.
He laughs and insists it is true.
"This is why I don't change," he says. "In my humble opinion, change is stupid. Now people want to know me. But in five or six years, I'll be a regular person. That's the business. If you can't accept that, you're going to have a problem."
Sure, but what about a new house or his own island? He shakes his head and dismisses the idea with a wave of his hypertrophic left arm.
"Why change if you have perfect?"
Could it be the world's longtime infatuation with Federer? When you spend 160 weeks at No. 2, as Nadal did, it's hard not to be subsumed by No. 1, especially when No. 1 is Federer. Until a year ago, he was the greatest player in the history of the game. Thirteen Grand Slams and an average of just six losses a year over a four-year stretch (2004-07) -- Federer's reign was so complete it didn't leave room for anyone else. But Nadal, five years younger, eroded Federer the way he erodes opponents: over time. And the stylistic differences between Roger and Rafa are as legendary as their matches -- one plays with geometric precision while the other bounds, slides and attacks. While Federer inspires poetry, Nadal inspires grunts of appreciation.
To the tennis prude, Nadal is an assault on the sensibilities. To non- and semi-tennis people, he's a reason to watch. He's Jack Sparrow with a racket, stalking the court with brute grace and hitting the ball as if it owed him money. His forehand, with its buggy-whip finish, produces backspin that causes the ball to jump high and fast, creating the illusion that it picks up speed after it bounces. It's why opponents seem to be returning the ball with their backs pressed against a wall.
As Nadal seeks his fifth straight French Open title, the big question is whether he will become the third man, after Rod Laver and Don Budge, to win a calendar-year Slam. Asked to assess his chances, Nadal responds in his humble fashion: He holds his thumb and index finger an inch apart.
His brilliance has also been obscured by his persona. Is it possible to be overshadowed by your own sex appeal? The voyeurism that follows Nadal -- at least in the retirement world of Indian Wells -- is mostly benign. Two women in their 50s are among the hundreds crowded around a practice court. They are fixated on the way Nadal's shirt rises to expose his stomach when he serves.
"That's not normal," one says. "He must have his shirts made that way."
"Fine with me," her friend replies. They laugh.
If you ask the people closest to Nadal for a story that explains him, they don't tell a Wimbledon story or a French Open story or even a story about women ogling him. They talk about a semifinal match in Hamburg in 2007 against Lleyton Hewitt. Nadal had lost to the Aussie previously, and after he lost the first set, Roig sent a text message to a worried group of Nadal's people. The message, in part because it preceded another Nadal comeback, has become their motto.
It read: Don't worry. He is Nadal.
They didn't know what had brought Roig to this conclusion, and they didn't ask. The story was told in the silences in between.

? 373?80 -- Overall record since turning pro in 2001
? 173?14 -- Record on clay since turning pro in 2001
? 1 -- Number of sets (out of 37, through May 13) he dropped on clay in 2009
? 9?1 -- Career clay record vs. Roger Federer (only loss: 2007 Hamburg Masters final)
? 70.9% -- First serves won at past four French Opens
? 61% -- First serves won by opponents at past four French Opens
? 2,500 -- Average rotations of a typical pro player's ground stroke
? 4,000?5,000 -- Average rotations of a Nadal ground stroke
? 2.13 -- Miles Nadal ran during five-hour-14-minute 2009 Aussie Open semifinal vs. Fernando Verdasco
? 1,473 -- Shots Nadal hit during five-hour-14-minute 2009 Aussie Open semifinal vs. Fernando Verdasco

You posted for rafans but I read too. Is that okay? lol

Doesnt tell much new about rafa but very nice article. I didnt know he played football too; I wonder if he can do cool tricks with a tennis ball like Murray

Orion

Hope you enjoyed it as much as i did.

He does alot of cool tricks with the tennis ball orion. I know there are YouTube videos of some of them. He is left-footed when it comes to football so tennis isn't the only thing that he is lefty about.

I did enjoy it topdog thank you very much. I couldnt find anything at youtube but I take your word for it. Why is he left-footed btw was Uncle Toni his football coach too? lol

LOL, I don't know why he is left-footed for football orion. NO, Toni didn't coach him for that either--lol. Maybe his other Uncle Miguel (who played for barcelona) did?

f4t- I thought about that but the first thing on Uncle Miguel's list would be teaching to be a barça fan lol

LOL orion.....well Rafa can be stubborn

Congratulations Rafa on being the first to qualify for the year-end Barclays ATP World Tour Finals! This is a testament to the phenomenal season you've been having so far! Vamos :D

TopDog, thanks very much for sharing that article. I always enjoy reading articles on Rafa. The writers seem to enjoy it as well. All of the nuances and insights into Rafa and his world are so rare to come by, that a little peek or observation into Rafaverse seems to inspire the poet in the writer. What a special, inspirational individual. I love his outlook on life. He is so philosophical and possess such a mature and logical view that he exudes wisdom beyond his years. But then he is also childishly playful , charmingly boyish, and has the respect that will lead him to help old ladies across the street. What an absolute sweetheart!

I love the motto: "Don't worry. He is Nadal." I can't recall how many times my family and I've said that to each other while watching a particularly tricky match. Rafa is SO dependable. You just KNOW that he will do EVERYTHING in his power to succeed. In the end, win or lose, you are filled with the pride and satisfaction that one can only feel when they know, deep down, in their heart of hearts, that they did their absolute very best. That is why this kid is always a winner. He can't lose because he is never defeated.

I also love how he has so many interests, it just shows the different aspects of his personality. The part about him and Marc Lopez is great. I love how his buddies feel free to beat him at whatever and rub it in when they're done. The idea that they are so comfortable teasing him, and that they treat him like he's "nuthin' special" is a reflection on how Rafa treats people and what type of friendly and inviting aura he sets out.

No doubt Rafa's family dynamic, and the people Uncle Toni brought on to form Team Rafa, is a big part of why he is the way he is. From the get-go they weren't going to allow Rafa to be sucked into the type of life that sees to young men becoming flamboyant and materialistic, arrogant, self-centered and proud. What a breath of fresh air!

His press conferences are especially my favorites (next to Andy Roddick's). He possess something that just ATTRACTS. I love listening to what he has to say. More often than not I find myself chuckling when he patiently handles a particularly stupid question, giggling when I know he got the reporter's goat (and the reporters know it too), or nodding grimly when he drops one of his gems of wisdom that acknowledges realities that we know exist, but would prefer not to be reminded.

How he handles his existence on the tennis courts is a direct reflection on how he handles life. And the lessons he learns on the way, and eagerly shares with us because he is a born leader, allows us to know, that whatever happens, this kid is going to be all right. And by being all right, by being satisfied and content with being who he is, he inadvertently gives us permission to do just the same. I am proud of you Rafa, and because I am proud of you, I am never disappointed in myself. Stay just the way you are. Never change, because "change is stupid".

Take care everybody :)

Absolutely beautiful post MiniArbre!!! You know exactly how to put into words what many of us feel!

When I logged on just now, I found an article that was funny and great. It is titled "Can Anyone Stop Nadal's Drive For Five At Roland Garros." It is in the USA Today newspaper (usatoday.com). For some reason I can't copy and paste the link for you. If you can, I would highly recommend it to any Nadal fan!

"He's Jack Sparrow with a racket, stalking the court with brute grace and hitting the ball as if it owed him money".............thats got to be my favourite line describing rafa from ur post TOPDOG.............thanks.......loved it!!!!

vamos rafaaaa!!!!!!!!!

WHAT? this early? Rafa is already qualified? That cemented his greatness no?

Raindrops......the other players have qualified too....It's a foregone conclusion.....just look at the points system below...was the same last year apart from the change with blake and simon...

whilst I know that Novak being defending champion is nothing to do with the tourno as such....it is unlikely based on the points system that he isn't going to be able to defend his title......

Rafa.......14960.....No.1
Roger......10470....No.2
An dy M....9020......No.3
Novak......8830......No.4
DelPotro...4830.....No .5
Roddick....4220.....No.6
Simon......4050.....No.7
Verdasco..3830 .....No.8

8 players qualifying currently for the masters tourno at O2.

Tsonga. ......No. 9 ...3430
Davydenko...No.10.....3205

I guess Ricky what I am trying to say (but not very well!!!)...is that it is unlikely that any of the BIG FOUR will lose their places before November tournament....and that if there are to be any changes....it's gonna be the upper end of the seedings....most likely davydenko and tsonga fighting for a place.....as their points are so much lower than the higher end players......

malteser,
the additionaly issued tickets you are talking about are probably no for ONE day ony but for the whole week.

thanks for that noleisthebest.....not for the semi final tho'.. tickets all sold out so the release of other tickets will be for other days but my understanding is that the tickets were sold out for all 7 days....? do you know differently?

For Rafa fans--- Read THE NEW YORK TIMES 05/22/2009-- Special Report-- Inside the Clay King's Game--- COOL!

I just bought it agf--lol! Was walking by all the mags in the grocery store and BAM! I couldn't miss that body or face--lol. Is an old photo they used for the cover tho!

yeah nice article from the new york times.........for ny rafa fan who hasnt read it...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/22/sports/tennis/22iht-SRNADAL .html?ref=tennis

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/22/sports/tennis/22iht-SRNADAL.html?ref =tennis

left some space in the above url........this should work

I missed you Agf! Glad to see you keep your username too. I'll have to check out the NYT Rafa report.

Since I'm a diehard Rafa fan! LOL

If anyone is interested tickets for end of year event have now gone on sale to general public. Don't know if available for Sat and Sun, but certainly for other days as I'vr just bought a couple!