I understand Novak and Rafa practiced together today. Would have loved to have been there.

"His first job: a night out at the cinema with girlfriend Jelena, with the couple attending a vampire flick."

Ew, don't tell me they went to watch Breaking Dawn.

Djoker will do it again, against all odds.

@mriidula, wouldn't be surprised, Nole is a bit of a cheeseball.

Maya.. did Djoko whack the ball on Rafas knee /foot and Rafa whack the ball on Djokos shoulder..just joking :-)

BTW how is the relationship now between both? It was very friendly till beg of this year, after the 6 in a row I felt it became very formal (going by the handshakes) . Its unusual to have No 1 and 2 practice together to not let secret weapons incorporated in the game let out ..

sanju, I don't think it's because of the six losses. I think it's a change of PR guy, plus I heard there's something to do with the insole expert of Nole having rejected helping Rafa to do the insole job for Rafa's troubled foot when approched by Rafa's team for help. That's just my guess and may be some rumors only.

lucky..feed more details

Why would lending a doctor for treatment matter at all? Its humanity :-)

And whats with PR guy? Whata re details?

sanju, I read an article on another website, about an Israelis insole expert who does the insoles for the footwears of sportsmen. He was approached by Nole's team in 2006 when Nole had some foot or ankle injuries and he did the insoles for Nole's shoes to help him with his problem. It worked well for Nole; remember when he won the AO 2008, he threw his shoes to the spectators but before that he removed the insoles? Nole now can slide so well even on grass and hard courts without injuring his ankles, thanks to that expert. It seems that Rafa's team knew about it now and tried approaching that expert for help but was being rejected. I'll try to find that article and post the link here.

Rafa and Nole had shared the same PR guy until recently, when the PR guy decided to go with Rafa only. I guess that Colombian exho early this year was the work by that PR guy and that might be the last one he did for both of them.

Yes, the insoles issue is a true story, if we are to believe the Israeli doctor. The guy does insoles for quite a lot of players in the top 40 (I recall Lopez and Simon were on the list), not just Nole, but did say that he didn't offer to help Rafa because he was close to Nole and his family or something along those lines.

I don't know about the PR agent choosing sides issue, but it was about that time that the seeming friction started between these two. I don't think there is great animosity between them, but things are a little colder than they used to be.

samprallica, "...but things are a little colder than they used to be."

Nadal was all nice while he was beating djokovic regularly, and djokovic was (is) not a sore loser, I have to give him that.

But when Djokovic started beating nadal then nadal started gettin less and less nice.

When nadal beat djokovic in hte US Open they even huged a bit at the net but when nadal lost just a cold handshake. It's easier winning than losing that's for sure.

I think it was the over the top celebrations by Nole and his team after his Madrid victory over Rafa that made Rafa less warm to Nole. There has also been a lot of Rafa mocking going on by Serbians on the internet seemingly sanctioned by Nole including the spat he did with the gun with Tipsa.

Rafa, Roger or Murray have not behaved like that after they've beaten each other.

I have no idea if the relationship between them has cooled or not but the difference in their net exchanges is evident.

I think this is to do with the way Djokovic celebrates wins. He was known for his graciousness in defeat - particularly where it involved Nadal - but there is no modesty about being the victor. This year Noles' net exchanges have bordered on the perfunctory before embarking on his on-court celebrations. I have long thought these are more to do with the thrill of defeating the foe rather than pleasure in the win itself. And obviously that thrill was even greater when it involved Nadal.

bleck, relax....................Rafa is nowhere close to challenging Fed's GOAT status bro!

Relax.......................

http://www.livetennisguide.com/2011/11/17/rafael-nadal-to-practice-wit h-novak-djokovic/

...........and I guess Rafa's reaction to being invited for a practice session with Nole was "less and less nice"............


This tourny better start subito, people can only work with their imaginations for so long....................

Proof/evidence that Rafa's blood is jaundice-free:

http://blogs.bettor.com/Novak-Djokovic-is-not-an-obs ession-but-a-challenge-for-me-Rafael-Nadal-Tennis-News-a112448

People are too sensitive here. Do note that the hugging by Rafa were always done when he beat either Nole and Murray. To me that's some form of consolation offered from Rafa to thematic the net, having just beaten them. Now when he was beaten, he won't be the one offering such consolation, so therefore he's not hugging them, simple as that! The non hugging also happened between Rafa and Murray, at the Tokyo final. Don't tell me Rafa also has some problems with Murray, when he had beaten Murray four times this year?

Come on, be more objective here, just observe Rafa's behavior towards various players and you can see that 1) towards Fed, he's always nice and polite but no hugging, regardless of whether he wins or loses;2) towards Nole and Murray, he always hugs them when he beats them, but hand shakes when he loses; 3) towards fellow Spaniards, they used to hug each other, except maybe those not too close ones like Montanes, GGL or Andujar, for eg. 4) towards all others, wins or loses, it's always polite handshakes.

I don't think we need to read too much into it. Well i'm not sure should Rafa beats Nole in future, will Nole mind the hugging from Rafa, or will Rafa hug Nole again. Ha ha we shall see, but I think Rafa will continue hugging Murray should he beats Murray. They seem to like each other.

Well lucky, Andy is always saying how much he looks up to Rafa, says he's his favorite player, the gr8est etc so I'd expect the hugs to continue lol. Sometimes I thought Andy worshipped Rafa too much btw, but looks as if this might be changing.
Also wondered if this irks Fed just a tad, he is often, how can I put this tactfully....a little dismissive of Andy, shall I say.

You cant call handing out a bagel in Tokyo showing respect. I nearly resigned my associate membership of the Murraymints club over that. :-P

Hi Deuce, maybe Feds dismissive of AndyM cos he hasn't yet won a slam or held #1? With the PR guy who knows, maybe Nadals team have said you eìther work with Nole or us, not both. Either way Nole has got the best deal if the Dr who makes the insoles has declined to work with Nadal.

I do think Rafa was offended by Nole's celebrations. We should remember how Rafa acted towards Nole after he won the 2010 USO. They both hugged each other and then there was a video of a moment after that. Nole was sitting in his chair looking downcast and Rafa saw him and went over to him and tried to console him again. That was a special moment and illustrates how aware Rafa is about his opponent, even in victory. That is important.

It would be convenient to think that Rafa is cold because he is losing, but he has suffered losses to Nole in the past. The disrespect and over the top theatrics would not sit well with Rafa. I know that Fed also has had issues with Nole's behavior. If you want to look at cold or perfunctory, check out Fed and Nole at the net. There is no love lost.

Rafa has always been respectful to Fed when he beats him. After he gave Fed his worst slam defeat in the 2008 RG, he was very subdued. He respects Fed a great deal and would not want to offend him with bad behavior.

Just different personalities. Noles net celebrations are, in my opinion, about him having defeated his opponent, nothing personal towards them. Its the mentality thats got him where he is.

mojo, 11/18/11 9:58 PM
'Its the mentality thats got him where he is.'

It is too easy to forget he grew up at a time when his country was torn apart by a brutal war and there were no tennis facilities to speak of or financial aid and still he clawed his way to the top while still a teenager. In future I will remind myself of this next time I am about to be critical of his warlike celebrations.

Against this background it is all the more remarkable that Serbia has 3 ATP and 3 WTA players in the top 100. This contrasts starkly with the paucity of successful players in the UK and the USA in spite of the huge sums of money spent on nurturing young players.

This has been discussed at length, but the truth is that only Rafa and Nole know what is going on with them. I can understand Nole's experience coming from a war-torn country, but that is not Rafa's life experience. We all perceive things through the window of our own human experience. It may not have personal with Nole, but Rafa could still have taken it that way.

We can only surmise that maybe it was the way Nole celebrated that bothered Rafa. Maybe it was something else. Maybe it had to do with their pr man deciding to only represent Rafa. Who knows. Of course, some have said that Rafa changed because of all his losses to Nole.

We could discuss this forever. We have no way of knowing their true relationship and feelings for each other. That fact will not change.

Yep, we all can say or believe what we want but only Rafa and Nole themselves know what happened between them. I prefer not to be bothered with all these. If we want to pick on the players, there are so many of them that we can pick on. Sometimes we have to know that they're all humans, they can have their good and bad days too. Just the other day, Verdasco was so pissed with his own play against Berdych at the Paris Masters, he barely shook hand with Berdych, just merely touch and go, Berdych was taken aback by that it seemed. I can understand how Verdasco felt that day, watching him played that day was already pissed enough!

Personally, I believe all this talk of bad blood between Nole and Rafa is rubbish..........Rafa simply isn't configured that way. As for Nole, I may not be a fan and may find his post-win theatrics a tad irritating but I have NEVER felt, in all those times he beat Rafa this year, he wanted to be dispresepctful to Rafa. I saw them more as pro-Nole, rather than anti-Rafa celebrations.

Some tennis fans hanker after a bygone era, or other sports, where professional rivalries become personal. That's what makes the spectacle exciting for them. Thank goodness the current crop of tennis pros are not cut that way.................and I for one like it!

The story I have found interesting is the one abaout the Israeli insole maker........him saying he turned down Rafa's camp's approaches out of respect for the Djokovic family. Now, THAT blew my mind, totally and utterly. If this chap truly said that, then it says more about the Djokovic family AND him. To even say this publicly is a betrayal of confidences imho because it then begs the question, does the Djokovic family consider Rafa an enemy? Seems a tard provincial to me. He makes insoles for Flo, so the problem is not with Spaniards per se, but with one in particular! Whatever next, Nike saying they will not be supplying Rafa with kit because they are already contracted to Fed and they do not want to risk his wrath?..................

Eeeewwww.......................

RITB, when I first read that article, I also felt the same way as you do. I don't know whether that doctor's words could be trusted. By saying what he said, he indirectly is causing the 'bad blood' between Rafa and Nole. Why in the first place he can do insoles for other players, Lopez included, but he has to exclude Rafa? On what basis does he reject Rafa, certainly not based on humanity ground, as sanju has pointed out! Then what, so that Rafa can be prevented from playing his best (without having his foot bothering him) and others, Nole included, can have better chances of beating him?? Or is it simply pure loyalty to Nole and his family? Then why don't he keeps his mouth shut about Rafa?

My point exactly, lucky.....................i just felt (if the story is true) he should have kept his mouth shut, only serves to darken perceptions about Nole's camp..................

RITB: His family have been the driving force behind his success but as the same time are a liability for Nole. Djokovic senior is known to be a bit of a loose cannon prone to throwing his weight about. There was the story of how he was ejected from the Belgrade TV station after storming in to complain about their coverage of a Nole match in progress. Nikola Pilic resigned as director of the Serbian Open because of his interference and high handed tactics. More recently he led a campaign to unseat the president of the Serbian Tennis Association.

It is intriguing to speculate how things might have panned out had they accepted the LTA invitation to relocate to London back in 2006. All kudos to them for turning the offer down but had they not done so, he might now be stepping out as the British No.1 and be playing for Great Britain in the Davis Cup. Instead of which Nole has become the national figurehead of Serbia.

Hi ed 251137, @11/19/11. Youve misinterpreted my comment. By saying Its the mentality thats got him where he is, this was actually a compliment to Noles psychological strength and ability, the player he is on court. No doubt about it he's had to overcome insurmountable problems to put it mildly. His psychological strength (mentality) has got him to his current #1, coupled with a good pair of insoles and diet, lol!

Hi ed 251137, @11/19/11. Youve misinterpreted my comment. By saying Its the mentality thats got him where he is, this was actually a compliment to Noles psychological strength and ability, the player he is on court. No doubt about it he's had to overcome insurmountable problems to put it mildly. His psychological strength (mentality) has got him to his current #1, coupled with a good pair of insoles and diet, lol!

Didnt mean to post that twice, lol!

Mojo: My comment clearly gave the wrong impression whereas we are singing from the same hymn sheet! I maybe worded it wrongly when I said the family were the driving force behind his success - by which I meant they believed in him and made it possible for him to pursue a career in tennis. The talent, the will to succeed, and the mental strength to do so comes from within Nole himself.