http://topics.cnn.com/topics/feeds/rss/Rafael_NadalFind stories, videos, and photos about Rafael Nadal from CNN.com.en-usCable News Network LP, LLLP.Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:29:32 GMT5http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/img/1.0/logo/cnn.logo.rss.gifhttp://topics.cnn.com/topics/feeds/rss/Rafael_Nadal14433Find stories, videos, and photos about Rafael Nadal from CNN.com.http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/jon_wertheim/11/25/mailbag/index.htmlhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/jon_wertheim/11/25/mailbag/index.htmlA quick bag before Thanksgiving ...Thu, 26 Nov 2009 03:51:00 ESThttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/jon_wertheim/11/23/atp.finals/index.htmlhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/jon_wertheim/11/23/atp.finals/index.htmlA few thoughts as the season comes to an end ...Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:16:00 ESThttp://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/11/04/rafael.nadal/index.html#cnnSTCTexthttp://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/11/04/rafael.nadal/index.html#cnnSTCText"I'm not a machine, and like everybody I have better moments than others," Rafael Nadal told CNN in Shanghai.Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:06:00 ESThttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/jon_wertheim/10/19/schedule.falloff/index.htmlhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/jon_wertheim/10/19/schedule.falloff/index.htmlA few thoughts as tennis takes its annual autumnal tumble off the radar ...Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:51:00 EDThttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/jon_wertheim/10/12/wta.nadal/index.htmlhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/jon_wertheim/10/12/wta.nadal/index.htmlA few thoughts as the season winds to an end ...Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:09:00 EDThttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/jon_wertheim/06/19/wimbledon.men/index.htmlhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/jon_wertheim/06/19/wimbledon.men/index.htmlSI.com's Jon Wertheim breaks down the men's and women's seeds at Wimbledon. Read on for the top first-round matchups, dark horses to watch and his predicted winners.Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:45:00 EDThttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/jon_wertheim/05/31/nadal.french.open.q.a/index.htmlhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/jon_wertheim/05/31/nadal.french.open.q.a/index.htmlSI.com caught up with Jon Wertheim to get his impressions of No. 23 seed Robin Soderling's stunning upset of No. 1 Rafael Nadal at the French Open.Sun, 31 May 2009 18:24:00 EDThttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/kevin_armstrong/02/01/aussie.five.things/index.htmlhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/kevin_armstrong/02/01/aussie.five.things/index.htmlFive things we learned from the Australian Open men's final while most of America slept:Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:11:00 ESThttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/jon_wertheim/02/03/australian.open/index.htmlhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/jon_wertheim/02/03/australian.open/index.htmlHe stands 6' 1", weighs 185 pounds and can send a tennis ball pretty much anywhere he pleases. He's won on a variety of surfaces, collecting Grand Slam singles titles at a breakneck pace. He projects professionalism and grace and a distinctly European dignity. For all his success, he remains modest and grounded, uninterested in the usual trappings of modern celebrity, attracting attention only with his play.Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:05:00 ESThttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/jon_wertheim/10/28/tennis.mailbag/index.htmlhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/jon_wertheim/10/28/tennis.mailbag/index.htmlHow long until we see a major championship in Asia? Asia (China specifically) is such a large market for tennis to expand into that it seems like a wasted opportunity to not have a major there every year. -- Jeremy, Marietta, GaWed, 29 Oct 2008 18:10:00 EDThttp://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1831358,00.html?xid=feed-cnn-topicshttp://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1831358,00.html?xid=feed-cnn-topicsNadal made a successful debut in Olympic singles Monday, overcoming numerous missed chances by sweeping the final four games to beat Potito Starace of Italy 6-2, 3-6, 6-2Mon, 11 Aug 2008 07:00:00 EDThttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/frank_deford/07/16/viewpoint/index.htmlhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/frank_deford/07/16/viewpoint/index.htmlIf you're interested in having your son support you in your old age, here is my vocational advice to you: starting when he's in the crib, turn him into a left-hander, and then train him to become a relief pitcher. There's always a well-paying place for layabout southpaw relievers, well up into their athletic dotage. You see, while lefties moan that the world at large discriminates against them, our sinister brethren have all the advantages in sports whenever they directly face right-handers. Now an engineering professor named David Peters has come up with some basic statistics, which show what we righties always knew anyway, that baseball in particular is a gauche paradise. And that ain't no left-handed compliment.Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:20:00 EDThttp://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1820604,00.html?xid=feed-cnn-topicshttp://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1820604,00.html?xid=feed-cnn-topicsThe emotional impact of Nadal's victory over Swiss champion Federer, as seen by TIME's reporter at the Centre CourtMon, 07 Jul 2008 02:00:00 EDThttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/jon_wertheim/07/04/mail.semis/index.htmlhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/jon_wertheim/07/04/mail.semis/index.htmlFor Wertheim's audio roundup of today's matches, click here or scroll down below.Fri, 04 Jul 2008 18:43:00 EDThttp://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20208243,00.html?xid=rss-fullcontentcnnhttp://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20208243,00.html?xid=rss-fullcontentcnnThe "single" Spanish star has been quietly dating his hometown sweetheartTue, 24 Jun 2008 11:34:00 EDThttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/jon_wertheim/06/10/tennis.mailbag/index.htmlhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/jon_wertheim/06/10/tennis.mailbag/index.htmlLet's start with the fallout from the men's final in Paris. There were a lot of questions about the Nadal-Federer match and its consequences. In the interest of economy, I'll condense to five thoughts.Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:36:00 EDThttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/jon_wertheim/06/10/french.open0616/index.htmlhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/jon_wertheim/06/10/french.open0616/index.htmlLike skid marks at a crash site, tracks in the clay told the story of the 2008 French Open. Want to know why Rafael Nadal won his fourth straight title, humiliating Roger Federer in the final? All you had to do was look at the court. It was streaked and slashed, indicating the lengths Nadal had raced to retrieve balls. Forward, back, at odd angles, into the courtside geranium boxes. Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:26:00 EDThttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/justin_gimelstob/05/02/nadal.french/index.htmlhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/justin_gimelstob/05/02/nadal.french/index.htmlAs I write this, I'm 40,000 miles above ground hitching a ride on a private plane with tennis legend Pete Sampras. We're headed to Boston, where he'll be competing in the Outback Champions Series, and I'll be covering the tournament for television.Fri, 02 May 2008 16:51:00 EDThttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jon_wertheim/08/23/us.men/index.htmlhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jon_wertheim/08/23/us.men/index.htmlSI.com's Jon Wertheim breaks down the men's and women's seeds at the U.S. Open. Read on for the top first-round matchups, dark horses to keep an eye on and his predicted winners.Fri, 24 Aug 2007 05:38:00 EDThttp://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1653408,00.html?xid=feed-cnn-topicshttp://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1653408,00.html?xid=feed-cnn-topicsHe is the second best tennis player in the world. Now the Spanish master of the clay courts will try to beat out No. 1, Roger Federer, in the upcoming U.S. Open. Rafael Nadal will now take your questionsWed, 15 Aug 2007 23:00:00 EDThttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jon_wertheim/06/26/minibag/index.htmlhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jon_wertheim/06/26/minibag/index.htmlA quick Baguette while waiting out the rain. ...Tue, 26 Jun 2007 03:05:00 EDThttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/sl_price/06/12/french.open0618/index.htmlhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/sl_price/06/12/french.open0618/index.htmlRoger Federer moaned, and everyone knew: It would end soon. Grunting and screeching are tennis staples, of course, but not for Federer. Usually he embodies the quaint notion of striving quietly. But he had just made his final desperate run at Rafael Nadal and the 2007 French Open title, muffing the last of 16 break points he'd let slip this day. It was 5:50 p.m. on Sunday, in the second game of the fourth set, and after Federer rolled a backhand wide, his first groan echoed across the clay. On the next point Federer shanked another stray backhand and yelled in despair, and the 15,166 fans jammed into Court Philippe Chatrier knew it was done. Nadal had cracked him open for all to hear. Again.Tue, 12 Jun 2007 03:24:00 EDThttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/sl_price/06/10/price.french/index.htmlhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/sl_price/06/10/price.french/index.htmlS.L. Price is covering the French Open for Sports Illustrated and SI.com. We caught up with him following Rafael Nadal's 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Roger Federer on Sunday to get his impressions of the final weekend of the tournament.Sun, 10 Jun 2007 10:00:00 EDThttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jon_wertheim/05/08/spain.tennis0514/index.htmlhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jon_wertheim/05/08/spain.tennis0514/index.htmlTechnically it didn't count. So Rafael Nadal didn't extend his winning streak of 72 consecutive matches on clay courts. Nor, for that matter, did he snap Roger Federer's streak of 48 straight victories on grass. But Nadal's 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 triumph over Federer in a May 2 exhibition titled The Battle of Surfaces may have provided a trailer of sorts to tennis's feature presentations this summer.Tue, 08 May 2007 15:06:00 EDThttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jon_wertheim/04/25/mailbag/index.htmlhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jon_wertheim/04/25/mailbag/index.htmlSince clay-court season is upon us, I was wondering who you think is the greatest dirt-baller to play the game. Bjorn Borg? Guillermo Vilas? And where would Rafael Nadal fall in that category? -- Andrea, Richmond, TexasWed, 25 Apr 2007 14:27:00 EDThttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jon_wertheim/01/25/minibag/index.htmlhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jon_wertheim/01/25/minibag/index.htmlA couple of years back, you did an article on Fernando Gonzalez. Looking back at his evolution from the big gun 'n' forehand guy to the current player who beat Rafael Nadal, what has changed? -- Rex Jim, Leipzig, GermanyThu, 25 Jan 2007 19:06:00 ESThttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jon_wertheim/01/09/new.bag/index.htmlhttp://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jon_wertheim/01/09/new.bag/index.htmlDo you think Rafa Nadal's career may follow a similar arc to Jim Courier's? Both made their names by imposing their gritty, physical games on opponents. This led to early success for both, especially at Roland Garros. But Courier's career peaked early as other players began to figure out how to play (and beat) him. It appears that Nadal is in a similar situation. Maybe I should wait until after the clay season to make this metaphor, but after his loss to Xavier Malisse, Rafa looks to have lost some momentum. -- Jay Lassiter, PhiladephiaTue, 09 Jan 2007 21:50:00 EST