We all know that Rafael Nadal pulled out of Wimbledon because of knee tendinitis. But I didn’t know that ESPN analyst/super-coach Darren Cahill suffered from similar problems on-court, which he says ended his career. (He retired at age 29 but he played his last three years without winning a singles title.)
Darren went into great detail today while doing live commentary, grimly recounting his own experiences and the parallels he sees in Rafa’s situation. This is my own “transcription” so please forgive any little inconsistencies. And warning – some of this is tough to hear:
It’s different for every kind of player. Who knows how chronic Nadal’s knee injuries are. But patella tendinitis finished my career. I had it for three years and I tried everything to shake it. I took a bunch of time off. I spent three years icing it twice a day, even on days off, and living on anti-inflammatories. And that’s a whole different story, what anti-inflammatories do to you. It wears you down mentally. I’d wake up every morning and not know what kind of shape my knees would be in. And you can’t train and you can’t prepare to improve the way you want to.
And there were just so many things in Rafa’s press conference that sent those memories back to me. He looked tired and beat up mentally. Exactly the same way I was. And we have nothing to compare in our careers. Nothing. Except that I know what he’s going through with this injury.
You can compete and get through your matches but it’s just the managing of the injury that wears you out. I basically said to my coach at that time, “If I’m ever going to have a chance to make a run at the top ten or be as good as I’m going to be. . I’ve got to fix this. I just can’t continue doing what I’m doing.” My final option after three years was to do surgery and that was it. It finished my career.
Some people can shake this injury off. Martina Navratilova shook it off. So hopefully Rafa can get through this because it’s a nightmare of an injury to have. You live with it – that nagging, aching pain every single day.
Four weeks before I had the surgery I was actually playing well. I won a tournament in San Francisco (which would be his last singles title) and I was so sick and tired of icing my knees and taking anti-inflammatories that I actually rewarded myself for winning the tournament by not doing it. The next morning I packed my bags to get on the plane to Philadelphia to play, and I had tears in my eyes the pain was so bad in my knees. The one day I didn’t ice or take anti-inflammatories. So for me, mentally, I was gone. I could’ve kept playing but I’d been tapped out.
Darren ended his analysis with this positive grace note:
I think for the last few years we’ve looked at Nadal’s game and tried to figure out how he could be better than what he already is. And he’s done that. He’s actually found ways of doing that. And physically there’s no one stronger on tour. So if anybody can come back a bigger, stronger, faster, fitter athlete, it’s Rafael Nadal. And I hope he does.
Yeah, I think we all hope for that! But after such a sad and sobering story, I don’t know what to think. At the very least, I have a new empathy for what Nadal is going through. How are you feeling about it?
Loading ...Tags: Darren Cahill, Nadal, Nadal injury, tennis, Wimbledon
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Thanks for posting this. I heard this while watching today, but couldn’t type things up while it was on.
No problem! It was quite a statement by Darren Cahill.
Thanks. That’s very nicely done. Really appreciate your effort.
As for Cahill’s comments – well, what can I say. Hopefully Rafa’s case is not as severe as Cahill’s (during his playing days). I would think that even Fed fans would want Rafa to be back.
You’re welcome Jimmy! thanks or reading.
I hope all of Roger’s and Rafa’s fanatical fans are fans of the sport, first. And you can’t love the sport and not want these two healthy and at the top of the game.
The thing I appreciated about his comments is that contrary to many other people discounting Rafa’s comments, Darren gave them credibility, based on his own experiences. These aren’t Rafa’s necessarily and I truly hope not to this extreme. But he was clear and direct; Rafa was also clear and direct in his news conference and some of the reactions are surprising, or perhaps disappointing, as if Rafa was not being honest. We know, I think, that Rafa is always honest and direct.
Yes, these statements were very insightful – if fairly chilling for all tennis fans to hear. Listening to Darren made me feel sick to my stomach.
But as you said – the situation might be similar but not the same. And Rafa is younger than Darren was when he had these problems, and I’m sure there have been advances in treatments, etc.
If there is any way for Rafa to rehabilitate his knees, he will do it. But I don’t think he can keep playing his hyper-physical game and not suffer the same injury in the future. No amount of muscle strengthening can eliminate stress on the knees when you move back and forth the way Rafa does. He’s going to have to change his game, IMO. But, if anyone can do that, it’s Rafa. Maybe Fed can give him gliding lessons….
Hmmm. . .interesting point. I don’t really know enough about the injury. What about surgery? Tsonga’s come back fairly well from it. . .so maybe this aspect has improved since Cahill’s days and it will be an option for Rafa?
I don’t think Rafa will ever be able to change his movement – that’s at the foundation of his game.
We’ll just have to see – maybe Rafa will have to start playing half or quarter schedules – look at the success the Williams sisters have had with it. . .
Cahill’s comments made my blood run cold, but I’m still hoping that rest and medical advances will keep Rafa going.
The comments also served as a snark deflector. C’mon, we know that Nadal is supremely competitive and would want to defend his brilliant hard-won title.
That he felt he had to skip it tells its own story. Then Darren gave us the DL.
(Rafa: If you want a massage specialist I’m there for you!)
I have tendonitis in my right forearm. Of course, mine is from working on a computer and typing and mousing all day so I could never compare my injury to Nadal (lol!) but my arm ached so much that I’ve learned to mouse and 10 key with my left hand. I had too. It’s not like a muscle ache where you can take a couple aspirin and the pain will be gone. And I so feel for Nadal because my arm rarely acts up because I don’t have the repetitive movements that I used to have but playing tennis all the time, his knees are constantly going to have it. I know how it aches and I can’t imagine it in my knees. I so hope Nadal will come back though, I miss him already!
rafa please donot try to retire