Originally Posted by
CDu
I'm not sure "drama queen" is what I would use to describe Nadal. He's competitive and uber-intense on the court. But drama queen? He's also one of the most well-respected and well-liked players on tour.
I could see that argument being made about Djokovic (moreso in his earlier years), but about Nadal seems pretty surprising to me. Nadal is pretty monotone on the court. He does play very deliberately in between points, and he has some OCD-like quirks about his between-point routine. But I don't think I've ever seen much outside-of-the-point drama with him.
As for the match, it went from being a blowout to a thrilling back-and-forth battle and really entertaining. I was happy for Nadal: he is as tireless a worker and grinder as you'll see in tennis. Kind of the Wojo of the sport (only with way more talent). It's a shame that his effort has resulted in physical breakdown over the years, because when healthy he's phenomenal to watch.
It feels like we're getting close to a new generation of players moving up with Thiem, Medvedev and a few others knocking at the door. It's nice to see the "old" guys still winning for a little while longer.