Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have dominated men’s tennis in the last few years like no other pair before.
Consider this - since January 2004 till September 2008, they have between themselves won 17 of the 20 Grand Slams conducted !!!!
Indeed, the number of titles that have been lapped up by this pair over the past 3-4 years, has been innumerable and going by these figures it showcases just how much these guys have achieved.
Let’s start with Roger Federer.
Federer began his career, by turning professional in 1998. But it wasn’t until July 2003 when he won his first Wimbledon title that the world began taking notice of him. Since then, at least till the end of 2007, Federer had complete command over his game and his aura of invincibility was only building up.
I haven’t admired any sportsperson any more than Roger Federer. To have won 13 Grand Slam Singles Titles, remaining the No.1 player for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and to remain a nice and humble human being is no mean achievement.
What makes Federer so admirable to watch is his smooth style of play that makes you believe that he is hardly making any effort. Add to that his calm demanour on court and it’s hard to fathom that he is really aggressive. No matter what the match situation is, he rarely ever loses his cool, and only lets out his emotions at the end of the game.
What makes Federer so difficult to beat?
Well, for one, his service is absolutely brilliant. He doesn’t have the fastest serve in the game but its his accuracy in serve that makes it count. His cross-court forehand is one of his favourite shots that create difficult angles to play for the opponent. Moreover, his shots just clear the net which gives their opponents a lesser reaction time.
Last, but more importantly, he has an uncanny knack of lifting his level of play when the situation so demands it. Federer has consistently saved break-points and even match-points when the situation seems so hopeless. His ability to serve aces and hit winners when the going gets tough is proof of his mental strength and not succumbing to pressure.
Moving on to Rafael Nadal now…..
Nadal turned professional at a very young age of 15. He has made an impact from then itself. He first came into the limelight when he defeated then World No.1 Federer at just 17 years of age, then ranked No.36 in the world.
Nadal has achieved great heights in tennis since then. He has slowly moved away from being branded as a “clay-court specialist” and has now adapted his style of play on other courts like Grass and Hard Courts.
Up until May 2008, Rafael Nadal had won 102 out of 103 clay-court matches – his only loss was to Roger Federer in the Hamburg Masters Finals. Such an impressive record on his favourite surface, shows just how invincible he is on clay. What’s more, he has won all his matches at the French Open (played on clay) and has won the title 4 consecutive times.
Nadal’s style of play suites the clay court more than any other surface. He generates tremendous top-spin which makes the ball to kick-up higher than usual and thus the return from the opponent is very weak, which then allows Nadal to smash the ball into any corner of the court.
Moreover, Nadal is naturally right-handed, but actually plays left-handed.
This ensures that his back-hand shots are just as powerful as his forehand, which is generally not the case with most-players. And above all Nadal is an extremely athletic sportsman. Hit a shot into any corner of the court, and Nadal will ensure that he atleast tries to hit it back.
It’s an exciting time for any tennis fan to observe these two players in action and more so when they play against each other. Although, Rafael Nadal holds the clear edge head-to-head, it still makes for a mouth-watering clash.
The Wimbledon Final 2008 has been hailed by many as the greatest match ever.
I am desperately looking forward to some more exciting clashes between these two in the future. After all, what excitement exists in sport if it were not for some famous rivalries?
