Australian Open 2012: Why Rafael Nadal Is Most Dangerous Man in the Tournament

We have seen some crazy things in the 2012 Australian Open thus far. But there have been your normal constants like Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal dominating the competition. But only one of these guys is the most dangerous player left in the field.

His name is Rafael Nadal.

The 2009 Australian Open winner has openly stated that his knee felt a sharp pain last weekend while sitting in his hotel room. He was almost forced to sit out the tournament.

Sounds like a big deal, right?

Not quite.

Nadal has breezed through his competition without even dropping a set. He downed Feliciano Lopez in straight sets in 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in his most recent match. Lopez is certainly no pushover, but Nadal made quick work of the fellow Spaniard.

Nadal may be the best tennis player in our generation when his career is over. He has dominated Federer, arguably the best player in the history of the game.

Nobody is giving Nadal a chance to win the Australian Open and he’s eager to prove them wrong. People are jumping on the bandwagons of Federer and Djokovic while leaving Rafa behind. I don’t blame them for leaving him behind, because I did as well given his injury problem, but he’s proving that his knee isn’t bugging him as much as we should believe.

I’m certainly watching with close eyes now. He has done enough early in the Australian Open to prove that he’s more than capable of splashing down in the 2012 campaign.

Opponents shouldn’t even consider Nadal being injured because he hasn’t showed it to be true. If you take his injury seriously you will get burned. He has burned every opponent thus far. Don’t take him lightly.

I wouldn’t be shocked if Nadal kicked off 2012 with his 11th Grand Slam victory. Nadal is on a mission to prove to his opponents and the world that he is still the best player on the planet.