Federer vs. Nadal: Roger Federer Needs Win to Chip Away at Unbalanced Rivalry

Roger Federer is the greatest Grand Slam player of all time, and arguably the greatest tennis player period.

But if there is one final thing he has to prove, it's that his chief rival, Rafael Nadal, doesn't have his number. At this point, it's a claim Nadal and his fans can fairly make, and one Federer and his fans probably would rather ignore.

I'm not the only one who thinks so, of course—check out what Bruce Jenkins had to say on the matter for Sports Illustrated:

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How can Federer be called the best when he can't beat Nadal? That remains a relevant issue, Nadal taking a 17-9 lifetime edge into Thursday's match, including a 7-2 edge and a four-match winning streak in the majors. The last time Federer emerged victorious on the Grand Slam stage was the 2007 Wimbledon final, and it's a trend he badly wants to reverse.

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And considering Nadal has only lost once at Roland Garros since 2005 (to Federer), beating Nadal at the Australian Open becomes that much more important.

Federer is not to be underestimated, of course. He's won the Australian four times and dominated Nadal the last time the rivals met, 6-3 6-0, at the 2011 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

And while the rivalry may have lost some of its zest—that Novak Djokovic guy has forcefully entered his name into the tennis elite—Nadal certainly knows how important each match between the two is:

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"When we talk about a player who won 16 Grand Slams, and I won 10, and all those very important moments in our careers, the match is special," Nadal said after defeating Berdych. "It would be special even if we were [ranked] 20 and 25."

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The match may be special for all of us, but it holds a special importance for Federer. With a few more marquee victories over Nadal before he retires, Federer can put to rest the only question left about his legacy:

How can he be called the best when he can't beat Nadal?

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