Rafael Nadal: Rafa Continues to Be Road Block for Roger Federer

There's been so much talk about Roger Federer's "decline" that we forget that it all started with Rafael Nadal.

Despite racking up 16 Grand Slam singles titles in his career, Federer was having problems with Nadal long before Novak Djokovic came along in 2011.

It's rather quite simple: Nadal's style (not to mention his expertise) plays to Federer's "weakness." That is, Federer's backhand.

When you have a sizzling left-handed forehand like Nadal, it naturally tests Federer's backhand. Now let's be clear, it's not like Federer has a bad backhand. It's actually pretty solid, even more so this year. But it can't compete with Nadal's forehand. That is the crux of the matter.

That brings up another item of debate: Is Federer the goat or is Nadal? After all, Nadal owns an 18-9 overall record against Federer, including an 8-2 mark in Grand Slams. There's a good argument that he is indeed the goat.

I'll say this: I have always admired Federer more based on his style of play. He's never relied on a power game, but won 16 Grand Slam singles titles based on his shot-making and grace. He's always been the most fun player for me to watch.

But I'll also say this: Nadal is the only man who has consistently beat Federer throughout the years. Doesn't that mean he's the better player? Even though you could say Nadal has an advantage against Federer due to being left-handed, the fact of the matter is Nadal hasn't had as many problems with Federer's forehands. Sure, he has an advantage with his forehands, but he has a disadvantage against Federer with his backhands. Yet...he still wins.

It's sad for me to see Federer like this. A player of this caliber does not deserve to be dominated this way. It doesn't seem fair. The reality is, if Nadal had never shown up all these years, Federer would have been the undeniable No. 1 in the world up until Djokovic's rise in 2011.

In the end, Federer's "decline" has less to do with him, and more to do with Nadal.