Roger Federer: Tennis Legend Will Never Beat Rafael Nadal Again

Roger Federer will name his first male child Rafa.

Would it really be shocking? Rafael Nadal owns the Swiss tennis star so much it’s impossible to imagine Federer ever beating him again.

Dennis Passa of the Chicago Sun-Times reported that after Nadal knocked him out of the 2012 Australian Open, Federer said:

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I thought Rafa played well from start to finish. It was a tough match physically as well. I’m disappointed, but it’s only the beginning of the season. I’m feeling all right, so it’s OK…I feel he plays really good against me. He’s also got a winning record against me which maybe gives him extra confidence. I think he has a clear plan and he follows that one very well.

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At 30 years old, Federer isn’t going to gain ground on Nadal. Not only is the Spaniard the superior talent at this point in his career, but he now has an undeniable mental advantage, too.

Yogi Berra once said, “90 percent of the game is half mental.” Ignore the poor math and Berra is onto something. 

Nadal goes into every match with Federer knowing exactly what it will take to win because he’s done it so many times on the biggest stages. Federer knows this as well. As a result, Nadal’s competitive edge on the aging veteran is through the roof.

In Grand Slam finals alone, Nadal has won four straight matches against Federer and is 6-2 overall. Furthermore, those two losses occurred all the way back in 2006 and 2007. Federer isn’t even the favorite to reach tournament finals anymore now that he’s been reduced to the No. 3 player in the world behind Novak Djokovic.

Tennis’ all-time Grand Slam leader has won just a single major tournament since his last Wimbledon victory in 2009.

He just isn’t a threat to Nadal any longer.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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