Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal: Indian Wells and the Return of the Tennis Kings

The Indian Wells tournament is just around the corner, and with the current climate in tennis it promises to be a hot event.

This event will mark the welcome return of Roger Federer who has been absent (on the tennis circuit—don’t worry folks, he hasn’t gone missing!) since that teary defeat to Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open. Since that time he has been resting a sore back while sparking rumours of a possible coach-player pairing with Australian coach Darren Cahill.

Although there has been speculation that they may be working together at his training base in Dubai, there is as yet no official confirmation that Federer has hired Cahill as his coach. It has only been said that they are working together on a trial basis.

This makes for some very exciting news and raises some interesting questions going forward. Will Cahill be able to help Federer overcome what appears to be a mental block against the Spanish maestro?  

There is no doubt that if any player can defeat Nadal, it should be Federer. After all, the Swiss master plays some of the best tennis and makes some of the most beautiful tennis shots ever witnessed. Time will tell, but a Federer-Nadal final at Indian Wells would certainly be exciting, particularly if Cahill is firmly planted and working within the Federer camp. This rivalry could also evolve into a battle of the coaches: Cahill vs. Uncle Tony!

As for Nadal, he is clearly the best player in the world at the moment, but questions do remain. Will he, like Federer, be hailed as one of the greatest of all time? It certainly looks that way if we judge him on his most recent form at the Davis Cup.

In Nadal's two matches he looked invincible—he demolished Janko Tipsarovic, giving away only three games in the entire match. He then beat Novak Djokovic decisively, 6-4, 6-4, 6-1. We must remember he was playing on his favourite surface: clay. He was also playing in his home country with the support of the Spanish crowd. However, I think we can safely say that Nadal takes the title for the greatest clay court player of all time.

Adding to his greatness, Nadal has also silenced critics who believed he could win only on clay by taking the Wimbledon crown in 2008 and then the Australian Open title this year. To all but the harshest critics, Nadal is now a man who can win on all surfaces.

Adding to his list of accomplishments away from the earthy surface, he also won a gold medal at the Olympics last year. Should he win the US Open he will have won all of the big prizes out there to be claimed in the tennis world.

No, he is no longer just a threat on clay. Federer knows this only too well, having lost only five of the 18 Grand Slam finals he has been in...all to Nadal.

Nadal, as well as Federer, is a ripe contender to be up there with the greats of the tennis world. This is what makes tennis so fascinating at the moment; we have a rivalry between two of the best tennis players in the history of the game. Could we ask for more?

What makes it even more interesting is that the two players are complete opposites on the court: sophistication and artistry vs. athleticism and determination. Off the court they are similar as both are gentlemen.

In the end it all makes for a perfect combination and some fabulous tennis matches. Indian Wells is the place where they may just have their next meeting, and their meetings always promise to be nail-bitingly good to watch for tennis fans.

It will be The Return of the Kings. Will Federer, the former king, be able to start his comeback for the crown, or will the current king of the court, Nadal, still be there to stop him? All we can do is wait, watch, and see who comes out on top.