Rafael Nadal: Roger Federer

Athleticism + Spin + Power + Grit  = A Champion + A weeping former Champion

Balance the equation for yourselves! This is something I have wanted to write about for quite a long time—yes you guessed it—it's the hundred thousandth (and counting) article on the latest "greatest rivalry" in sports.

There was this man who racked up Grand Slam titles at the rate of three per annum—a man whom many proclaimed as the Greatest Of All Time (from now on, to be referred to as the GOAT—yes what a timid name for such a title—one of the great ironies of the language of course!).

A proclamation for which the gathering, or rather creation, of evidence which was to take place in the future, in the form of Grand Slam and other titles won, seemed a thing taken for granted—a mockery of causality if you will!

You could not fault these people since the test subject seemed to be so complete with everything—great athleticism, great anticipation, all the shots in the book (some of his fans have it that new books were written to include the shots this man played, and which were not there in the now obsolete edition), and...er...well, yes the approval of all previous GOATs.

Some of those fans who, you know, take fanfare to the extend that they place their sporting heroes alongside Gods, started suspecting that the real God had reached his limit for optimizing the human race to its best possible set of talents, that a new specie was round the corner, and that this man was evidence for it (you could say that these fans also knew a bit of mathematics...or is it Physics?).

As the acute reader may have already guessed, this man was Federer.

What these people failed to notice ("these people" would mean almost everyone on Earth, except Pete Sampras, perhaps and myself who is his fan) is that there was one chink in the armour, and if Federer was the ideal tennis player, then the ideal was not perfect, the imperfection not least manifest in any of the weapons in his Tennis armoury.

The fact is this—Federer after dancing and singing on court (well his Tennis looks as graceful as a ballet, they claim), won his Slams quite effortlessly. There was no competition, or Roger was too far above the rest (relativistically speaking there would be no difference).

This created an impression in his mind (the following are just conjectures, the correctness of which the author is not responsible for) that his only rival in the present and future is the past (history).

You may call it ego, but this Champion's mind was not prepared for opposition and he had no reason to be—the most talented man during his hey day—Marat Safin—was having psychological problems to deal with, and others were already speaking of finding eternal contentment in being the World No. 2.

So was Rafael Nadal. Now this guy comes around and wins a French Open year in and year out. But Federer (who, in hind sight should not have) and others wrote him off as one of those dirt chewers who win on clay and are happy with it.

Nadal did not or does not have all the techniques of Roger Federer. If Nadal is a good athlete, Federer is up-to him.

If Nadal has a bestial forehand, Federer's has the reputation of being the best weapon in tennis. Plus, Federer has the sort of serve which, perhaps Rafa lost his right to even dream about, the day he switched to his left hand. Federer has superior anticipation and court position.

Also, Nadal still has the outdated "book of tennis shots," while Roger has authored additional volumes.

People say Rafa's forehand to Roger's backhand is Roger's weakness; but the last two grand slam finals do not give enough evidence to establish this claim; also, some say that Rafa's passing shots are better.

All said, the King did not see it coming. Federer's Demon—the creature that ruthlessly humiliated every opponent on court fell asleep for want of competition. The mortal that was Rafa tried jolting him to reality in two Wimbledon Finals (and people finally realised that he could chew grass, too).

But the Demon refused to wake up. Each refusal of the Demon, was a nod from the Goddess of Tennis greatness to the challenger.

And he took it. He improved every department of his game—he can serve better now, he plays closer to the base line, has learnt the flat ground-strokes, and can even do a bit of quality volleying! This all took effect and finally took home the message in what was the greatest of Grand Slam Finals at Wimbledon.

Federer lost. Nadal won (ya obviously!). The Demon started waking up. And while the Demon was rubbing his eyes, he lost the World No. 1 position and the Australian Open too.

Federer is hurt. Of course he cried! But he is hurt in a different way too. Perhaps he himself doesn't see any aura around him - perhaps he sees one around Nadal now.

This aura seems to have been like the Emperor's new clothes—the kid that is (was) Rafa cried out, "he doesn't have any sort of aura", and the aura was gone, for Federer included.

Gods do not have weaknesses. Perhaps Roger will eliminate the one's inflicted on him and be before his retirement, a definitive Tennis God, and we may perhaps be able to take off the last item on the equation.

(This article could earlier be found at my personal blog www.hodalmighty.blogspot.com, which has since been removed from there, so as to publish it here)