Tennis' Greatest Rivalry, and The Players Who Helped Pave the Path

In looking back over the last 10 or so years of Men’s Tennis, one has to wonder how we came to be enthralled into one of the greatest eras the sport has ever seen.

Before Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal came to be, tennis had a long history of rivalries that fueled interest within the sport.

However, following the tail end of Sampras vs. Agassi, the prospect of getting to where we are today, wasn't immediately known.

Andy Roddick had just won his first US Open, and held the No. 1 ranking in the world. He owned the game’s most lethal weapon, with his blistering serve; and seemed destined to take over the throne, left empty by his American counterparts.

The problem with this scenario didn't immediately present itself, because in tennis terms, Roger Federer matured a bit later than people had predicted. Nevertheless, the talent was there, and he was starting to show his true force.

Early in Federer’s career, most people wouldn't have immediately referenced his graceful and artistic strokes, but instead, his powerful forehand and testy on-court behavior.

Not until he secured his first of 16 Grand Slam’s did he polish his image, becoming the face of the Men’s game.

During the early Federer years, many people assumed that his main rival would be the hard-hitting Roddick. They had many great matches, but Federer became more able to block his serve and eliminate his most valuable asset.

The rivalry would not truly come to form, and Federer began to dominate the Men’s game like no other player before him.

At this time, Federer was putting a stranglehold on the Men’s game, and in 2004, he put together one the greatest season’s in the modern era; winning three of the four Grand Slams.

In that same year, a young Rafael Nadal was slowly progressing his game, which at the time was considered specific to clay.

In the first meeting between Federer and the teenage Nadal, at the 2004 Miami Masters, Nadal would beat Federer in straight sets; finishing that year ranked 51st in the world.

Nadal was quickly rising in the rankings and in 2005, he broke through with his first French Open Title. He would come to dominate on the red clay of Roland Garros, winning four of the next five French Opens.

Since 2005, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have battled in some of the sport's most memorable matches. Seven of them contested in the finals of a Grand Slam.

The 2008 Wimbledon Final, won by Nadal in the fifth set, as the day began to turn to night; is commonly regarded as “the Greatest Match Ever Played.”

In looking back at the last 10 years, let us not forget the other players, who along the way helped to secure these two champions to the top of the game.

Roddick is a tragic story, had it been written by Shakespeare. Full of potential and master of the service game, he will always be the victim of playing in an era where two of the game's greatest players have staked their claim.

We cannot forget Djokovic, Murray, and del Potro, who have pushed the two Champions to make themselves better, challenging the top two players of this generation to push their games to even higher levels.

Then we cannot forget the two champions, who have pushed each other to levels, the game has never seen.

The Rivalry continues to grow, and is highlighted by each player chasing their respective place in history. Nadal chasing Federer, with the intent of closing the gap; while Federer chases glory, with the intent to widen the gap.

Each player is capable of winning at each major, and if history had its way, each player would have to go through the other.

The Australian Open holds the key to the rest of the year. Will Nadal hold all four majors at once? Can Federer defend his 2010 title, and continue his quest to forge his place as the greatest ever?

In the spirit of rivalry, let’s hope that in 2011 we can enjoy more of the same. We should all sit back and appreciate what we have been treated to over the last five years.

Two of the world’s greatest sports figures, both on the court and off of it…