Rafael Nadal: 10 Reasons He Has Surpassed Roger Federer

Rafael Nadal has been second to Roger Federer in the minds of tennis fans everywhere for a long time.

For years, he was unable to top Federer in the world tennis rankings. Ever since 2008, though, things have been different.

Nadal and Federer have traded spots in the rankings several times, but since last summer Nadal has firmly stayed in front of the Fed Express.

Nadal has become a stronger player than Federer. Federer is now 30 years old and is starting to decline. He is still an excellent tennis player, but he doesn't display the dominance that he was once famous for. 

Federer's 2011 Record

Roger Federer has a record of 42-11 so far in 2011.

That is certainly not a bad win-loss record; the problem is with the number of titles he has won this year.

Federer only has one singles title in 2011.

For a man who has won a total of 67 titles in his career, it looks like someone made a mistake on the stat sheet. 

It's no mistake, unfortunately. Federer won his first tournament of the year in Qatar but hasn't been able to produce the same results since.

The biggest warning sign that Federer is slipping is the way he performed at Wimbledon recently.

Let's be honest—Federer owned Wimbledon for a long time. He won six of the seven championships at Wimbledon between 2003-2009, winning five straight from 2003-2007.

This year, for the second straight time, Federer was bounced in the quarterfinals.

Nadal's 2011 Record

Rafael Nadal has had a better year than Roger Federer, plain and simple.

Nadal is 53-10 this year with three titles, including one Grand Slam at the French Open.

He went through a string of seven straight tournaments in which he reached the finals, capping his streak off with a victory at Roland Garros.

Nadal has experienced the usual injury here and there, but he has played through most of it.

He recently burned his fingers at a restaurant but still managed to make it to the quarterfinals of the Western and Southern Open.

Head to Head

Nadal owns the winning record in his rivalry against Federer.

He has beaten Federer three out of three times in 2011, bringing the overall record to 17-8 in Nadal's favor.

Many Federer fans argue that the 17-8 record is a bit unfair due to 14 of the 25 matches taking place on clay courts.

We all know Nadal is the master of clay, but Federer is no slouch when it comes to this surface. He simply hasn't found a way to challenge Nadal on a consistent basis.

Nadal has won nine of the last 11 matches against Federer, dating back to 2008. As Federer is getting older, it doesn't look like he will ever get the chance to even up their series record.

Recent Grand Slam Titles

Roger Federer has won one of the past seven Grand Slams.

How many hows Nadal won? Four times as many as Federer.

Nadal won three of the four Grand Slams in 2010, Federer won the remaining one.

For Roger Federer, this is completely uncharacteristic. He hasn't been on this long of a losing streak in Grand Slams since his first years as a pro.

Nadal comes into the 2011 U.S. Open as the reigning champion, and he looks like the favorite to win it again this year, figuring in that Novak Djokovic isn't at full strength

Rankings

Since June 7, 2010, Roger Federer has been ranked behind Rafael Nadal.

Nadal took the overall No. 1 ranking after winning his fifth French Open title last year and remained at the top until this summer. 

Nadal dropped to No. 2 after losing to Djokovic at Wimbledon, but Federer has still stayed behind him the entire way. Federer currently sits at No. 3 in the world.

I don't see Federer making it back in front of Nadal unless something miraculous happens or Nadal is forced to take time off due to more injuries.

Federer is now in Nadal's rear-view mirror, and it looks like it's going to stay that way.

Age

This is another aspect that fans need to start coming to terms with. 

Roger Federer is not going to stay young forever.

He just turned 30 years old in August. It's hard to believe, especially for his fans.

A lot of great tennis players have retired just after 30. Peter Sampras called it quits at 31 years of age. Boris Becker did the same.

It already looks like Federer has lost a step on the court. He doesn't have the same tenacity he has played with for years.

Rafael Nadal, on the other hand, just turned 25. He is right in the prime of his career.

What was Federer doing when he was 25 years old? He was just winning three Grand Slams in one year—no big deal.

Athleticism

Athleticism has always been a factor that has favored Nadal, but it's becoming predominantly clear as Federer gets older.

Federer has always been more of a finesse type of player—just look at him.

He is far from a body builder, but that has never stopped him from being one of the hardest hitters in tennis. 

Nadal, on the other hand, is quicker, stronger and more agile. He plays a very physical game—as evidenced by the many injuries he endures—and is very active throughout the match.

I'm not saying Federer is out of shape, but it is clear who is athletically superior between these two. 

More Potential for Nadal

As I mentioned previously, Nadal is in the prime of his career.

He is a 25-year-old that has already accomplished so much in his career and certainly has the ability to go even further.

Federer holds the record for most Grand Slam titles ever in men's singles, with 16 total.

Nadal has already passed a lot of tennis legends, as he currently sits at 10 Grand Slam titles. One more and he will tie Rod Laver and Bjorn Borg at 11.

At Nadal's age, he has plenty of time to win several more Grand Slams. If he keeps up the pace he has been on, he might even pass Federer in the record books.

Serve/Return Game

Nadal leads Federer in every return stat this year.

He has won more points returning first and second serves than Federer and has more break points converted.

Federer has always been a better server, as he gets a good amount of aces, but Nadal actually has a higher first-serve percentage this year.

He may not ace his opponents as often, but he makes sure that first ball gets in play.

Nadal is a difficult player to serve against, which is another aspect now that puts him past Federer. 

2011 U.S. Open

Here's my prediction: Rafael Nadal will win the 2011 U.S. Open.

If he doesn't win, I still believe he will at least make it deeper into the tournament than Roger Federer—which would be just one more reason that Nadal is a better player now. 

Federer has been an icon for tennis and will always be remembered as one of the most dominant to ever play the game. Yet Nadal continues to show why he is a better player these days. 

He is five years younger, which obviously is a huge part of it, and has a lot of tennis left to play.

I don't think Federer will be done anytime soon, but I think he is done winning Grand Slams.