If you’re a tennis fan, these last two years have been champagne seasons as mens’ tennis experiences a magnificent renaissance, thanks in no small part to the rivalry of Roger Federer and Raphael Nadal. I admit, a few years ago I had almost given up my devotion to the game; with the advancement of racquet and fitness technologies, it had become a boring robotic baseline exchange.I thought the magic that was men’s tennis had truly passed; recall those days when Bjorn Borg would duel John McEnroe, their matches, still considered the best ever. As the years went on, tennis lost its polish, partly due to the advances mentioned above and partly due to the money that came into the sport. Players could survive on fewer tournaments, spending idle time cavorting off court.
Even those on court weren’t particularly interested in being there. Have you ever heard of “Maybe the Moon”? It was the book Jim Courier so famously pulled out on changeovers at an ATP Tour event in Frankfurt in 1993. If you are speculating whether the book contained useful nuggets of tennis inspiration, consider the plot which the New York Times summarized as follows: "Hollywood can be a cruel place, especially for Cady Roth, an overweight dwarf who longs to escape her stereotyped role in a famous film."
At 6’1”, I doubt an athlete like Courier could have used advice from a chubby dwarf.
There were more displays of disinterest – Sampras skipping the Davis Cup, Agassi skipping grand slams, nobody interested, nobody invested. I know Sampras rang up 14 grand slams, still a record today, but considering the lethargy that was the men’s game at that time, I’m just not that impressed. The sport lost its gloss – indeed, it lost its lead status as the weekend athlete's pastime of choice - and became the bridesmaid to golf’s blooming bride.
Then came Federer, a ghost of tennis past, a smooth and effortless hero, with strokes harking back to the days when tennis was more poetry than power. The tennis world, in an instant, fell in love. He was soon baptized the saviour of the ATP as fans lined up to watch him pull out one impossible shot after another. It’s cliché that rings true when I say he had it all – grace and speed, finesse and power, the gentle demeanor of true sportsman. He was of incomparable talent, so exceptional, that when Nike aired commercials of Federer in competitive stand-off, it was not against another tennis player, but rather golfer, and fellow sports god, Tiger Woods.
Everything about Federer was soon tagged with labels of greatness – greatest forehand in the game, the greatest serve in the game, the greatest footwork in the game, the greatest volley in the game - and when he was dissected to his smallest piece parts, analysts went back to the whole and asked if he was the greatest player in the game. It was in easy agreement that all would say yes but still, it did not seem enough to describe the wonder that he was. Could he, as one writer postulated and many more later proposed, could he be the greatest player EVER? It was at this point, at the consideration of his historical significance that experts of the game started to question his credibility. The doubt lay not in his raw skills which were obvious and unparalleled, but rather in his heart, yet unchallenged: was it one of a true champion?
How could we know of his heart, if he didn’t have a rival to challenge it, to try and break him and to push him to the edge? Tennis fans began to wonder if they were going to have to watch Federer march slowly into history books, unbalanced and unchecked, his greatness never really tested for lack of a worthy opponent.
Enter Nadal, arriving perhaps a couple of years late, on the slight back-end of the Federer cusp, but arriving nonetheless, a feisty, power baseliner; but not a player like we’ve seen before – he had more speed, more court sense and a lot more heart. He would prove to be the required nemesis for Federer – power to finesse, passion testing cool collectedness. The rivalry was fruitful and fans have since been treated to some of the most outstanding tennis in history, the Wimbledon 2008 finals now considered by many to be the best ever.
It is true that Nadal’s record against Federer is more impressive than vice versa – but he is still far behind in total wins. All records still lead to Federer - it was only ever a question of worthiness, but now, with an opponent to match the prestige, Federer’s wins started to mean something. His 2007 Wimbledon win was so much more credible in 2008 after he lost to Nadal – as if his vulnerability somehow proved that it did, indeed, take heart to win the ones he did.
Nadal has the edge now – his record has been almost spotless against Federer these last two years. He is also much younger at his physical peak of age 21. Federer who is turning 28 this year is no doubt, in the sunset of his career. Federer, however, has Nadal to thank for elevating his status in the game, if only because Nadal helped find him find his inner-gladiator. Through the long stretched rallies and impossible volleys, through the marathon matches and heartbreaking losses, Federer, finally became a true champion.
I don’t want you to think I’m closing the book here. This rivalry still has legs. As Federer comes back from his bout with mono, I expect him to throw everything he has into winning Grand Slam #14 and then #15. Nadal will be doing the same. They are impossibly talented athletes, with great respect for the one other, their contrasting styles and personalities providing the intrigue that together, make them so fascinating to watch. They have immortality on the line in each and every match – both chasing history, both destined for the record books. And I am so glad to be part of it, to witness such a rarity, the once-in-a-lifetime occurrence of two players arriving in synchronicity, just in time to lead the other to greatness.
At 6’1”, I doubt an athlete like Courier could have used advice from a chubby dwarf.
There were more displays of disinterest – Sampras skipping the Davis Cup, Agassi skipping grand slams, nobody interested, nobody invested. I know Sampras rang up 14 grand slams, still a record today, but considering the lethargy that was the men’s game at that time, I’m just not that impressed. The sport lost its gloss – indeed, it lost its lead status as the weekend athlete's pastime of choice - and became the bridesmaid to golf’s blooming bride.
Then came Federer, a ghost of tennis past, a smooth and effortless hero, with strokes harking back to the days when tennis was more poetry than power. The tennis world, in an instant, fell in love. He was soon baptized the saviour of the ATP as fans lined up to watch him pull out one impossible shot after another. It’s cliché that rings true when I say he had it all – grace and speed, finesse and power, the gentle demeanor of true sportsman. He was of incomparable talent, so exceptional, that when Nike aired commercials of Federer in competitive stand-off, it was not against another tennis player, but rather golfer, and fellow sports god, Tiger Woods.Everything about Federer was soon tagged with labels of greatness – greatest forehand in the game, the greatest serve in the game, the greatest footwork in the game, the greatest volley in the game - and when he was dissected to his smallest piece parts, analysts went back to the whole and asked if he was the greatest player in the game. It was in easy agreement that all would say yes but still, it did not seem enough to describe the wonder that he was. Could he, as one writer postulated and many more later proposed, could he be the greatest player EVER? It was at this point, at the consideration of his historical significance that experts of the game started to question his credibility. The doubt lay not in his raw skills which were obvious and unparalleled, but rather in his heart, yet unchallenged: was it one of a true champion?
How could we know of his heart, if he didn’t have a rival to challenge it, to try and break him and to push him to the edge? Tennis fans began to wonder if they were going to have to watch Federer march slowly into history books, unbalanced and unchecked, his greatness never really tested for lack of a worthy opponent.
Enter Nadal, arriving perhaps a couple of years late, on the slight back-end of the Federer cusp, but arriving nonetheless, a feisty, power baseliner; but not a player like we’ve seen before – he had more speed, more court sense and a lot more heart. He would prove to be the required nemesis for Federer – power to finesse, passion testing cool collectedness. The rivalry was fruitful and fans have since been treated to some of the most outstanding tennis in history, the Wimbledon 2008 finals now considered by many to be the best ever.It is true that Nadal’s record against Federer is more impressive than vice versa – but he is still far behind in total wins. All records still lead to Federer - it was only ever a question of worthiness, but now, with an opponent to match the prestige, Federer’s wins started to mean something. His 2007 Wimbledon win was so much more credible in 2008 after he lost to Nadal – as if his vulnerability somehow proved that it did, indeed, take heart to win the ones he did.
Nadal has the edge now – his record has been almost spotless against Federer these last two years. He is also much younger at his physical peak of age 21. Federer who is turning 28 this year is no doubt, in the sunset of his career. Federer, however, has Nadal to thank for elevating his status in the game, if only because Nadal helped find him find his inner-gladiator. Through the long stretched rallies and impossible volleys, through the marathon matches and heartbreaking losses, Federer, finally became a true champion.
I don’t want you to think I’m closing the book here. This rivalry still has legs. As Federer comes back from his bout with mono, I expect him to throw everything he has into winning Grand Slam #14 and then #15. Nadal will be doing the same. They are impossibly talented athletes, with great respect for the one other, their contrasting styles and personalities providing the intrigue that together, make them so fascinating to watch. They have immortality on the line in each and every match – both chasing history, both destined for the record books. And I am so glad to be part of it, to witness such a rarity, the once-in-a-lifetime occurrence of two players arriving in synchronicity, just in time to lead the other to greatness.
