Rafael Nadal, the world's No. 1 ranked player, reacts to a point in a match at the US Open. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)
Rafael Nadal moves relentlessly toward dethroning tennis’s reigning king
This week will tell whether Roger Federer, the Fred Astaire of tennis, can regain his footing after losing the No. 1 ranking to the hustling Spaniard, or whether a once-in-a-generation shift is under way.
By Harry Bruinius | Correspondent / September 4, 2008 edition
New York
As rivals, they form a perfect tennis tableau: There’s the great Roger Federer, for 4-1/2 years touted as, inevitably, the greatest ever, he of the elegant V-neck sweaters, Rolex watches, and classic, near-perfectly graceful game.
But here’s Rafael Nadal, who spent a record 160 weeks as the second-best player, his swarthy, spider-veined biceps flailing about his sleeveless T’s and knee-length koulats, his mane of sweaty hair whipping over every grunt-propelled forehand as he pursued the Swiss genius. In July, finally, after a sodden five-set epic match in Wimbledon’s gloaming, Rafa all but ended Roger’s record reign as the No. 1 player in men’s tennis.
And while fans are clamoring for a third straight Grand Slam final featuring these two here at the US Open, the tennis world has been buzzing the last two months about the rise of Nadal, who also crushed Federer at this year’s French Open and won the gold medal in Beijing.
See, three months ago, Federer was tennis’s version of Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky, or Michael Jordan. Now, some wonder whether he can handle a year of such devastating defeats, when history was just within his grasp. Suddenly, there’s a story line.
“That Wimbledon final either brought fans out of dormancy or made new fans for the game,” says long-time tennis analyst Bud Collins. “I know I hear people talking about it, who first saw it on television, and I think it enlivened the sport tremendously, especially here at the US Open, where everyone wants to see them thrown together again. When you’re 4-1/2 years on top of the world, everybody’s looking for you to fall off. And now he’s fallen off, and it makes for great drama.”
•••
It’s a drama that many feel has been lacking in the men’s game for the past decade, especially since the golden era of the 1970s and early 1980s, when tennis was almost as popular as baseball and football. John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors, who despised each other, threw regular tantrums on the court; Björn Borg dominated Wimbledon and Roland Garros; and even tennis chic defined a certain sense of style at roller rinks and discos.
Many compare this year’s Wimbledon final with the era-defining finals back then. In 1980, Borg won his fifth straight Wimbledon title, defeating first-time finalist McEnroe in an epic match long considered the greatest ever played – until this year’s. In 1981, McEnroe finally defeated Borg, ending both his record streak and dominance. After that defeat, Borg never won a Wimbledon title again, and McEnroe began his own run as the No. 1 player in the world.
Of course, unlike McEnroe, Nadal had already won four straight French Open titles, including three straight over Federer. But there have been other Spanish clay-court masters – a surface that has stymied greats like Connors, McEnroe, Becker, and Sampras, none of whom could ever win there – and Rafa was simply the best of them. And while he had pressed Federer in a thrilling five-set final at Wimbledon in 2007, most tennis observers believed Federer would continue to add to his 12 Grand Slam trophies on surfaces other than clay and win his sixth straight.
“What we’ve seen is that fans really weren’t embracing Rafa up until, really, this year, when he overtook Federer in that Wimbledon final,” says James Martin, editor of Tennis Magazine and Tennis.com. “It solidified Rafa as a fan favorite, and not just another clay-court specialist.”
But perhaps even more than the bruising, relentless style of the tennis he plays, Nadal brings a new kind of personality to the sport, which has been without the colorful personalities that once drew myriads of fans.
But unlike a Connors or a McEnroe, Nadal is quiet and demure, and has been very respectful – some say too respectful – of Federer. “He’s a good kid, and he’s like a big puppy and is very appealing to people, perhaps more than Federer,” says Mr. Collins, the tennis analyst.
“Without actually being all that more verbal than Roger, he has a sort of je ne sais quoi charm to him,” says Toby Miller, professor of media and cultural studies at the University of California, Riverside, and an expert on the impact of sports on culture. “Nadal is more of a brooding sex symbol, and I’m sure he’ll have his own band of new young female fans.” The back cover of last month’s fashion issue of New York Magazine featured a shirtless Nadal in jeans.
Indeed, Nadal already seems to have achieved a pop status that the more understated Federer never had. “He’s not just about tennis now,” says Mr. Martin. “After that final, you started seeing Nadal in the tabloid magazines with his girlfriend on the beach in Majorca. He’s mentioned on the late-night talk shows, and he’s became a pop culture person in a way very different than Roger has.”
Even while Federer shills chichi watches and Gillette razors, few clamor for dirty details of his private life, usually just speaking in reverent tones about his graceful tennis game. Nadal’s appeal lies in his intensity and ferocity on the court.
“He isn’t fluid. He doesn’t make it look easy like Roger has for the last four or five years, so it’s one of those things where people have really fallen in love with him as a player because they can see how hard he works to win every point and how he treats every point equally, which really no other player does,” says Martin.
This maniacal intensity, however, leaves some wondering how long he can keep it up. “The big worry about Nadal is, how long will he hold up playing this overpowering style?” says Collins.
•••
This week, the tennis world will be anxiously watching whether Nadal will follow up on his dramatic success this summer or whether Federer will be able to overcome the mental challenges of losing the No. 1 ranking for the first time in nearly half a decade.
Nadal has never made it past the quarterfinals at the US Open or Australian Open, which are played on hard courts – not a surface he has excelled in. And other players, such as third-seeded Novak Djokovic, who will be looking to follow up on his victory over Federer in this year’s Australian Open, and past US Open champ Andy Roddick, could easily win the tournament as well.
But the major story line in tennis now is the transformed rivalry between Federer and Nadal. “If Rafa wins the US Open, it will really, really put incredible pressure on Roger,” says David Egdes, senior vice president of the Tennis Channel. “Is Nadal going to dominate the same way that Roger did, or will Roger respond and raise the level of his game? It’s a big question mark.”
2. sarah | 09.04.08
It’s unbelievable that people don’t check their facts while writing extremely simple articles — “Nadal has never made it past the quarterfinals at the US Open or Australian Open” is simply wrong, since he made it to the semis at the AO just this year (and is, as of today, in the semis at the US Open). Fact-checker taking a long lunch break?
3. Julia | 09.04.08
You need to check your facts in your story before you print it. You said that Rafael Nadal has never made it past the quarterfinals at the US Open or Australian Open. Well he made it to the semifinal of the Australian Open this year.
4. mark kane | 09.04.08
Look the two greatestplayers probably of all time are federer and nadal
if nadal and federer both get to the final of the us open and nadal beats federer its probably likely that thats the end of the great ferderer as we have known him and nadal will rightly take over the mantle as one of thee greats perhaps leading onto the greatest a mantle is is fast showing he could deserve
But does federer have the tiger woods come back gene in him
it remains to be seen
5. Cindy | 09.04.08
As a seasoned Nadal fan I don’t mind saying that he is not “New” to us. We’ve been watching this young man for years and take great pleasure in the way he conducts himself on and off the court. Whether he wins at the US Open this year or not is not the way we measure the greatness of an athlete. What makes him and Federer so fascinating is that they both give 100% to their sport and do so with great intensity and sincerity. I am not counting Federer as out….on the contrary, he may simply be having a “Unfederer like” year. I don’t care if these players wear rolex watches or knee high pants, its their game that really speaks to the tennis fans and for that I am forever a devoted fan! Now if you could just get the Networks to actually show more tennis or give the reigns over to the tennis channel so we can really enjoy tennis in the US that would be HISTORIC!!!!!
6. VINCENT | 09.04.08
BOTH NADAL AND FEDERER ARE GREAT PLAYERS, BUT THE INTERESTING THING TO KNOW ABOUT THEM ARE THEY ARE GIVING THE BEST THEY CAN TO WIN IN ANY GAME THEY ARE IN AND THAT MAKES THE FANS OF BOTH CAMP TO ENJOY WATCHING THEIR GAMES. TRULY I SHOULD SAY THAT NADAL IS THE PLAYER TO BEAT IN THIS TOURNAMENT, HE HAS A LOT TO GIVE TO WIN THE GAME. HIS HUMBLENESS, EARGERNESS AND ABILITY I THINK ARE HIS ASSETS THAT PUT HIM IN THE NO. 1 SPOT. LET’S HOPE FOR THE BEST GAME TO COME BETWEEN THEM.
7. JM | 09.04.08
Federer is only 27 but already slowing down a little bit. I doubt he’s finished, but it’s very possible things are not going that well in his head, and the consequences are evident. When you do the same thing year after year, it starts to get old. Sampras for instance didn’t want to touch a racket for over 6 months after he quit the tour right after winning the 2002 US open. Borg wasn’tunhappy to lose to McEnroe in 1981 at Wimbledon, as it confirmed for him he needed a change…he retired pretty soon after.
I doubt Federer wants to retire before breaking Sampras’ record of 14 grand slams. HOwever before he does so he might need a break like Agassi after his break up with Brook Shields. Or maybe he needs a fresh new girlfriend. Whatever it is, something has got to change first. The question is, will he be able to address his problems and improve things, or will his obsession to break records blind him and get the better of him? Addressing his personal issues is a risk he must take if he is to continue prevailing again, against the new breed of young players.
8. Ria Bratawinata | 09.05.08
The fact that Roger is getting older while Rafa is getting stronger, nobody can change it.
9. Joydeep Banerjee(Diphu) | 09.05.08
Hold on all Nadal fans, Federer will bounce back for sure and very soon…
10. Mike | 09.05.08
Federer needs time to get back in the game after his Mono. He will get back is footwork and when he does, game over.
11. Maria J | 09.05.08
Nadal’s rise to #1 in the world began in my opinion the day he beat Andre Agassi in the US Open. BTW, it was Andre’s last tournament wasn’t it? The torch has been passed and this change is going to be for a long time. Nadal is in great shape and he LOVES tennis competition more than anything in the world.
12. Good Luck Fed | 09.06.08
It’s all up to Federer now. Will he be able to bounce back and make the world realize that a true, stalwart heart of a champion lies in him?
That remains to be seen.
But Fed Fans hope so.
13. ananthanarayan | 09.06.08
Nadal’s shares might be going up and he is showing a champion’s heart and ability.He is like a ball of fire on the court,giving all his heart and soul.Against him to win a point one has to make a statement.He has a physical presence that is unmatched coupled with his humility he is endearing to the heart.Whereas Roger the king of Tennis thus far may be relinquishing the throne but the graceful stroke maker and a gentlemen sure has a few more Grand Slams left in him.The only question that arises is his thirst and drive for the game.Talent made him a great player and poise made him great.Let us enjoy the rivalry till it lasts.
14. Revathi | 09.07.08
well, what’s happend in the semifinal?? Nadal losed again in semifinal with Murry. Murry played really well…This will impact his first position again. As Roger already in finals …just one more battle is there to regain his first position. Its not the matter of getting first position. Its a matter of how long will they keep that position with them.
” All the very best to both finalists”
15. srinivas | 09.08.08
Could any of the viewers please let me know whether Federer will regain the numero uno, if he wins the US Open 2008 final, considering the fact that Rafa was out of the US Open during the Semifinals? i.e. Whether Federer will have sufficient points to regain number one ranking in the event of he winning the final.
16. Tennis | 09.09.08
I was disappointed to not watch Nadal vs Federer in the final of the US Open. This year’s US open lacked the excitement of any of the final’s from the Grand Slams this year. At least we have the Wimbledon to remember.
17. Rolex | 11.30.08
I’m worried about both these guys. Recently injuries got the better of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in the Paris Masters. And according to ABC online Federer is tired of being called #2 so much. I believe Federer’s theme song should be “I used to rule the world” by Coldplay. It’s sad to see Federer slowly age. Do you think Federer will ever regain his ranking or fade into history?
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1. alfred T.arulrajah | 09.04.08
In my opinion the Federer days are gone he is history. I acknowledge that he is a great player however all good things have to come to an end so is Federer.This is going to be Nadal Nadal Nadal from here onwards until his time comes to an end.