Can Rafael Nadal sustain the number one spot?
As the 2009 season culminated, Roger Federer was sitting on top of the world with no real threat in sight. It was a year filled with injuries and disappointment for his foe Rafael Nadal.
The Spaniard was looking at a dark road ahead with his knee injury threatening to keep him off the courts for longer. However, no one could have predicted that the tables would turn so quickly in 2010.
The 2010 tennis season began much to the same tune of the previous year, however it all changed in a flash. Ever since Nadal’s win in Madrid, there was no stopping the Spaniard, whose re-emergence on the court became an ominous portent for the Swiss Champion.
Defying all odds, Rafael Nadal dethroned Roger Federer, just a week short of Federer equalling Pete Sampras’s record for being consecutively on the top spot.
Many tennis critics thought it was the end of the road for Nadal after he pulled out of Wimbledon last year. Some felt he may no longer have it in him to win any more grand slam titles. They thought he may not be able to even come close to Federer’s sixteen grand slam titles.
All those tongues stopped wagging when Nadal went on to win the French Open crown earlier this year and regained the top spot. Roger Federer was no longer invincible. His foe had returned. The hunger for victory led Nadal to win the French Open as well as Wimbledon this year, cementing his position at the top. Rafael Nadal had dropped to world number three last year, but this time around it seems very obvious that he will finish 2010 at the top.
Early on in Nadal’s career, he was known to be a clay court specialist. This title however can be moved aside now. He has proved his ability on grass with fourteen consecutive wins on the grass courts of Wimbledon. His two Wimbledon titles also put him in the elite group of the best grass court players of the twenty first century.
All these achievements at the tender age of twenty four means that he has a long road ahead with many milestones to achieve. Thus there have been many preconceived notions about the Spaniard and his ability to sustain his game for long periods of time.
Pundits felt his brutal game put too much pressure on his precarious knees which may be the cause for Nadal to have a short lived career. Nadal, however has learnt his lesson. His time off the circuit has taught him the important lesson of moulding his game around his physical abilities. He has done just that with a lot of élan.
In order to capitalize the time he has got left on the circuit, he has slowed down his game but on the other hand increased the accuracy and speed of his ground strokes; thus, prolonging the lifespan of his tennis graph.
This is not to take anything away from the brilliance of Roger Federer. He had spread a reign of terror for five long years, with no compatriot even coming close to him. He was in a league of his own.
During the years of his dominance it was certain that he would push aside any adversity with ease. Looking at the last two grand slams, it is now becoming evident that Roger Federer is not the player he once was. However, with Nadal back on track it seems the golden era for Roger Federer is now over. Men’s tennis now has a new face-Rafael Nadal. This is where the age of Nadal commences.
The next challenge for the Spaniard looms large. He has his eyes set on the hard courts of New York. Nadal has never won a US Open title and will be looking to capitalise on his momentum to add another feather to his cap. However, with the new avatar donned by Rafael Nadal it seems that the Spaniard is here to stay this time around.
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