Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer: Taking Over Tennis
Yet again, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have had another stupendously successful year which will go down in tennis history. The two met each other twice in finals, with each player taking away one victory. They have both either equalled or broken previously
set records, and for the sixth consecutive year, they have finished the season as World Number 1 and World Number 2.
However, the dominance will not last forever. Nadal, at the age of 24, has been facing injuries for many years now due to the physically taxing nature of the game. Meanwhile Federer, despite of his high-level game, is 29 years old. Anyone with knowledge
of the tennis world will agree that his career is in its last stages.
So what will happen to tennis once the two legends leave the sport? Without a doubt, they are the biggest draw and two of the most famous and well-loved sportsmen in the world. The number of fans they have amassed on their Twitter and Facebook accounts is
a testimony to that fact. They have built such a reputation for tennis that when they leave, their presence will be missed enough for some people to quit watching altogether. While die-hard fans will always stay loyal to the sport, the fact remains that both
Nadal and Federer accomplished a feat which very few players are capable of - they broke down the barriers of race, culture and identity.
Viewers tend to generally support the players who are from their own countries as a display of patriotism. This was confirmed in the 1990s, when greats Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi would have scores of fans in the US, but the numbers fell drastically when
they played in Europe. Conversely, the enormous fan bases garnered by Rafa and the Maestro are not just limited to their home countries of Spain and Switzerland; even when the two players are on foreign courts, their support is massive and well-spread. Rather
than accomplishing this with the notoriety of controversial celebrities, these two players have managed it by being decent, respectable and hugely talented. Wherever the two go, they are respected wide and far. Their contribution to the game, made by character
and talent, has made tennis one of the biggest sports in the world.
World Number 2, Roger Federer, has his face on a Swiss stamp while World Number 1 Rafael Nadal has had an asteroid named after him. For many years now tennis has revolved around these two athletes. In most tennis discussions, these two players are mentioned.
Instead of the focus being on their gameplay or their talent, it shifts to their names and other personality nuances. When Rafa and FedExpress leave, it will be the end of an era for tennis, and they will take with themselves a large amount of the audiences
which currently clamour to watch the two play at tournaments. Unless someone else appears to carry the torch, which is not likely at the moment, their respective retirements will be sad days for tennis.
Sadly, this has already occurred in the WTA. Justine Henin’s retirement from tennis heralded a change in the game, and the fact that Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters play very few tournaments year round contributes to its downfall. Hopefully the ATP will
avoid the fate suffered by the WTA, and a new champion will come around to fill in the huge shoes left behind by the departure of the most enduring phenomena, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
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