Roger Federer vs. Rafael Nadal – What do Champions think?
When asked whether or not he believes himself to be better than Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal’s response was classic. It echoed class, gentlemanliness and values such as humility, modesty and respect for the opponent and the game. The Spanish player, who hasn’t yet turned 25, recognized the question as borderline obnoxious and replied in the humblest way possible, “The talk about if I am better or worse than Roger (Federer) is stupid because the titles say he is much better than me. That's true at the moment and I think that will be true all my life.''
From a player who just won his 9th Grand Slam at an age when Federer had won only 4 such titles, such a reply is unexpectedly heartwarming. It would be inappropriate and quite rash to be carried away by Nadal’s victory, though to his own credit, he himself realizes this and has remained down to earth and level headed over his success. Rafa may or may not carry the potential to one day beat Federer but at the moment Federer outdoes him magnificently.
The Maestro holds 16 Grand Slam titles, shattering Pete Sampras’s record of 14 and Bjorn Borg’s tally of 11. Nadal conquered the Davis Cup and is an Olympic singles champion too. He has already made his position on the race between Federer and himself clear, that is the titles tell the story, not the player. Many other players have also expressed their opinions on this rivalry, including the tennis legend, Pete Sampras and champions like David Ferrer and Robin Soderling.
Rafael’s compatriot David Ferrer states, “Rafa is probably the best player in the history of Spain. But in the world, at this moment - maybe it’s Federer because he has more Grand Slams and more titles.” He added, “Rafa is a strong player. He can improve a lot and win a lot of tournaments and a lot of Grand Slams.”
The Swede Robin Soderling seemed to echo the same when he commented by saying, “He has won so many Grand Slams already, so many titles, but to me, Roger is still the best. Rafa is still young. If he’s going to be healthy, if he has a lot more years to play, he could definitely give it a shot. I think he has the chance to be known as the world’s best player ever.”
Another top player Tomas Berdych concurred, saying “To be the player who won the most Grand Slams, he (Nadal) is still missing a couple of them. I think it’s a long way to go for him.” However, Pete Sampras takes Nadal’s side in this debate, saying that he believes Nadal could surpass Federer’s record, provided he manages to keep his health up. With Rafa’s exhausting style of play and his demanding baseline game, this may be more challenging than it seems.
One thing that each top player seems to agree on is that winning a Grand Slam with Rafa and the Maestro on the court is a near-impossible feat. Soderling declared, “It’s not easy today. I wish it were a lot easier.” Without a doubt, both Nadal and Federer are two of the best players to have ever graced the court. Whether or not Nadal surpasses his opponent is a secondary question. At the moment, it doesn’t seem to be his aim but one thing is guaranteed: as long as the two champions remain in the game, spectators of the sport would continue to enjoy one of the greatest rivalries of all time.
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