U.S Open 2010: A look at Rafael Nadal’s journey to the top
The Spaniard tennis ace, Rafael Nadal fell down to his knees at the Flushing Meadows after defeating Novak Djokovic to win his first U.S Open title and complete his career Grand Slam on Monday.
After charming the crowd for fourteen days in New York with powerful games and destructive looks, the 24-year-old Rafa at last captured the trophy that had eluded the Spaniard for so long to register his name as the seventh player in the history of the game of tennis to complete the major set.
A total of five French Open trophies, two grass court Grand Slam victories and previous season’s win at the Australian Open were signs of brilliance in the making.
Rafa’s 6-4 5-7 6-4 6-2 victory over Serbia's third-ranked tennis ace implied that the year’s final major had at last been conquered by him after seven years of struggle. Sunday’s shower just delayed the Spaniard’s conquest for some time.
"That is in fact more than I ever dreamt off. For the very first time throughout my career, I have managed to play some great tennis and I am glad that it all happened here at the Flushing Meadows where it was needed the most,” said the player from Mallorca who had never previously got past the semi-final rounds in New York.
It was a match that the Swiss tennis maestro, Roger Federer who is a five-time winner at the Flushing Meadows and loser to Novak in this season’s semi-final round, could not tolerate to watch.
The 29-year-old Swiss had already been replaced by Rafael at the top of the ATP world rankings and with the man who is best in the business at the moment, more than halfway to Roger's haul of sixteen major titles. Therefore, it could be argued that the current world number one tennis star, Rafael Nadal is all set to break down his arch rival.
Roger, until now, has been acclaimed by many as the greatest-ever tennis player. Rafa is of the view that any sort of comparisons with the tennis great is something really silly. However, the stats are quite convincing.
When considering the pair’s achievements at the same age, Roger earned the major sweep at the French Open back in 2009, aged two and a half years older than Rafa’s twenty four.
The Spaniard has captured a total of forty two trophies with Roger having captured just thirty three when aged twenty four, while Rafael has succeeded in 82.4% of his clashes, in contrast to Roger’s 76.6% back in 2005.
Nadal after turning professional back in 2001, triumphed in his first clash on the ATP circuit in Mallorca and registered his name as the ninth man in the professional era to succeed in an ATP clash prior to his sixteenth birthday. The Spaniard’s won his first ATP crown back in 2004 and just a year later, Rafael became the first player since Mats Wilander back in 1982 to capture the French Open trophy on his debut and in the next season at Roland Garros, scored his fifty fourth clay court victory in a row.
Nadal’s journey to the top was relentless. A straights-set elimination of Roger ensured a fourth successive clay court French Open title back in 2008, and a month later the 29-year-old Federer was outlasted once again in a total of five sets, as Rafael won his first Wimbledon trophy at the All England Club.
The Swiss was once again on the receiving end few months later in the title battle of the Australian Open tennis tournament as his Spanish tennis foe, claimed another hard court trophy after a five set epic.
However, it is not all over yet as the real test of Rafael’s brilliance will be his longevity and being able to outshine Roger’s sixteen major titles. His game at this season’s final major and the Spaniard’s evolution from clay court master to all court master provides a glance of what the future may hold.
A four time U.S Open former champ, John McEnroe while commenting on Nadal’s greatness said, "The man is just an animal. He is physically and mentally phenomenal.”
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