Remember the Titans #3: Rafael Nadal

This article is a part of the Remember the Titans series. To know more about the series, go through the introductory post by clicking here.

Some people are born great. Some people have greatness thrust upon them. Some slog all their lives to be called great - more a matter of perseverance than genius. Rafael Nadal, by himself, establishes a new category - where you first flirt with greatness, then have the occasional night-stand with it, and finally, wed it and make it yours forever. Most of the legends in the world of sports wear greatness like a prized shawl; Nadal wears it like a gladiator's armor - close to his chest and visible for the whole world to gawk at. In 2010, Nadal has taken bold steps towards the altar of tennis. The very people who once doubted the completeness of his game now stand with their lips zipped and minds zapped by the prowess that the Spaniard has shown. Gone are the times when Nadal featured as a constant challenger to the throne that was Roger Federer's. Today, he proudly sits on that throne - still well within the mammoth shadow that Federer continues to cast - but constantly making efforts to grow out of it.

That Nadal was cut out for sports was apparent at a very tender age itself. He left football to concentrate on tennis and his prodigal talent began to draw eyes even while he was in his early teens. Nadal was always impatiently ambitious - continually striving to improve, his gaze ever set on the monumental target he desired to achieve. The prophets of tennis must have known that here was a champion-in-the-making, when Nadal outclassed the-then world no.1 Roger Federer in his first ever match in a series of classic clashes at the Miami Masters way back in 2004. It served as a breakthrough performance for Nadal and soon enough, the world began to talk about him, if only in whispers. In 2005, Nadal found his beloved turf - Clay. His dominance over the surface multiplied in the coming years and the way he demolished some of his opponents, including Federer, was scary - earning him the nickname 'The King of Clay'. But, true to his measure, Nadal wasn't satisfied with just lording over clay. Critics did say that his game was only cut out for clay and he would never portend as a serious contender to Federer on the faster surfaces. But then, like his appearance at that time, Nadal's game too defied the usual conventions.

Federer played tennis like an art. Nadal started playing it like a battle. His game was highly physical and with time, he also developed odd ways to hover over the psychology of his opponents. As soon as he stepped onto the court, he pumped his fists in the air, thumped his chest and broke into short, speedy runs all over the court - each of the actions showcasing his supreme confidence and physical agility. The very outlook of the man was enough to send shudders through the person who held the racquet across the court who invariably wondered whether he would survive the onslaught or just wear out to Nadal's incessant aggression. With Nadal, you had to fight for every point. Relentless, machine-like and without even a single lapse in concentration - he could go on for hours, playing with the same zeal and briskness as he played in the first ten minutes of the match. Of course, it was still Federer who bossed tennis - a legend already made and recognized in contrast to Nadal, who was still learning the finer aspects of the game. But, inexplicably Federer always seemed to succumb to Nadal even when there was quite a wide difference in the skills they possessed. They say you make and arm your own enemy. Nadal had come to possess almost everything that Federer lacked - or rather was shy of showing. A strong backhand, a fiery return, brashness, disregard for what the records hinted, absolute aggression - Federer's gentleness kept him chained at all those places where Nadal's ambition liberated him.

The last three years have seen Nadal metamorphosing into a legend. In 2008, when he first snatched the Wimbledon from the iron-claws of Federer and subsequently the number one ranking from him, it was clear that the uni-polar tennis world that belonged to Federer was now in disarray as Nadal too, intended to tame it. Federer however, bounced back in 2009 - and aided and abetted by Nadal's injury problems - completed his career grand slam to seize the throne of tennis - but only temporarily. This year has truly been Nadal's best till date. With three grand slams in his kitty - a bulging total of nine - and a roster of other ATP Masters titles - whose count now stands at a record eighteen - Nadal has indeed made 2010 as his year of induction into the list of all-time greats of tennis. He has now shed the boyish image of his early years and translated into an impressive brand ambassador of tennis. He is now, like Federer, loved, liked and respected by his fans as well as his critics. His passion, his dedication, his commitment and above all, his amazing attitude towards his game - all are finally, being recognized and respected by people. He is still ferocious on the court, but dignified outside it. His range of shots have raised eyebrows and even forced some to rewrite their game-books of tennis. He has mastered every surface, every condition, every opponent - a reward for being the brightest pupil of tennis that the world has ever seen. While Federer and others take on the moments of glory as they come, Nadal carefully plans and synthesizes them. The level of tennis that Federer had established meant that only a super-human could hope to achieve that - and Nadal has done just that and attempting to do even more. Obviously, we'll have to wait and see how long and how much does the momentum established by Nadal last. He is still so young - the youngest to achieve so many of the feats he has already achieved.

Like all great players, Nadal not only brings a new dimension to the game he plays, but also transcends the boundaries of sport to become a person worth emulating in real life. His name has come to mean discipline and he has shown that a focussed effort can achieve what even a gift from destiny can't. Nadal has held the bulls of fear by their horns and simply turned them around to set them upon his opponents. He is that rare example of a youth with the maturity of a veteran. So what else would it take for Nadal to conquer even bigger ground in tennis? What else would it take for Nadal to stake an even greater claim on the pedestals of tennis? What else would it take for Nadal to get a whole tennis era named after him? Hope, faith and luck - we might say. But with Nadal, this magical trio simply fails to have its fabled significance. With Nadal, the only thing that controls and decides his destiny is within him. And we wish it serves him well.

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The Champion and the Challenger

Centre Court - Gentlemen's Singles - Finals

	Roger Federer SUI (1)					4		4		77		710		7
	Rafael Nadal ESP (2)					6		6		65		68		9

There are days and times when you hope contests don't end in victories and defeats. But then, there are defeats which are just as sweet as victories. In the world of tennis, Sunday - the 6th of July, 2008 will be remembered as one such day. The Wimbledon Men's singles title, arguably the most sought-after title in tennis was at stake and the two men who were to battle it out already had a fascinating trail of clashes behind them. Roger Federer - five time Wimbledon champion, the grass court wizard - the man who had been the undisputed Emperor of the tennis empire for the last five years. And against him....Rafael Nadal - his arch-rival and nemesis, Clay King - the only man in the world who had beaten Federer more number of times than he had lost to him. It was a dream title-clash but the way it eventually turned out was beyond anybody's wildest dreams.

A few weeks back, Nadal had unceremoniously dumped Federer in straight sets (and one set going 6-0!) at Roland Garros. The memories of that lop-sided match still lingered in people's minds. But then, this was grass and Federer was coming into the final with an unbeaten 65-match winning streak - something unprecedented in tennis history. He had also managed to defend his Wimbledon title for the last two years by defeating Nadal. Both meanwhile were chasing two different records - both of which curiously belonged to the same man. Bjorn Borg, the legendary tennis champion - winner of 5 straight Wimbledons and 6 French Opens. While Federer was aiming to eclipse Borg with a 6th consecutive Wimbledon title - a feat which no man had performed in 122 years of Wimbledon history, Nadal was striving to become the first man since Borg to hold the Roland Garros and the Wimbledon titles in the same year. Both players had launched a fierce demolition drive en route to the final. Hardly any other player had even threatened them in a single match - it was a cakewalk all the way. But then, Destiny is a cruel judge and when it come to sports even more so. So it was that once again the two were left to battle it out for grass supremacy. As I mentioned before, the two players had a trail of epic clashes behind them. The 2007 Wimbledon final - a breath-taking five setter which the Swiss eventually won, three French Open finals - where Nadal exhibited apparent invincibility, another grueling Monte Carlo Masters match.....it seemed that the two were ideal reagents for great tennis to be conjured.

I have always been a hardcore Federer fan. In Federer, I have always found the spirit of a true sportsman and a deserving champion. Cool in the face of adversity, merciless in his play and modesty amidst a gale of fame - it was considered impossible to rival Federer - until the ascent of Nadal. In contrast to Federer, Nadal was unduly aggressive - his characteristic on-court attire and those bulging biceps punching away his opponents to oblivion - he was a package of youthful exhuberance and devastating fearlessness. Over the years, Nadal matured, imbibed the necessary qualities of a champion and posed a real threat to Federer's five year reign over tennis. Until then Federer had an aura of invincibility around him but Nadal could and did make Federer look human on several occasions. He always seemed to hold a rather inexplicable psychological edge over Federer and was obviously more successful than others in bringing Federer's flaws to public notice.

When Nadal took away the first two sets of the final match, most people must have written off Federer. Federer was highly error-prone on Sunday and so many of his otherwise winning shots were going wayward. Nadal meanwhile was a picture of perfection and his grit and determination was palpable over his face. He swung the second set like a pendulum into his favour after coming down from an early break to break two of Federer's service games. The murmurs of the crowd turned into gasps of astonishment and Federer tried his best to repel Nadal's swift attacks. Infact, the heat of the battle was so tremendous that God had to send down showers twice to cool things down. Back after the first delay, Roger Federer was a different player altogether. The booming serves crawled in, the rocket fore-hands began working and he took the next two sets to tie-breaks. A tie-break, I believe, is a really unfair way of settling things. 7 points - either here or there - and you end up with a decision on who gets the hour-long fiercely fought set. Federer eventually won both. Once again, his mental strength and strong serves at critical junctures ruled over Nadal's equally praiseworthy efforts. The top-seed saved a couple of championship-points and in doing so, marred Nadal's chances of settling it earlier.

So far it had been a treat for any tennis fan. Two champions battling it out since 4 hours and still no obvious indication of which way the match was going. It was the contrasting styles of both players which made the watching experience even more delightful. Federer's silky mastery over Nadal's knock-out winners. Federer's modest ruthlessness versus Nadal's steely resilience. Federer's breezy demeanour versus Nadal's unrelenting ferocity. It must have made life difficult for the poor green balls knocked all across the court to quench the thirst and lust of two maestros. The fifth set was a fitting end to an epic clash - the longest Wimbledon final in tennis history - a match played at such high skill-levels and intensity that the tennis world was scorched by its outputs. Cries of 'Come on, Roger!' and 'Vamos Rafa!' echoed in the huge stadium and the crowd, like all Wimbledon crowds, were responsive and appreciative to the efforts of both players. Ultimately it would only be fair to say that the better man on the day won. Nadal had after all been the more consistent of the two while Federer had only showed patches of brilliance interspersed with some really mediocre play. For years, we had only wondered - who would be the man to stop Roger Federer's merciless reign on grass and it was after Nadal sealed away the last set 9-7 that our questions got answered.

The scenes after the victory were those which would remain etched in my mind for a long, long time. Nadal, squealing in delight and falling down flat on the turf he had finally mastered. Federer, looking dejected but graceful in defeat. Nadal, his eyes flooded with tears, reaching out to his vociferous family members. Federer, for the first time, witnessing another man celebrate at the end of a Wimbledon final. But, the true champion that he is, Federer had only admiration for Nadal at the end of the day and correspondingly Nadal also acknowledged that a single victory, herculean in proportions though it may be, did not mean that Federer was permanently bested. The implications in the tennis world that this result brought were left for the analysts to figure out. But it did make certain things quite obvious. It was a definite and a cruel end to Federer's monopoly in the tennis and now even he would have to perspire and pass through all the scares before winning a title again. He would have to perform exceptionally well and bundle up all the points that he can, to stay at the top at the end of the year. After all, he has much more points to catch up with in the second half of the year compared to Nadal. For Nadal meanwhile it meant a salvation of sorts. People would definitely stop branding him as a mere Clay court genius. The post-match conferences certainly showed Federer's frustrations and disappointments and he knew that he would have to spend some serious hours to find out a way to overcome the Spanish star when he met him next. 'The higher you rise, the harder you fall' and Federer's climb in the last five years had indeed been in league with the greatest of the sport. But the worries seem trivial now....let's salute the new Wimbledon champion and at the same time wish Federer comes back all pumped and pepped up to regain what has been robbed off him. At the end of this Wimbledon we still have a champion and we still have a challenger but the roles have been miraculously reversed in the course of the events in the fortnight. Lets wish the choicest of luck to these two achievers and hope they continue to serve tennis in the same manner as they have done so far.

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