This is like saying if Federer wasn't around Roddick would be a multiple slam champion. Dethroning Federer on numerous occasions has been the making of Rafa. Don't think Rafa or us who have enjoyed the rivalry would have it any other way.
Roland Garros 2010
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This is like saying if Federer wasn't around Roddick would be a multiple slam champion. Dethroning Federer on numerous occasions has been the making of Rafa. Don't think Rafa or us who have enjoyed the rivalry would have it any other way.
I have a question for you guys.Why do the line refs shout like retards when the ball is out of play ?
Yes it is like saying it, but that doesn't mean I regret witnessing the rivalry. I was always a Agassi fan, and without Sampras time and time again stopping him, he would be even more successful.
Tennis, or sport in general doesn't always throw up great rivalries, there are times when one player for a little while gets a free run(that could be because of their sheer dominance, or the class of opponents he is facing).
Nadal on the cusp...
Championship point
Tenner on Soderling perhaps
Championship point
Tenner on Soderling perhaps
Respect
He's crying.What a pussy
Rafa's back!
Rafa is number one again. Good stuff.
Should set up a tasty encounter with Fed at Wimbledon.
Should set up a tasty encounter with Fed at Wimbledon.
Time to regain Wimbledon now Rafa.
I feel sorry for Soderling because that's a hard defeat.I hope to see him improve and be part of many other finals
This guy knows his stuff.
Yeah, you really plucked that one from left-field. What next, tipping Tiger Woods to make the cut in a local pro-am?
Yeah, you really plucked that one from left-field. What next, tipping Tiger Woods to make the cut in a local pro-am?
Yeah, you really plucked that one from left-field. What next, tipping Tiger Woods to make the cut in a local pro-am?
Youll just have to wait and see wont you
The King is back. What a stunning performance in a final. No drop of serve.
First man ever to win 4 consecutive tournaments on clay. He's won 3 masters and Rolland Garros this summer just dropping 2 sets. You don't more complete domination than this.
The World Number 1 is back. Vamos Rafa!1
And he has zero points to defend in the grass season, he's only going to increase his lead further
First man ever to win 4 consecutive tournaments on clay. He's won 3 masters and Rolland Garros this summer just dropping 2 sets. You don't more complete domination than this.
The World Number 1 is back. Vamos Rafa!1
And he has zero points to defend in the grass season, he's only going to increase his lead further
Move over Federer, the true number 1 has returned, the guy whos won 10 of your 14 head to heads, the guy who when fit even beats you on your best surface, the guy who you cant touch on his.
Whether Nadal will go on to win as many Grand slams as Federer remains to be seen, fitness is his main obstacle on that score in my opinion, but theres no doubt Nadal has had Federes number ever since he came on the seen and when fit hes the better player, maybe not as easy on the eye, maybe not as graceful but hes better.
Whether Nadal will go on to win as many Grand slams as Federer remains to be seen, fitness is his main obstacle on that score in my opinion, but theres no doubt Nadal has had Federes number ever since he came on the seen and when fit hes the better player, maybe not as easy on the eye, maybe not as graceful but hes better.
Nadal said he's focusing on the US Open now.
I think it will be tough for Rafa on grass. He hasn't played any grass court tennis in two years.
I think it will be tough for Rafa on grass. He hasn't played any grass court tennis in two years.
Well everyone says that but who needs a very long career if he already has 7 slams and 18 masters at the age of 24?
Nadal is always criticised as player who can "only play on clay" and yet he broke the dominance of Fed on grass and also beat him in Australia. Nadal will go down as one of the greats as the game. And quite possibly as the greatest clay courter ever.
I think USO is the tournament Nadal really really wants to now to complete a career slam. He's done it in every other slam.
And I dont think it will be too hard for him on grass. The courts are quite slow so he should do well. I can see him winning or losing to Fed in the final.
The last 3 times he has played wimbeldon he has been runner up twice and beaten federer the third time. And this despite barely ever playing on grass courts before that. Infact before wimbledon 2006 where he lost the final, he had a mind boggling record of having just every played some 6 or 7 games on grass from childhood and through his amateur years.
So I think he'l do well at Wimledon Hopefully he gets a good draw this time
How many slams did Federer have when he was Nadal's age?
Nadal just turned 24 a few days back..
Nadal just turned 24 a few days back..
It's astonishing that Nadal has these many slams at such a young age. Sure he won't win as much Federer but for a supposed "limited,defensive" player 7 slams is amazing. He equalled WIllander and McEnroe today. One more slam and he's up there with Agassi.
I think 10 Slams is a great possibility for Rafa. 2 more at Rolland Garros and atleast one more from somewhere else. Grass probably.
I think 10 Slams is a great possibility for Rafa. 2 more at Rolland Garros and atleast one more from somewhere else. Grass probably.
10?
Is he retiring at the end of next year or something? I can see Nadal breaking that 14 also.
Is he retiring at the end of next year or something? I can see Nadal breaking that 14 also.
Don't think so. With Rafa's game I can't see him maintaining it at 26 or 27 the way Roger is.
Rog was 24 in 05 when he had 6 slams to his name. Rafa already has 7. But Roger's great attribute is his longevity and consistency of play. He hasn't missed a slam in eons.
With Rafa's game you can see him being injured quite a lot. I think he'll do well to win 12 or so. Still will put him as a great.
IMO he already is a great but yeah I definitely can't see him get another 7 slams. 4 more at best I would say. He still struggles a lot on hard courts. He really needs to improve serve to get anywhere on the hard courts
IF he stays fit I can seem him winning 3 of the next 5 French Opens. At least. Then I could see him winning Wimbledon twice in that time, particularly since I think Federer will become more and more beatable there. I'd fancy him to nick at least one hard court slam, so it's easily conceivable that he'll get to 14-ish.
It all depends on his fitness, IMO.
It all depends on his fitness, IMO.
No one could have beaten Nadal today, not even Federer in top form.
Nadal will not beat Federers total I think. First of all, he will continue to struggle with his knee, probably more so in the future. Secondly, the likes of Murray, del Potro, Djokovic and maybe this Gulbis character are probably going to be better than Roddick, Hewitt that Federer met.
Who knows though. Me thinks Federer will extend his tally before he retires anyway.
Nadal will not beat Federers total I think. First of all, he will continue to struggle with his knee, probably more so in the future. Secondly, the likes of Murray, del Potro, Djokovic and maybe this Gulbis character are probably going to be better than Roddick, Hewitt that Federer met.
Who knows though. Me thinks Federer will extend his tally before he retires anyway.
Rafa is unstoppable when fit and on form
9 or so. Rafa still has about 5 good years of Tennis in him. Plenty of time to catch Fed, assuming Fed himself slows down his winning ways.
Not sure about that. Federer has much more to his game, but it's clear Nadal dominates him physically.
True, but Nadal's achievement in beating him at Wimbledon is something Fed will never equal. And that's why Rafa is the better player.
And while Federer has a Nadal complex, everyone else in the World has had a Federer complex for several years, in GS of course.
Yup Thats my view aswell.
The way i look at it is this, on Grass, Federers best surface, the surface he had dominated on for years (6 wimbledons in a row was it?) Nadal is now as good a player as he is or at least a very decent match a point proven by Nadal beating Federer in the last wimbeldon final they met....on Federers best surface Nadals just as capable of beating him as he is of beating Nadal, on clay however Federer is not even in the same galaxy as Nadal when Nadals fully fit, hes leagues ahead of Federer.....Nadal owns the clay courts and undoubtedly will go down as the best clay courter ever when he retires, he only needs one more french open title to equal Bjorgs all time record at Roland Garros, and hes only 24 years old!!
Both Federer and Nadal are all time greats, probably by the time they’ve both finished they’ll be remembered as the 2 best tennis players ever, but for me Nadal is the better player for the reasons given, put Nadal in his own jungle i.e. in the clay courts and Federer doesn’t even get close to him it’s a mismatch, Put nadal in federers jungle i.e. the grass courts and its an even contest that either on any given day can win....
To have won 7 grand slams by the age of 24 is remarkable, and but for his knee problems hed definitely go down as the all time slam record holder in my opinion, could well still do it but i fear his knees wont allow it.
Federers a great player, but Nadals better, their head to head record shows whos the boss of that rivalry (Nadal 10 - 4 Federer)
That's changing though. Roddick came far closer than he ever has before in last year's Wimbledon final and Del Potro showed huge self belief in Flushing.
Indeed. Federer's been truly lucky to have been allowed a few extra slams after Nadal beat him in three consecutive grand slam finals 2 years ago. He was not looking able to beat Nadal in a Grand Slam final even if his life depended on it. Good time for an injury to the guy who's beating you even on your best surface said the little angel on Federer's shoulder.
Sneaky lucky little cocknose. For me, you can not be the best ever if there is one opponent who has your number that much.
Federer had 6 at Nadal's current age.
I doubt Nadal can catch up to Fed. Even once Fed fades away there will be Del potro and Soderling who are all better hard court players than Nadal. And ofcourse some new players will start coming up. I expect Nadal to start fading by 26/27.
Hopefully he gets to beat Bjorg's French open record though
Easy, he'll end up with 8 or 9 French open titles by the time he finishes and it will never be beaten.
I was counting 2006. One thing about Fed is that he has had serious career stamina. A lot of players explode on the scene and fizzle out around their mid 20s. Fed has managed to keep it going and isn't really showing signs of any significant drop off. I doubt Rafa can do it.
But the face with Roddick remains he yet bottled it. 3 set points to go 2 sets to love up and he bottled it.
No one has the balls to beat Federer in slams, except Nadal. They all crumble mentally as soon as they see Federer on the other side. People like Roddick who have something like a 14-2 record against him are embarrassing. Roddick was a bloody former world number 1 and a long time number 2 and he's never beaten Fed in a Slam? That's just shameful.
Federer is a great player no doubt and will probably go down as one of the best but he had a very very poor field and opposition.
Roddick and Hewitt were his only real threat until Nadal came into the picture and as we know Nadal owns Federer.
The era before this was so much stronger, we had players like Samprass, Agassi, Rafter, Ivanisivic, Ferrero (in form), Safin, Kuerten , Chang and so many more who were capable of winning slams and actually won them.
The current field is one of the poorest in a long time. Only Nadal and Federer can really win slams. Roddick and Hewitt despite being former number ones are total jokes, Djokovic is the worst number 3 in decades and Murray is well just Murray.