Rivalries tend to spark a debate among the fans while also igniting the zeal among the players to perform to the best of their capabilities. Reaching the top is not that difficult as maintaining its status. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are all set to meet in the semi-final of the Roland Garros on Friday. Roll back a few years, and you will them there too, battling it out against each other on a sunny morning in Paris. Such has been the dominance of these two.
Roger Federer is the face of sports to many people. An image which they relate to when they hear the word 'Tennis'. Regarded by many as the Greatest Tennis Player of All Time, Federer played his first professional match in 1998. But it was not until 2001 that he started gaining attention when he beat then-champion Pete Sampras in Wimbledon Championships. Sampras was an all-time Grand Slam leader at that time too. Eventually losing out in the next round, but the young man from Switzerland had certainly made his presence felt. He won his first Grand Slam in 2003 and never looked back ever since.
Federer stressing on his rivalry with Nadal
Rafael Nadal started his professional career back in 2002 when he was just 16 years old. But it was later in 2004 that the world knew about the skills and power of this boy from a small town in Spain. He beat the then-world number 1 Roger Federer in straight sets at the Miami Open in 2004. He was only one of the six players which got the better of the Swiss wizard that year. His first Grand Slam triumph came in 2005 when he beat Mariano Puerta for the French Open title, after defeating Roger Federer in the semis. And thus providing a starting point for this rivalry which would certainly rule the tennis fraternity in the decade to come.
The two locked horns for the first time in 2004 and even when Nadal clinched his first piece of silverware, he knew that he is in an everlasting chase with Roger Federer. And fifteen years down the line, he certainly has taken some big strides. He is behind in certain aspects, level in some and better in others. But Federer's persistence is a thing to behold. The 37-year-old veteran is still competing at the topmost level of tennis. Raising the bar for Nadal and making it more difficult for the Spaniard
Rafa's admiration for the Swiss
Here are three things which makes this rivalry so great:
Consistency over the years: One could only guess that these two have always met in the final stages of the tournaments, be it finals, semi-finals or quarter-finals. And they have faced each other a whopping 38 times and are showing no signs of slowing down. Although age plays a major factor in this sport, it seems as if these two are getting better with age. A feat you cannot relate with any of the old rivalries of the game. And mind you, twelve have come in the Grand Slam tournaments. Between 2003 and 2014, Nadal and Federer have together picked up 31 of the 48 available grand slams in tennis. And they have contested every French Open and Wimbledon final between 2006 to 2008. Many experts did write them off going into the 2017 season after Djokovic started taking control of the proceedings and winning everything out there to be won. But they reinvented themselves just like every other time and shared the four grand slams of that year between themselves only. It is this unpredictability which puts them apart from the rest.
Federer after another epic final against Nadal in Australian Open 2017
More of a serious competition than any other era: In his starting days, Federer had to face the likes of Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras at their primes. And when Nadal came into being, it was the Swiss maestro himself who ruled in every department of the game. Not many could actually make some mark in these two eras, but these two showed tremendous willpower and grit to change the rules of the game. They not only presented a serious competition to these stars but beat them with pure class. And not to forget, they had to face the most difficult task of all, facing Novak Djokovic in his prime. Facing opponents of the highest order, yet outsmarting them to keep their place after so many years at the top level of tennis is a feat in itself.
Sheer aura on the court: The special thing about these two stars which pulls them apart is their almost unimaginable class and grace, a quality that is matched by none. They play hard but fair, treating each and every opponent with the utmost respect. They think highly of each other too, and their pre-match praises for the other speaks volumes in itself. There are so many matches where even before stepping onto the pitch, you know that you stand no chance against them. Nadal in Roland Garros and Federer in Wimbledon have been able to keep this feat factor intact over the years. Finishing off the games in the tunnel itself. And what if I say that it has been more than a decade and a half like this? Insane, isn't it?
Having already played out some of the greatest matches of this generation, brace yourself for a FEDAL treat on Friday!
