Let
me confess I'm a great fan of Swiss tennis star Roger Federer, and having
written about him once, would have loved to write about him 10 more times. But
the sweeping manner in which Rafael Nadal won the Men's Single title clash at
the French Open on, making a name for himself in the history books of the game,
was way too tempting for any sports enthusiast
to ignore.
On Sunday, June 11th 2017, with his clay-court prowess as unassailable as ever,
the 31-year-old Spaniard coasted to a record 10th French Open
title, demolishing Stan Wawrinka in a brutally one-sided final which also
earned him a 15th Grand Slam crown. Nadal triumphed 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 to become the
first man in history to win the same major 10 times in the Open era, which began in 1968.
Along with improving
to 10-0 in finals at Roland Garros, Nadal increased his career haul to 15 Grand
Slam trophies, breaking a tie with Pete Sampras for second place in the history
of men’s tennis, behind only rival Roger Federer’s 18.
It marked a stirring
return to the top for Nadal in his favorite event and on his favorite surface:
Over his career, he is now 79-2 at the French Open and 102-2 in all
best-of-five-set matches on clay.
Why winning a French Open is Hardest
Doing a 'La Decima' (the 10th in
English) at the Garros isn't a cake walk by any stretch of the imagination.
It's a great achievement - one that seems rare to be equaled or surpassed for
generations to come. There are solid reasons that make achieving 'La
Decima' at the French Open a superlative feat.
The slow clay surface, the windy
open conditions inside the stadium and the disruptions due to weather - the
French Open is the only major tournament without a retractable roof on its main
court - all make it a devil of a tournament to string together seven straight
wins.
Even former legends like Arthur
Ashe, Boris Becker, Jimmy Connors, Stefan Edberg, John Newcombe, and Pete
Sampras were unsuccessful in mastering the tiresome clay surface. All of them
missed their career Grand Slam only
because they were never able to conquer Garros.
Why Rafa is The Best
This game is demanding and
challenging because it is a tough physical sport in which injuries are a part
and parcel. Nadal's problems with his knees and foot have been well documented
but his ability to disregard his excruciating pain and win 10 French Open
titles in a span of 12 years is exceptional.
In 2003 a 17-year-old Nadal was forced to withdraw
from what should have been his first Roland Garros win,
due to a wrist injury. But the Spaniard has effectively worked on his
problematic niggles that have forced him to stay away from major tennis
tournaments so far.
Here is a 31-year-old who has earned
himself a name with a 'La Decima' at the French, proving without a doubt, and
against all odds, that he is several cuts above one-hit wonders at the Roland Garros. The
fact that Nadal has won other five Grand Slams on grass and hard courts only
substantiates his prowess and claim to fame in the history of tennis.
Nadal's influence and superiority
over Federer grew with every meeting of the pair during three compelling finals
between 2006 and 2008. Watching the usually stoic Federer kick the red dirt
away in frustration and despair was evidence enough of Nadal's hold over his
great rival.
Earlier this year, the Swiss had
even admitted that Nadal's authority on clay gave him the edge in other
tournaments. He said, "Rafa has presented me with the biggest challenge in
the game."
Rafael Nadal admits he doubted
he’d ever win another Grand Slam title after a three-year drought at the majors
and an ongoing battle with injuries and poor form. His last Grand Slam title
before this year’s Roland Garros came in Paris in 2014 and he admitted that
there were doubts over whether or not he’d recover his former powers. “I have
doubts every day but that’s good as it makes me work hard with more intensity,”
he said.
After winning his ninth
Roland Garros and 14th major in 2014, Nadal’s best performance at the Slams was
two quarter-final spots. His world ranking slipped as low as 10 in 2015 and his
2016 French Open was ended prematurely after the second round by a wrist
injury. But he finished runner-up at the Australian Open in January, losing in
five sets to Federer and he was back in business.
He dominated the clay court season with titles in Monte
Carlo, Barcelona and Madrid. He lost just one match on clay all year while his
win on Sunday took his Paris record to a staggering 79 wins and just two
losses. Against world number three Wawrinka, his record is now 16 wins and
three losses. On clay, it’s 7-1.
Nadal went through the tournament
without dropping a set for the third time in his French Open career. He lost
just 35 games in total, next only to Bjorn Borg’s record of 32 in the Swede’s
1978 title-winning season, the second fewest by any
man on the way to any title at a Grand Slam tournament in the Open era with all
matches being best-of-five-sets.
“To win 10 Roland Garros titles is magical,” added Nadal. “I
had tough times last year so it’s great to have big success again.”
Despite his dominance at the French Open, Nadal said he
never took victory for granted. He was aware of being within touching distance
of the title in Australia in January when he was a break up in the final set
only to lose to Federer.
“At 4-1 in the third set I knew I was close. At 5-1, I
thought probably I am going to win this. But I have come close before -- in
Australia this year and in 2012 in Australia (when he lost an epic final to
Novak Djokovic). So my mentality was that I cannot give Stan the chance to get
back into the match. But I knew that I had been playing too good in the
tournament to play a bad final.”
Wawrinka is no slouch; he owns three major
titles, including one from Roland Garros, and had never lost a Grand Slam
final. But a five-set semifinal win over No. 1-ranked Andy Murray must have
taken something out of the 32-year-old from Switzerland, the oldest French Open
finalist since 1973. His shots didn’t have their usual verve, his legs their
usual spring. After one point, Wawrinka bent over, leaning one arm on his
racket and resting the other on a knee.
Nadal has that way of wearing down opponents. On
this day, he was nearly perfect. He won all 12 service games, saving the lone
break point he faced, and made a mere 12 unforced errors.
When it ended, Nadal
dropped to his back on the clay, then rose and briefly pulled his blue shirt
over his face. He was again the champion, again unbeatable at the French Open.
As the Spaniard pummeled
Wawrinka into submission on Sunday, one was reminded of another campaign where
he let little go. The 35 games Nadal lost in Paris over the last fortnight is a
record. The previous best was 41, during the 2008 French Open.
In those seven matches
he did not even play a tiebreaker, let alone dropping a set. That run to the
title saw some incredible results — Fernando Verdasco was thumped 6-1, 6-0, 6-2
in the fourth round, followed by a 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 thrashing of another
compatriot Nicolas Almagro. But it was his display in the final which stands
out in memory. Nadal’s evisceration of his greatest rival, Roger Federer, took
108 minutes as the Majorcan won his fourth Slam title in Paris. The news of the
massacre was relayed by the score line as 6-1, 6-3, 6-0.
It was the kind of
result which stays with you. You do not just watch one of the greatest players
of all-time take a mere four games in three sets, without the gory details
seared in your memory. Perhaps, the one-sided nature of that win made the
‘contest’ forgettable for some. But Nadal’s ruthless performance in the Slam
final would have had to look hard to find its equal. Much like it did on
Sunday.
When Nadal was
undergoing his rough patch that lasted for the most of 2015 and ’16, his
longest ally & uncle Toni Nadal identified three areas where his nephew had
to improve - strengthen the serve, return the forehand to its former glory and
find that competitive hunger again.
This season, Nadal has
ticked each of those boxes. The technical work done by him has reaped wonders;
his serve has particularly been a revelation thank to the insights provided by
new coach Carlos Moya. But it also needs to be stressed that we have once again
found a Nadal who cannot make do with what he has. He keeps pushing for more
and when it seems it is beyond his grasp, he responds with his own take on a
miracle. That reeling forehand on Sunday summed up his refuelled spirit.
Nadal took a stoic
view of his defeat in the Australian Open final. But as he said back then, if
he took his good form into France, “good things can happen.” And they did. The
arrival of the 15th Grand Slam title has cemented the path of Nadal’s
rejuvenation which began in Australia. But is rejuvenation the right word?
Literally, it means to make someone young again. Nadal, in tennis terms, cannot
go back to the works of his youth. But his game is relevant, it succeeds. So he
can look to the future. There are plans to be made and thought about.
Conclusion
The game of tennis is as much mental
as it is physical. Some would argue the former takes precedence. Other
champions would not have been able to keep their head above water with the
challenge set before them year after year - but not Nadal.
Nadal is going to be
here for a while.
