An Ode to Greatness...Federer and Nadal at Roland Garros
Tomorrow, on the hallowed grounds of Roland Garros, we will be treated to that rarest of sporting events. One in which the combatants are near the pinnacle of their performance, unquestionably living legends of their sport, and who also form a rivalry that has defined the golden generation of their sport. I am talking, of course, about the French Open semi-final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. I’m writing about this semi-final because, in my mind, these two men, playing a monumentally important match in this venue, is a near-perfect expression of the gifts they’ve bestowed upon a generation of fans.
On the one hand, you have Roger Federer, the most supremely gifted and elegant player of all time. Such is Federer’s brilliance that he’s breezed through to the French Open semi-final despite clay being his least favorite surface; and this year being the first time he’s played at Roland Garros since 2015. On the other hand, you have Rafael Nadal, who’s level of dominance on the dirt of Roland Garros is borderline unfathomable. Suffice it to say that Nadal at the French Open is akin to Secretariat at the Belmont in 1973, where the greatest racehorse of all time won by 30-some lengths. In this metaphor, Nadal at Roland Garros is the superhorse who has no legitimate competition, as his career 91-2 record and 11 titles clearly show.
Before we go any further, let me spend a minute on telling you what this article is not. This article is not a debate about which player between Federer and Nadal is the GOAT. In my mind, that matter is settled in favor of Federer, and the numbers bear out that notion. Federer has the most grand slam titles ever at 20. Federer also possesses many other records, and a few of them are worth bringing up here to provide context. He leads all time in number of grand slam finals (30), semi-finals (44), and quarterfinals (54). He also leads each of these categories when it comes to consecutive finals (10), semi-finals (23) and quarterfinals (36) reached at grand slam tournaments. In short, no one has sustained Federer’s level of excellence over such a long period of time, a feat made even more impressive when you consider that many of his prime years were played in an era during which Nadal and Novak Djokovic were compiling the second (17) and third (15) highest grand slam win totals of all time. To drive this point home, the numbers also dictate that Federer is likely no worse than the third best clay court player of all time, behind Nadal and Bjorn Borg. Federer has the most Runners-up of anyone at the French Open (4), and the second most wins all-time (70) at the French Open behind only Nadal. Without Rafa standing in his way, it’s fair to assume that Federer would own at least 3 French Open titles, thus giving him the career grand slam 3 times over, an unprecedented accomplishment. It’s also fair to assume that without Nadal, Federer would have completed the calendar year grand slam at least once, something which hasn’t been done since Rod Laver in 1969.
Now that the GOAT discussion is settled, let’s get back to this year’s semi-final at Roland Garros, and the perspective it brings to the two legends. To do so, it’s worth considering and contrasting the styles between the two men. Among the many nicknames bestowed upon Federer over the years, perhaps my favorite is that of ‘The Maestro’. The term evokes images of a master in control of his domain, flowing freely with the music being created while also maintaining immaculate precision so everything comes together in perfect harmony. This is how Federer plays tennis at the top of his game. He paints the lines with tremendous serves, uses impeccable footwork to uncork brilliant inside-out forehands, and his one-handed backhand, executed in full flight, is one of the most beautiful elements his sport has ever seen. Each of the feats described above requires the utmost athleticism and explosivity, and yet Federer executes them with an air of nonchalance, tucking his hair across the signature headband as if he were casually strolling through the park on a perfect summer evening. It is the most wonderful thing for a sports fan in my opinion, to watch an athlete dominate with such elegance, poise and grace so as to make it appear effortless.
Conversely, Nadal’s side of the court, especially on clay, possesses far less refinement, and instead is comprised of an unyielding physicality that is virtually impossible to defeat. Seemingly, no matter how perfectly executed, there is no shot on a clay court that Nadal cannot run down. He demoralizes opponents with a steady dose of relentless, buggy-whip top-spin forehands, which are made even more intimidating by his strategically showcased left bicep. Worthy of mention here is that Nadal plays left-handed, but he is not naturally left-handed. As a boy, the decision to put the racquet in his left hand, rather than his more dominant right one, was made by his uncle and coach, Tony. In so doing, Tony sealed the fate of Rafa’s trademark brutish physical play and mental toughness. At this moment, Rafa sacrificed the potential for a massive serve, and instead put the focus on winning long, punishing rallies, breaking the spirit of his opponents by forcing them to exert maximum effort in order to win one single, measly little point against him. It goes without saying that this style is particularly effective on clay, where the surface grabs the ball and reduces its speed, giving players more time to run down that would be clear winners on grass and hard courts.
And so, we’ve arrived at the match tomorrow, where ‘The Maestro’, with all of his shot-making, elegance, and sophistication, will take on The Bull, with his relentless speed, strength, and unyielding will. These two men, whose greatness has defined an entire generation of their respective sport, will battle yet again in one of the Cathedrals of the game. If history is any indication, Nadal will probably emerge victoriously on the surface and in the place he has dominated so thoroughly. But maybe, just maybe, the old master has new tricks up his sleeve to beguile the king of clay. No matter the outcome, I, for one, am extremely grateful to have the chance to witness these two legends confront each other on a stage they so clearly own in unprecedented fashion.
