It's Rafa's Time, No?

 

Baring the name of an archangel common to the great monotheisms of the world, Rafael in Hebrew translates to doctor of medicine. Our Rafael, however, is no doctor, but a muscled behemoth who actually inflicts more wounds on a tennis court than heals them.

Rafael Nadal is the classic counterpoint. Long haired and muscular with his Majorcan tan, he looks more like Mowgli the man-cub from the Kipling's Jungle Book than the classic tennis player. In the age of Federer, with the GQ looks and the cricketer's cardigan and the all court game, Rafa Nadal has in the past four years provided the ever needed contrast to men's tennis.

Coming from the Spanish island of Majorca, Nadal at 22 has already had a storied career. With an uncle who was part of the national Spanish Football team and another uncle a professional tennis player turned Nadal's coach, it he appears had sports seared into his DNA.

Nadal burst on the tennis scene as a teenager, with a game built on counter punching. A natural right hander, his uncle and coach Toni Nadal decided that he play as a lefty seeing that his backhand would benefit from a strong right arm. Were it not for that evil high kicking lefty forehand, Federer would very possibly have a calendar grand slam to his name and the GOAT conversation would be over and done with. It's a call that has to go down as one of the single greatest coaching decisions in tennis history.

Nadal's game is based on the foundations laid down by tennis greats, like Michael Chang, and Leyton Hewitt. He is the consummate counter puncher who uses his brute physicality to over power, out run and simply fatigue players by his uncanny ability to get to balls that would be seemingly ungettable.

Unlike Federer his game is considered unaesthetic; a functional game this is designed to extract the maximum from his natural physical gifts and deliver what matters most: Victory. It might not be like the ballet of Federer's footwork, or the brush strokes of Federer's deft touch, but it has produced amazing results. If Federer is a sleek Italian supercar Nadal is an overpowered American muscle-car. And that's what makes it so enticing.

Tennis today stands at a crossroads again; as it so often does when great players falter and those nipping at their heels begin to smell opportunity. Rafael Nadal today stands at the cusp of snatching the reins from Federer and proclaiming himself as top dog.

It's no secret that Roger Federer is in the midst of what could be called a crisis by his standards. After four years of unprecedented dominance, the kind of which hasn't been seen even from the likes of Sampras or Borg, Federer is definitely suffering from something. Experts are rife with speculation. Career fatigue, a loss of focus, the inevitable loss of edge as the year in year out toil finally begins to take its toll or the burden of greatness and history that was like a halo around him, but now hangs over like a dark cloud. And as it goes so many times in the unforgivable sporting world Federer's woes have coincided with Nadal's roaring charge towards his own greatness.

Nadal this year has taken what was supposed to be Federer's march into history and made it his own. Making the semis at Australia for the first time, Nadal went one further in proving he wasn't a one surface pony. But that was just beginning.

After romping through the clay season, he landed in France. The Parisian clay it seems has an almost molecular affinity for Nadal and if we thought he couldn't get better boy were we wrong! Paris was a master class in clay court tennis that culminated in the absolute obliteration of Roger Federer. Nadal won his fourth French title in embarrassing fashion without losing a set and was muted in celebration either out of respect for Federer or because of the sheer ease with which it came.

But he wasn't done. Wimbledon beckoned and he had shown last year that he was a force to reckon with. While Federer looked to turn his season around in his home away from home going for a historic sixth title, Nadal had other ideas and was looking to play the spoiler and do the improbable French and Wimbledon double. Nadal was the talk of the season. Experts and pundits predicted a changing of the guard.

The epic encounter exceeded the hype that was florid with recitations of Kipling and pseudo-apocalyptic fanfare. Nadal found himself on the winning side of the greatest match of all time, having beaten the greatest player in history, in Federer, as he himself humbly alludes to on many occasions.

After a breathtaking display of shot making, losing a two set lead, match points gone begging and fighting the elements, Nadal achieved the dream, he sobbed, would never come true after last year's final. The heir apparent had finally dethroned the king.

Today, after winning the Masters Series at Toronto, along with another one of Federer's shock losses, Nadal can smell the No. 1 ranking. Even though during interviews and media appearances he remains the affable kid who's just glad to be here, he wants it and he wants it bad. And it showed against Murray. Nadal gave out a head shaking animal roar that was scary as it was ferocious when Murray netted a volley to give him match point. It showed a hunger that is predatory and primal in its nature. Mowgli the mancub is visibly ready to take the place of Shere Khan.

As we look ahead towards the Us Open, the season so far could not have been scripted better. This is the part of the season that Nadal has usually faded away. His body broken down due to his inhuman schedule and a game that takes a toll on the body, but only victors know the healing power of winning. Nadal at 22 is now riding an upsurge of momentum. With five Grand Slam trophies already gleaming in a cabinet somewhere in Majorca, he is now entering that window when great players rack up grand slams and the glory that comes with it. With Federer's demise this week and The No.1 ranking is his to claim.

Going by numbers alone Nadal has all to gain while Federer as everything to defend. Adjusting for form, there is no question that Nadal is on the verge of finally making his claim to tennis greatness after four years of being in Federer's shadow. No longer is he merely the Federer foil or clay court king, he is making his case for being named among greats like Federer, Sampras, Agassi and Borg.

But with this comes an added pressure that he has yet to taste. For no clich� is truer than the notion that getting to the top is easy, its staying there that is the true test of greatness. With the constant pressure and expectation to win, it'll be interesting to see how Nadal tackles this unchartered territory.

Keep in mind that Federer is hardly out of the conversation either. He at some point will have his resurgence and be in the hunt for revenge. Sometimes you need to lose what you cherish most to reignite the passion and fire of old and it wouldn't be surprising should Federer make a statement at the Us Open.

Along with the pressure of expectation Nadal now also has to start thinking about the future and the physical nature of his game. If he wants to have even some semblance of longevity in his career, he has to start making good decisions about his schedule now. The hard court season is long and the surface is no friend to those joints which have given him trouble in recent years. If he wants to be a major factor at slam after slam, he will now have to be meticulous with the tournaments he plays in order to give him the best chance to be at his peak at every major.

All this culminates to an intriguing climax to the season. The past for years we have witnessed an era of dominance and artistry, now we are moving into a contest of who wants it more. Right now it seems, Rafael Nadal wants it more and it's made him the best player of the season so far.