"With six titles in Monte Carlo, five in Rome, four in Paris, and a 93-match win streak, he has already surpassed everyone other than Borg."

Hes still young Steve.. thank you for a great piece.

Nice offering, Steve. There is nothing wrong with having a preferred surface, and particularly with a confidence player like Nadal, it does him wonders to have a "home base" to pick up steam from each season. The Gulbis semifinal is a good example of a match he might have lost elsewhere; in fact, it played out very similarly to the Roddick and Ljubicic losses in the IW & Miami swing, except this time Rafa was able to close it out. Also, 12 out of 17 is something like 2/3 - while clearly the bulk of his Masters titles have come on clay, 30% is not an insignificant percentage.

Just as an FYI, the clay streak which Fed ended in the Hamburg '07 final was actually 81 matches.

For once, I'm not totally objecting to the phrase "clay court specialist." :) My problem with how it's usually used is that it often seems to imply two things: 1. Doesn't play well on anything else; 2. The player chose to specialize.

To me, in the non-tennis world, people choose a field of specialty. Once having done so, they then gear their skills toward a certain field at the detriment of others. Contract law specialist? They would be fairly lost doing a criminal case. A web designer feels more than a bit lost in the print design world.

I don't think the players make this choice – I think their natural game/physique/mind-set is just better on certain surfaces. And it's not always the surface they grew up playing on. (Federer grew up on clay, but he's sometimes called a grass specialist - as if anyone would choose to specialize in a surface that has so few tournaments.)

That is, I don't think Rafa started out saying, “I'm going to learn to win on clay and the rest of the surfraces, pffft.” He learned to play a game he felt he could play best, that fit his natural playing style, his mindset, and his personality. Turns out, that game works best on clay.

It is always a revelation to see the Spaniard play on clay. His game is perfectly suited to it. A great combination of phisicality -stamina and strength-, speed and intelligence...

Rafael gets to some shots on clay that an opponent has a 0% chance to get to and win the point. His favorite shot to me was in 2008 at Monte Carlo when Nikolay Davydenko hit a volley that appeared to be a winner and he closed the net but no, here comes Rafael having turned around on the baseline running to the net after the ball and before the ball bounced twice, he put his racquet under the ball and flicked it cross court for the winner. Also, when Rafael goes through title droughts, this one was 11 months that captured 13 tournaments, clay is there waiting for him to produce his magic and frustrate his opponents at the same time.

There are far more tennis champions who based their games off of clay than there are champions who didn't; in fact, only Sampras looms large as having hcs as his learning base, and we see how detrimental that was to his career as a whole (not so much to keep him from being the second all time leader in majors, but having no FO title is a gaping hole now that Federer has added that in as well as displacing Sampras as all time leader). Maybe more players, Americans in particular, should look to clay as the learning base instead of something to be avoided. It's the transition that completes a player's repetoire, and it is quite special to have two champions able to do this in the same era. No surprise that both have clay tactics in their basic arsenals.

Good article here.

"It made me think of the old question about whether he has an “ugly” game or not."

I've never seen Nadal's game as ugly. In particular his flying, elegant steps as he moves across court, culminating in slides--they are balletic to my eye. No one's feet move like that, in steps so fast, in slides so swift.

And then there's that whiplash follow-through of the inside out backhand.

The first time I saw the guy, I thought, whoever he is, he's been choreographed by Agnes De Mille.

(If I were going for ballet equivalents, btw, I'd say Federer is Nureyev and Nadal is Baryshnikov.)

"Famous players create their own luck; their success shimmers around them like a force field, one that extends all the way across the net and into the center of their opponent's brain. A player’s name and reputation are part of the game like anything else."

When I was young and impressionable I was told great players walk onto the court with an air of, "It's not If I'm going to win, just a question of By How Much."

Once it was said to me I could see it, and it's true as true can be. Unlike many other things said to me when I was impressionable.

"On hard courts or grass, Nadal can be just as good, and even more vicious in his attack, but he’s never as smooth and self-assured, never as complete and artistic and at his ease, the way he is on clay. On hard courts, he must go to the edge of his comfort zone; on clay he’s within himself. Maybe clay-court special-ist is the right term for Nadal, after all. There is something pretty special about watching him play on it."

i totally 100% agree on this!!

Steve...there's so much more beauty on nadal's game on clay because like u said he feels at home playing on it plus he definitely prefers playing on it not necessarily because he plays best at it but because he believes and feels that it is healthier for his body...

He's game esp on hard courts is so much less animated because he feels limited and I'm pretty sure he always has in the back of his mind the tendinitis effects of playing on hard!

(If I were going for ballet equivalents, btw, I'd say Federer is Nureyev and Nadal is Baryshnikov.)

Nice.

or:
Federed is War Admiral and Nadal is Seabiscuit.

Although I have enough time to be a frequent visitor to this site and the comments about his articles and about the live matches, is the first time I dare to write here.

First to say, I'm a fan of Nadal, not only by the quality of his tennis, but by certain personal and sport values in and off the tennis court.

Nadal learned as a child to play on clay and all his natural shots came after hundreds of matches on this surface. Like many other Spanish players, Nadal could have been limited to playing almost exclusively in clay, but had the ambition to reach the top of tennis and this should accommodate the other surfaces.

After winning Wimbledon, Australia Open, five Master Series on hard surface and another tournaments, we can not say that this adaptation has been bad, but could have been better.

In my opinion, he has two problems that make difficult the task. One is that technically do not have a great service that ensures a higher percentage of free points as Federer, Djokovic, Del Potro etc and the second is that it does not change the fundamentals of his game on clay when he plays on hard courts. He aims to hit all his shots behind the ball completely steadfast in his legs support and also plays his forehand drive hit with too much topspin rather flat and aggressive play. The terrible physical effort to stand behind the ball in his comfort zone makes your knees suffer much more than the permissible.

What is truly commendable Nadal is that he knows that those are his problems and try to improve it day by day. Would have been easy for him, playing the clay tournaments in February South American or clay tournaments summer in Central Europe and would certainly have suffered less, but his spirit of excellence drives him to play where he knows he is vulnerable.

Finally, I hope Nadal has overcome family problems he has suffered over the past year, for analyzing his personality, I think the best shot of Nadal is not the forehand topspin but his mental strength and spirit to excel.

Sorry for my poor English.

Steve- At age of 23, Rafa has more Grand slams than GOAT and winning record in GS against GOAT and Grand slams in Hard court and Grass and Clay. Year 2016 or later, we will have definite answers than this premature assessment.

Fabulous piece Steve.

To me, Rafa plays beautiful tennis. I have never seen his game as "ugly" and I doubt I evver will. It's so good to see him back playing at his level once again.

I like the ballet and horse racing comparisons. One more - Federer is Ali and Nadal is Frazier.

Very well said post. I totally agree - while Nadal has had some great wins on other surfaces, it's a whole new level on clay. He seems to control the action so much more.

Excellent piece. Could not agree more.

This piece reminds me of what Federer said last year during the clay season

He said that he doesn't have a problem on clay... the problem is Nadal on clay!

very true

Would be great if we had more clay courts in North America. I'm really lucky living across from the Garneau courts in Edmonton, AB Canada, which even then are more dirt than true clay, but I love playing on them.

Beautiful piece Steve, you really get Rafa and his game unlike soo many tennis writers and journalists and as a huge fan of his, I thank you for that! His game is truly bereathtaking, specially on clay and those who still maintain a 'ruthless dirt baller' image of his in their heads are in denial!

Thanks to RAFA for making tennis so exciting , I am so happy that the old RAFA is back . I love RAFA'S style of play I also think that RAFA is good on other surfaces but I'm so scared when he plays on hard court because of his style of play anyway I am praying for continued success for him , with many more GS titles especially the USO so that he can be a golden slam winner so GO RAFA GO RAFA GO RAFA.

Thanks Steve A exact piece of writing on Rafa and his game.

"Famous players create their own luck; their success shimmers darkly around them, like a force field, and extends all the way across the net and into their opponent's head."

Exactly. And it is also the best line in the whole really excellent article...

This was really beautiful.
Rafa on clay is special. Full stop. I think watching him on clay even when he's decimating his opponents is quite spectacular. I still think he can play even better than this on clay and he can. I hope Madrid goes well.

Now let me leave before the inevitable Fedal wars start.

Maybe the term do describe Nadal should be "Clay Court Dominator"

Just a weird observation: would jumping so high and landing on his feet hurt his knees? Do you think he should stop doing that to preserve his knees? LOL

Magnificent Steve! Thank you:-)

"Federed is War Admiral and Nadal is Seabiscuit."

Good, but not quite perfect, because Nadal could still manage a Triple Crown (career slam, like Federer), and Seabiscuit never did. (Not that Seabiscuit played tennis--sorry if the metaphor is getting confused).

How about Fed is Astaire and Nadal is Kelly?

Fed is Beethoven and Nadal is Bach?

An excellent piece of writing, Steve ! I can tell that you are a true Nadal fan but please do not jinx him for the FO !

I had missed the Ali-Frazier analogy as well (good one). This is as fun as casting the Scooby Doo or Looney Tunes Hamlet (it can be done. Elmer Fudd as Polonius. Foghorn Leghorn as The Ghost. Porky Pig as Horatio...) Yes. This is what my nutty family does on road trips. And now we can add the Fed/Nadal analogy.

So Fed is Ruth and Nadal is Gehrig? In 1927, Ruth batted .356 and had 60 HR, while Gehrig had .373 and had 48 HR. If you consider HR=Slams and batting ave=Master Shields, it works pretty well. (And before you think I actually know what I'm talking about, I came up with Ruth/Gehrig, but my husband gave me all the rest.)

He also says Nadal is Tallyrand and Federer is Castlereigh, which shows you why I spend half my time reading up so I can converse with this man.

Good, but not quite perfect, because Nadal could still manage a Triple Crown (career slam, like Federer), and Seabiscuit never did. (Not that Seabiscuit played tennis--sorry if the metaphor is getting confused).
-------
Haha. I think the person meant that Nadal in spite of all the injuries could still show a lot of heart like Sea Biscuit. Then again I'm not American and my only knowledge about the said race horse comes from the movie ;)

I can definitely see the Beethoven/Bach comparison though. Although Fed is more like Mozart.

I like this game better than Fedal wars!

Rafa is indeed the greatest clay court player, I believe better than Borg though it is difficult and foolhardy to compare two different eras. The next best clay courter during Borg's era was Vilas, the next best clay courter in Nadal's era is Federer. I dont think we can compare Vilas and Federer as an opponent. Federer is way ahead of Vilas on clay. This makes Rafa truly the greatest clay courter. Speaking of his physical style he is a paying spectator's delight (Bodo and you dont pay, we do). He works so hard that it is enthralling to watch a hard working player just like watching someone working hard in your office as compared to some dude browsing the internet.....

I'll throw in my own little comparison, Federer is Michael and Rafa is Prince.

But which one is Lennon and which one is McCartney?

OMG Kate! You're unbelievable at this game.
Although wouldn't it be more appropriate if Federer is Tallyrand-Perigord and Nadal Castlereagh. I don't know that much about the history of diplomacy but from the little I know, isn't Tallyrand like one of the GOATS of diplomats?

I waited all day for this Steve. Thank You

Kate,
Yes -- I meant more that Nadal can be Seabiscuit because Seabiscuit's physique was more muscular and not elongated and beautiful like War Admiral. No one expected Seabiscuit to win much and critics kept writing him off as a one-hit wonder until he kept winning and winning and won the critics over to his side...similar to Nadal being a one-surface wonder until he won W and then AO.

Federer is Lennon?

I like this game…:-)

ava--but you get many points for spelling Castlereagh properly, and I didn't.

Back to husband for consultation: "Because Nadal, like Tallyrand, always finds a way to win. And Fed, like Castlereagh, comes from a more established empire. His accomplishments were more conservative, though equally consistant and effective. They both accomplished great things."

I'm more comfy with actors: Federer is Olivier and Nadal is Brando. (If we ignore the whole Clash of the Titans and Superman embarrassments.)

Ha. Everyone will be more comfortable with actors!
Again the Olivier/Brando comparison is spot on. I think that may just be the best possible comparison if for one caveat. I would say Brando was the superior actor. Olivier is the greatest classical and possibly the greatest theatre actor as well but Brando was a revolutionary and in my mind the greatest.

I don't think Nadal's career will eclipse Federer's at the end although at this point it is not possible to make predictions. Their styles can definitely be compared but Fed=Brando, Rafa=Olivier when it comes to achievements, I think.

BTW your husband sounds extremely well read.

Jeu Nadal--Then I like the Seabiscuit analogy, with apologies for miscomprehending.

I might have thought Lennon (Revolution) was more Nadal and McCartney (Here, There And Everywhere) is more Fed. Either way, put them together, and you get it all, from Love Me Do through all of Sgt. Pepper.

Extending the Lennon/McCartney analogy, the one thing that really stands out is these are men who work best together and off each other. Their brilliance multiplies when they are in tandem. (Talk about chemistry. Theirs stretches across a net.)

ava--We met in a bookstore; he reads every minute he can. I never use a dictionary; I just ask him for definitions (I think I've had to resort to dictionaries three times in the marriage). He uses words like epiphenominal and muliebrity like I say hot and cold, and he can often pull out these little-known facts --for example, I had no idea he could spout Ruth/Gehrig stats without research.

Of course, his puns are so darn esoteric that no one ever laughs. (Except him. And me, because I love him so.)

Back to business: I like that you reverse the Brando/Olivier to fit each player. Excellent observation. This teaches me much about the two men. They each have elements of rebel and classicist, despite the (popular) tendency type one as one sort and the other as another.

LOL you and your husband are definitely lucky to have each other!

Also agree with the Lennon/McCartney comparison.
Wow, who knew Fedal would inspire so much thought.....
Any doubts that this is tennis' greatest rivalry?!?!

Nadal's game truly is beautiful on clay. I don't think there is anyone who moves quite so naturally as Rafa does on Mars land. Not even Federer. The way he slides, the control over the slide and the maximisation of power even on his backhand side is quite incredible to watch. He is also stunningly fast on clay; of course he is fast on all surfaces but some of the gets he's made have been phenomenal - someone mentioned the Davy one in 2008.

Also, as I see it, there is a paradoxical beauty in the destruction Nadal metes out on his opponents. Every shot he knows exactly where he wants to place the ball, as if the point is playing out in his head. Sublime.

It is interesting to note that while this article acknowledges Nadal's true gifts on clay sadly Mr. Bodo's article next door reinforces the stereotype. It's positive and well-written but he only notes Nadal's physical prowess on clay and thus reduces his genius on the surface to just that. This piece, meanwhile, is much more accurate. There is a difference between "energy" and "physicality".(Read both pieces and one will understand).
Nadal on clay is sublime in every level. It can be just as enchanting as any match where Federer is playing like TMF.

Very nice post Julian.
Exactly the way I see Rafa's game, just that I wouldn't have been able to express it as well as you did. Thanks :)

you mention we talk about nadal's injuries and we'll be talking about them when he's still winning age 28.

he's had significant injuries in all the last 4 grandslams, retiring injured in 1 and missing altogether in another. Its hardly being pessimistic to question his longterm physical wellbeing !!!! Lets see him finish 1 or 2 grandslams in a row healthy!
As to another writer saying he's got more slams then federer at their respective ages-
from that point federer won 3 of the 4 slams for 2 seasons in a row (2006 and 2007).

I don't think anyone in their right mind thinks nadal who hasn't finished a slam fit since australia 09, will now win 6 of the next 8 slams!!!

The immediate question is will he, or won't he, play Madrid?

I am a huge Rafa fan and, as such, loved this article. I like that one commenter noted that the majority of recent great players (certainly since the demise of the Americans at the top of the game) have learned the game on clay. 9 of the current top 10 players grew up playing on the red stuff and, regardless of their surface of choice, the dirt has exerted an indelible mark on their games. Federer, for example, is not just a good clay court player he's a great clay court player. But for Nadal, we'd be heralding him as the greatest clay court player ever. He would have certainly won the past four/five RG championships (keeping in mind his one semi, then three years runner up, all losses to Nadal, then finally his win in 2009 when Nadal exits early).

I wrote recently, and I'll say it again, that the greatest thing the USTA could do to improve the state of, at least, men's tennis at the professional level, would be either to import some authentic European red clay courts (preferably laid by the same folks who prepare either the courts at RG or MC) or send more younger players to the academies in Barcelona. The HC training in the US seems insufficient to inculcate in modern players the various skills required to win consistently on the tour today. I mean both the defensive skills, the variety of shots, the stamina, and the thoughtful point construction (especially against a cagey opponent who's playing well).

ava,
agree with you completely. I mentioned something similar on Bodo's thread.

bobby,
I hope one day fans can enjoy an athlete's efforts without trying to compare it to somebody else. Rafa is Rafa and Federer is Federer.

Rafa's worst injury was not in 2009. It was in 2005 when he was out for 6 months. He still came back from that and won 5 more slams. I agree with Steve.

btw , Steve,
If there were GSs of tennis-writing you would have been Rod Laver.

Love this piece..Go Rafa!

Okay, I have a confession. The only thing I knew about tennis was that Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors were engaged and they won some tournament at the same time.

I had heard of Billie Jean King.

I had NEVER heard of Pete Sampras. No kidding. Off the radar. And until I began to watch Nadal play, I had NEVER heard of Federer.

(Don't hurt me. I once met Joe Theisman and had no idea who he was, and I lived outside D.C. I just wasn't a big sports person.)

So my question here, observing the fire and angst of the Fedal War and the bitterness that sometime rages, is this normal? Are there other rivalries in tennis that arouse such empassioned souls? Or is it a unique part (not my favorite part) of The Rivalry?

Well, if you're going to go with the Lennon/McCartney comparison, doesn't Fed have to be Lennon, if only because Mirka is Yoko? :-)

Seriously though, can we get these two guys on the same court for once? It's been a year! Time's a-wastin'!

kate

i see that you've returned! great analogies...

you 'get' the rivalry and its significance.

I can't agree with the writer of the piece on Rafa (in Esquire, I believe) who said that you couldn't be a fan of both...

(She mentioned this during an interview with Andrew Burton that can be seen on Youtube). I've forgotten her name.

Mirka as Yoko! Ouch! David!

Oh, and by the way, her favorite is Rafa.

This is a nice piece. What we see with Rafa is a determined rebound from injuries, controversy and family strife. In a way it is to be expected, for the guy is a super-competitor, eye of the tiger, Jimmy Connors, Michael Chang, Pete Rose and more.

What's also nice is that even a superb player like Rafa might get a little bit out of reading "Tennis Unraveled", which will be available this coming Wednesday at www.uptofitness.com.

I'm glad to see Rafa back, I anticipate him winning RG, and I look forward to you tennis nuts dropping by our site for a taste of non-fiction excellence. :)

Susan: yes, that writer is quite an unapologetic rafakad. And I didn't agree with her assertion that it's not possible to be a fan of both Roger and Rafa. I think if you're a tenniskad, you can easily appreciate both players.

I just watched a documentary on a matador called "El Fandi" and he is a young phenom in Spain. People describe him as exciting and wonderful to watch, but not as "artistic" as his rival matador, Ponce, who is a legend. I was smiling to myself thinking they're the equivalent of FnR.

Thanks for this article, Steve. You do a superb job of capturing Rafa's unique elegance on clay. I prefer watching him play on clay because he looks so completely comfortable.

....I'm so upset....I lik this little association game that is going on here with Fed and Nadal.....I usually have an item or two to contribute....but you guys have done a whale of a job.

It's also nice that this has been a pretty civil exchange...also encouraging....;-)

What can you say about Nadal......it seems almost unfair when he steps onto a clay court. That probably says it all. What he did against Fed in that one final was the ultimate show of his excellence on this surface. And I'm a Fed fan saying this.

Can someone provide a link to said article?

"...but he’s never as smooth and self-assured, never as complete and artistic and at his ease, the way he is on clay. On hard courts, he must go to the edge of his comfort zone; on clay he’s within himself.

yes. exactly. on clay, he can access that special inner place (or does he generate that?) that creates the inexplicable 'flow'. body and spirit in harmony, so to speak.

still prefer watching fed on hard and grass courts, though.

gawd, that took a long time to post. having serious problems with typeBAD BAD BAD in the last several weeks. it has eaten posts, not allowed me to access articles, etc.

Hi, Susan--

Surely it's possible to be a fan of both. They are so very different as players. But it must be very hard to not cheer for one or the other when they are battling it out in a match.

Probably the thing most fans are thinking is "Please, please, don't let this ever end."

Lovely and thoughtful piece of writing Steve.

That was meant as a compliment to both Mirka and Yoko, by the way. I'm a fan of both. Behind every great man, as they say...

with fed, it's more of a pleasant, joyful feeling (when he's at is best). like the beauty and peace of the sea. with nadal, it's more the awe of seeing something large and majestic, like a tsunami!

Another (naive) question: What is a KAD?

ava: the esquire article? yikes, it was a while ago. And I'm blanking on the woman's name too. If I can remember her name I'll post it.

kool-aid drinker (uber-ardent fan)

"Clay highlights the particular beauty of Nadal’s game. It's a beauty of ENERGY, of the VITALITY, rather than the elegance, that can be exhibited in tennis...The desire is there in the movement."

Everyone knows Federer´s game is like a russian ballet masterpiece, but that fire that Nadal has, how driven he is transalates as: I know i´m not that perfect, but damn... WILL I TRY TO WIN ANYWAY!

Thank you, Susan. I never would have gotten that one.

@ava

Are you still here:P
hi there -- i just wanted to point out to you that i think it was you who had a very good gut feeling of nadal's clya season last year-- i remember you frazzling even b4 FO 09... now i want to ask you -- what do you think of rafa's chances this year:P

adding to my comment, one would think every player goes into the match thinking that, right? Not always the case. For example, Djokovic sometimes gives up when he sees the score totally against him, giving away the match at some point. The best players should know that they can really change the score around. In Australias Hit for Haiti, Djokovic said to Rafa: "6-6, 6-6(in the tie-break)... this is you man" giving him the racket so that Rafa would play the point instead of him. Yes, it was only an exhibition match, but I think it kind of speaks a little truth.

"Everyone knows Federer´s game is like a russian ballet masterpiece, but that fire that Nadal has, how driven he is transalates as: I know i´m not that perfect, but damn... WILL I TRY TO WIN ANYWAY!"

i want to add my two cents on this

I know i´m not that perfect, but damn... i am also good in my own way!

I think it all boils down to preference... I am a rafa fan for a reason-- i prefer his point construction and emoitions so much better than anyone else. I admire Federer , his game is elegance but it's just not my preference:P

Susan, I forgot to thank you for the last analogy: Fed the sea, Nadal the tsunami.

It's been great fun playing with everyone.

bye kate. i'm off; starving!

This was a gorgeous description of the poetry of tennis, particularly clay tennis. Thank you for this post.

Steve, you do have a way with words. Lovely article describing Rafa's talents on clay. His competitive spirit is incredible; such a vision. When watching the match with Daveed Ferrer yesterday, I was thinking - this is the art of clay court tennis. This is kind of a class between two "specialists" on clay. They live and breathe this stuff. What a joy it was for me to watch the match.

This is the reason why I watch tennis. Nadal is the number #1 reason. His game is good, his look is strong. He make tennis look like a strong sport. He's what M.J was to the NBA. I'm impress with this young man skill. I hope he pass everyone. Who said tennis is a wuss sport? Look at Nadal, he look like he could eat you alive!!

GOOOOOO RAFA!!!

Nice article, Steve. I've never seen Nadal's game as ugly. He's exciting to watch! Much more than Federer. Nadal got me back into tennis after a LONG hiatus (Becker/Edberg days). Anyhoo, ITA about it not being a slight when calling Nadal a clay special-ist. Rafa seems a bit defensive whenever media asks him about it. He should be proud, and revel in it (as much as Uncle Toni would allow). I LOVE the clay season and wish it were longer (or at least 2 majors! :-)). It's poetry in motion watching Nadal on red clay. And kudos to Sam Querrey and John Isner for not just skipping clay (except for RG) but giving it the old college try. They aren't too shabby on it either. ;-)

well, after all that rafa admiration, have to concede i was pulling for gulbis the other day. I liked gulbis when i saw him at the US open 08 in his match with roddick. i thought, who is this?!

when rafa plays, i don't always feel compelled to root for him, as i always do for federer. therein lies the difference between my fed/rafa admiration. tend to gravitate toward headcase types (yes, fed is one, when all is said and done. the fact that he turned that around (nearly) was an amazing accomplishment, imo.)

"With six titles in Monte Carlo, five in Rome, four in Paris, and a 93-match win streak, he has already surpassed everyone other than Borg."

Actually its 81 match win streak on clay, but its irrelevant to the point.

My question is this: What more do you want this guy to do to put him on top of Borg ? For Christ's sake do you want him to win 8 titles in Paris before annointing him the greatest clay courter ever ?

What he has done on clay has never been done and I dont see how anyone other than a reincarnation of an 18 yr old Nadal doing it again any time soon. Quite similar to what Roger has done overall in tennis.

Loved the piece and all the analogies in the comments. :)))

The beauty of Nadal's game is the element of suspense he manages to wittingly or unwittingly inject on his return shots. His opponent hits a ball that is seemingly irretrievable. And here comes Nadal in full gallop, hitting the ball with so much single-minded energy. The audience, Nadal supporters most especially, holds its breath--uncertain whether the ball will safely cross the net into a position that can never be retrieved. Nadal of course manages to execute the miraculous return shot--leaving the audience in complete shock and his opponent in utter disbelief. This is the beauty of his game.

Hi from a Spaniard in Spain. Very nice post. It’s my first time writing here and let me share with you how proud we feel the Spaniards with Nadal, however his tennis is like, for his gentleman manners at court and when winning, whoever the opponent is. Considering the crisis we are going through, Nadal shows the Spaniards how to get the goals with patience and good work in a humble way…a good example to this country. We need people like him to show the young people that everything is possible.

Please, let me apologize for my poor English!

Maria,
Your English is fine :)
I too admire Rafa not just for his game but for his personality. His dedication is admirable.

Maria, there's nothing wrong with your English and especially not with your message. That's another point about Rafa that isn't brought up enough I don't think. He is so humble and is such a gentleman which is such a contrast to the tiger that he is on the tennis court. He also loves the game of tennis so much. He gets as much joy from winning his fifth Rome Masters as he did the first one. I'm a huge admirer of Rafa the tennis player but my esteem is even greater for Rafa the man.

Great writing, again, Steve. You get Rafael. I knew I shouldn't have wasted my time on Bodo's article. He managed to churn out the same old tired stereotypes.
Rafael brought me back to tennis. Watching him in full flight is a beauty to behold. I especially love the slow motion replays of him guarding the baseline heaving up and down his intense gaze fixed on the ball and the opponent. Like a panther. Mmm... Fed cheetah, Rafael panther.

I agree about Rafa. I like all the Spaniards, and I think David Ferrer is a man of unassuming humility too. Ferrero has always been a class act.

So now Nadal is equal to the jealous American tennis player A.A. Soon he will overtake it like Federer overtook the ugly American tennis player P.P. Is this a proof that we,
Europeans, are better and more beautiful than the living-beyond-their-mean Americans?
Yes, it is. Unlike Europeans, Americans are jealous and ugly. They cannot do anything
better than Europeans except than spending more money of their children.

what utter rubbish.

by the way, agassi's father was born in Iran, and sampras's parents were born in Greece.

I am the third poster just on this page alone who came back to tennis after a long hiatus because of Rafa. And I want to agree with Charlotte that I love all the Spaniards. They are a wonderful bunch of players, all of them. And they are great sportsmen as well.

I heard that the Serbian player, Jelena Jankovic, is building a 20,000 sq.ft. mansion is California. It includes a 10-car garage. I think that's pretty ugly. Andy Roddick lives in a modest home in Texas and Andre Agassi has given millions to charity. So, kym, your crass generalizations about "ugly americans" with spending problems don't really fly.

"It's a beauty of energy, of the vitality, rather than the elegance, that can be exhibited in tennis, and which is embedded deeper in the sport's core."

Such a joy to watch!

Rafa brings out the best of the mental and physical nature of tennis. IMO, Roger makes the game look to easy.

oops....meant to type "too easy"

Nice one Susan! and how about all the european players who live in Monaco because it's a tax haven? yeah, utter rubbish.

"t", "vernonbc" thank you so much for your nice words!

Unfortunately, we do not get very good news these days in our loved country and Nadal and the rest of Spaniard players, bring us evenings of happiness.

And talking about others, the most talented Spaniard player is, from my point of view, Feliciano López; he is good at all surfaces, intelligent at court with a more than better service but unfortunately with some other priorities in life...

Annie, I agree, the Spaniards are so much fun to watch. I loved the Davis Cup pictures and they showed that all the players really enjoyed being part of a team (especially Rafa -who, as I've said before, really should have played a team sport - it's in his nature to be part of one).

The only other players who come close are the American men - I may be completely off base but I get the sense that Andy R, James Blake, the Bryan Brothers, Sam Q and John I have that "team" mentality - they do seem to enjoy one another's company and the easy ribbing that goes along with friendshp.

...I mean, unfortunately for tennis fans!

Nadal is the player that brought me to tennis, and this year especially. As I started watching tennis (influenced by my best friends), Nadal received my sympathy subconsciously. There was something about Nadal that kept my interest up. The more I saw him play the more I wanted to see him play. When the knee injury stopped him playing, I suddenly realized, how much tennis would lose if there wasn't Nadal anymore. He gives so much power and beauty and color to the tennis world. My favorite comparison is that Nadal is like panting by Van Gogh. I respect Federer and how he plays, but I wouldn't miss him. Nadal, on the other hand, makes me fall in love in (his)tennis. Especially on clay courts. The emotions, incredible shots, the power and commitment makes it all. And I wouldn't like him as a player if he wasn't the man he is off-court. He represents everything a good sportsman should be.

Maria: you mention upheaval and crisis in your country and I have to admit to not being aware of what's going on. Politcal upheaval of some sort? We're having a bit of that here as well as economic upheaval. No wonder our love of tennis and all the great players is such an important diversion for all of us.

I was reading on another thread that there are only about 100 spectators in the stadium in Rome. I think all the european tennis fans have moved on to Estoril to watch Fed! But, sadly, it's more likely that the wta does not bring in the crowds.

V6: the first couple of times I saw Rafa play I thought he was brutish. It wasn't until I saw him in some pressers and doing interviews that I found him to be so charming. Still, there is nothing as perfect as a Fed/Nadal match. The contrasting styles and the way they push each other to play at their absolute best. We may be lucky and see them play each other in Madrid or RG.