I devoted endless months trying to figure out what was wrong with me. For after all, the problem with hating Nadal is that it reflects more on me than on him. Nadal is a perennial underdog … and after all, how can you root against the underdog? Full disclosure: I have always been a diehard Roger Federer fan. I first began watching tennis in and loved Federer from the first moment.
His forehand was a controlled arc of destruction; he moved over the court like it was part of a complex dance. He seemed unstoppable; no one could oppose his grace and God-like precision. Unfortunately, I would be proved wrong. I remember it so clearly when I first saw them play. I was watching the Shanghai Masters Cup semifinal. At first, I laughed at the contrast. Federer was his usual sharp self, ripping forehand winners while gliding across the court.
Was Federer showing signs of his mortality? A day of trauma I will never forget: Sunday, July 6th, The day that Nadal beat Federer in the Wimbledon finals. It was terrible to witness, but ironically Nadal winning is not what bothers me.
Who knows, even Fish might have seen it as a compliment. With Nadal however, the domination is of a different kind. With him, we have to go through emotional rollercoasters while he endeavors to get the better of his opponents in his epic battles. The two champions also have a different approach to their victories. Federer, possibly because he could crush his opponents, is absorbed in his victory and has little or no sympathy for the vanquished.
He is loathe to share credit for his victories with anyone, not even his coaches, as seen in his almost casual reference to Annacone after his WTF victory.
When he wins, he says it is because he is hugely talented. When he loses, it is because he did not play well. Nadal, on the other hand, having fought every point, knows he could well have been on the losing side and so feels the pain of the player he finally brought to his knees.
So, with their contrasting styles of play and approach to victory and defeat, it is not surprising that they have attracted different types of fans. The Federer style attracts two types of fans: those who admire totalitarianism a style which brooks no opposition and those who admire effortless grace and beauty in tennis. The first type hates Nadal because he punctured their idol's invincibility. Had he been as ruthless as Federer in his elimination of his opponents, they might have switched loyalties to him but they cannot admire him because he is too human.
He struggles. The Spaniard won a record-extending 13th Roland Garros title in , simultaneously equalling Roger Federer's all-time record for 20 Grand Slams, which was the main reason why he was selected for the prestigious accolade.
Finally, I was able to have success there. And for me I make decisions thinking about my happiness, more than anything else. That's why I'm not playing that much. But I have developed the competitive spirit that I had when I had been playing [more]. Because if you are equal, it's very difficult to be lucky enough to achieve all this.
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