In what could be described as a season for the next generation superstars, where prospects and prodigies like Casper Ruud and Carlos alcarraza, delivered on their promising potential, signalling a generational transition in tennis, there Idol and master, remains defiant.
On September 23rd, 2022, the tennis fraternity witnessed its most sentimental and emotional farewell to arguably one of the best players to hold a tennis racket. Roger Federer has been forever the darling of the tennis fraternity since the early 2000s. Federer is renowned for his flair with the racket, his elegance flamboyance, and his flawless technique. The O2 Arena on Friday was in Awe of Roger, embracing and encompassing the tennis legend’s contribution to the game and exhibiting Federer the deserving send-off. Truth to be said Federer was well-retired midway through the 2021 season as the previous Wimbledon was Federer's last official tournament on the tour. For his penultimate dance, he was accompanied by his foremost sporting adversary and his comrade on and off the court Rafael Nadal. The relationship that the two of them share sets a unique precedent in sports, as there barely has been an instance where the degree of respect, admiration, and adulation between two rivals has been enormous and era defining.
With Federer’s superlative career formally culminating, an era of Men’s tennis has concluded. Tennis fans can comprehend a paramount generational transformation in the Men’s tennis tour. Of the gen next, two of the most promising prospects on the tour have decisively delivered on the big stage in this season’s tour. Casper Rudd dubbed the clay court specialist, a product of renowned Rafael Nadal academy and a disciple of Rafa, for long was touted for stardom in the game, anticipating the massive potential and pedigree he had displayed ever since his junior days. Rudd delivered on his aptitude this season by reaching two Grand Slams finals: the French Open and Us Open. Furthermore, he penetrated the top 5 for the ATP rankings for the Calendar year 2022.
The emerging sensation of the year has unquestionably been the contemporary world's number one and the earnest successor to Rafa’s legacy his fellow countrymate Carlos Alcaraz. Alcaraz has been a revelation in 2022, becoming the first teenager (you guessed right) after Rafa to win a Grand Slam. Alcaraz was the youngest winner of the ATP 1000, at Indian Wells. His stock sky-rocketed when he accomplished the impossible, defeating both Djokovic and Nadal on clay to claim another 1000 Masters in two months. The icing on the cake solidifying his grip to be the subsequent superstar in Men’s tennis was his US Open crown, defeating fellow Rafa disciple Casper Ruud. With Federer bowing out of the Sport and the next generation embarking on the centre stage, there remains the defiant, resilient, immaculate, gritty, and ever so charismatic Spaniard: Rafael Nadal.
Rafa, celebrated as the king of clay by tennis fans and pundits, the behaviour of the surface, the high bounce, and slow speed complemented his physical approach to the game, and his success at Roland Garros in France has been unprecedented. Over the years, courtesy of substantial improvisation and adaptability he has transformed into arguably the best men's tennis player. His forehand with irresistible top spin might just be the pinnacle of men's tennis. Rafa's career unfortunately since his early teen days has been hindered by injuries. His unconventional approach to the game, depending on brute strength, movement, physicality, unmatched intensity, and grittiness, adversely impacted his body, yet at 36 he stands competitive and as ambitious as ever.
By 2014, arrived Nadal, was approaching 30, and tennis pundits and critics likewise anticipated, Rafa, impending twilight of his career. The consensus was, that Rafa's game has been extremely punishing on his body. He would not be able to sustain his standards for a relative duration., at best experts were granting him a couple of more years at his peak, then foreseeing his decline. In 2015 and 2016, a testament to what had been proclaimed, Rafa visibly struggled on the tour. In 2015 for the very first time, Rafa ended a calendar year without a single grand slam major, not even his beloved French. Rafa’s game wasn’t the same imperative, his intensity appeared to have dropped and his dominance dwindling.
There was unanimity in the tennis fraternity asserting that Rafa had burned out courtesy of his unconventional brutal style of play. He invested his best tennis, in his initial, younger years, but now his body has taken its toll and is not responding to the intensity that the sport demands. Rafa had been written off on several occasions in his career, his comebacks from long-term injuries have been defining of his Character and resilience. But rejuvenating and reviving from this slump appeared farfetched. It had emerged that the Spanish Gladiator’s peak was over. However, Rafa’s commitment, passion, and obsession for the sport were second to none, he is by far the most courageous competitor the sport had ever witnessed, and he was not going to let his legacy derail.
Then comes 2017, the beginning of the revival for Rafa, his relaunch in the sport. Rafa defied all odds, defied all punditry, and accomplished the ridiculous. He displayed to the world that, during the twilight of his career he could improvise, adapt, and upgrade his natural game. Regardless of the injuries and setbacks he suffered, irrespective of the anti-inflammatory that he was heavily relying on. He had the resolve to compete and win. Rafa at this age had started understanding his body better. One of the substantial changes since 2017 was his enhanced serve, he began to trust his serve and rely on it to win short points without always extending rallies. The serve had developed to be considered lethal. The other significant altercation to his game was reducing the length of rallies that he played. He moulded his game to be a bit more aggressive and not constantly defending from behind the baseline, Rafa had evolved as a player in his 30s.
Here is 2022, and Rafa is at 22 grand slam majors, leapfrogging both his generational rivals. From up to January to the Wimbledon this season Rafa was relentless capturing a record 21st slam in Australia and winning an outrageous 14 French open in June, 3 days after turning 36. Rafa indicates no sign of slowing down, he is here to compete, to win. The Gladiator is still here to entertain.
Comments