Despite Losing, Federer Still King

By James Sporcic
Love of Sports Correspondent

After that thrilling epic match between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, the popular sentiment around the world is Nadal has now overtaken Federer as the best player in the world.

Some even have the nerve to say that Federer is on the decline and he is only 26. The fact remains, though, that Federer is still No. 1 in the ATP rankings. If you look closely at the last year and-a-half, there is a reason why he remains number one. Nadal has had a spectacular month but a month of great tennis is not enough to put him ahead of someone who has had 5 years of consistently great tennis.

During the 2007 season, Federer only lost nine matches, Nadal lost 15. Federer had eight titles last year compared to Nadal’s six. Federer last year won the Australian Open, Wimbledon, the US Open, and made it to the finals of the French Open.

Looking at this year, there is no doubt that Nadal is having a better season. The gap between his season and Federer’s is not as great as people think. Nadal has won six titles this year compared to 2 by Federer, but he has played in more tournaments. Nadal has only seven losses this year, but Federer is close behind with only nine losses. They both made it to the semis at the Australian. Federer lost to eventual champ Novak Djokivic while Nadal got steamrolled in straight sets to an unseeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Nadal crushed Federer in the French Open final, but Federer could have easily won the Wimbledon final.

In the Wimbledon final, Federer had 89 winners compared to only 60 by Nadal, and he out aced Nadal 25-6.

If Federer doesn’t make mistakes, he doesn’t lose. Nadal’s great hustle and ability to keep points alive is great to watch, but he wins most of his points by keeping rallies alive and waiting for his opponent to make a mistake. Federer on the other hand has a smooth, beautiful game with the mindset of always being aggressive and going for winners. When Federer is on his game it’s like watching a magician with a racket in his hands.  Nadal’s style of play is tremendously hard on the body and will eventually catch up to him, and once he loses a step he will not be as effective.  Federer’s game is not based on speed and therefore he should be able to last well into his 30’s.

A few years ago, when Tiger Woods was not his usual dominant self, the media began to whisper he was on the decline. Looking back, it was just Tiger having a bad season by his standards, and he has since returned to his dominant ways. Roger Federer is having a bad year by the lofty standards he set for himself. With the US Open coming up Federer is still the favorite. Nadal has never made it to the finals at a hardcourt Grand Slam event. Federer has been ranked No. 1 since February 2004. He cannot be dethroned by one month of tennis. Federer could rebound and remain the king of tennis for years to come.