LONDON (Reuters) - Rafael Nadal stands on the verge of becoming the best player in the world, even if Monday's rankings showed that he was still number two.
Regardless of the computer reading, Nadal stamped his supremacy over Roger Federer when he ended his Swiss rival's five-year Wimbledon reign on Sunday in a heart-stopping five-set thriller.
In addition to snatching the All England Club crown, the Spaniard also snapped Federer's record streak of 65 wins on grass.
"Whoever wins the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year for me is the number one in the world," said three-times champion Boris Becker.
"The computer just didn't get it yet."
Lest anyone should doubt just how difficult it is to achieve the French Open-Wimbledon double in the same year, Nadal became the first man to pull off the feat since Bjorn Borg in 1980.
With the All England Club defeat coming quickly on the back of his humiliating loss in the French Open final, where a rampaging Nadal allowed Federer to pocket just four games, the Swiss's hold on the top ranking looks extremely precarious.
Federer has led the rankings for a record 232 consecutive weeks, and Nadal has been second for a record 155.
If the computer does not reflect what everyone else can see, its authenticity could soon be questioned, especially since Nadal's haul of six titles in 2008 includes two grand slams and two Masters Series events.
Federer in comparison has won two low-key events but still leads his Spanish tormentor by 545 points in the ATP standings.
SERIOUS SETBACKS
For a man who had won 12 grand slam titles in the space of just five years, Federer has had to contend with some serious setbacks in 2008.
Recovering from a bout of glandular fever, he was forced to relinquish his Australian Open crown to Serbia's Novak Djokovic in January and then suffered his Paris nightmare. But nothing will hurt him as much as losing his cherished Wimbledon crown.
"In tennis, unfortunately sometimes there have to be winners and losers, there's no draws" said the 26-year-old, who had been hoping to set a modern-era record of winning six successive titles at the All England Club.
"This is my hardest loss, by far. This is a disaster, Paris was nothing in comparison," added Federer, who will now be looking to salvage his season with victory at the Beijing Olympics and at the U.S. Open next month.
Being part of a match described by John McEnroe as "the greatest we have ever seen" provided little consolation as the Federer-Nadal rivalry came of age.
They had met 17 times before but none of their previous encounters could match the drama, intensity and cliff-hanger ending of the four-hour 48-minute theatre witnessed by almost 15,000 fans lucky enough to hold Centre Court tickets.
Their rivalry has already surpassed that between Borg and McEnroe. The ice cool Swede and fiery American's paths crossed only 14 times before Borg quit.
With Nadal still only 22 and Federer a month shy of his 27th birthday, they have plenty more meetings ahead of them.
BIG OCCASIONS
Sunday's showpiece was their sixth grand slam final, already more than between any other pair of men since tennis turned professional in 1968.
On the eve of the final, Federer had said: "I think it's quite incredible actually that we've played each other so many times on big occasions.
"We want a piece of each world, you know, but the other person hasn't given in yet. I think it's a great rivalry."
After Sunday, the Swiss might have had a re-think.
"Probably later on in life, I'll go, 'That was a great match,' shrugged Federer, who now trails their head-to-head 6-12. "Right now it's not much of a feel good thing, or a positive thing...I'm happy we lived up to the expectations."
(Editing by Alan Baldwin)
Comment 1 - 14 of 14
Yeah and thatīs why the points system really SUCKS! Because itīs cumulative over the previous year!
If it was not based on that right now Federer would not longer be No 1 but maybe just No 3 or No5.
If he is not winning in 2008 as much as Nadal how comes he is No 1? That really sucks.
To Federer's die-hards fans: How can anybody out there consider federer still No1 when he will never be able to do what Nadal has achieved in winning the two most prestigious Grand Slams in a row RG and Wim in the same season let alone the US and the Australian?
Honestly I think it's pathetic Federer's not stripped yet of the No 1. Perhaps all major tournaments without distinction should add the same points per win provided that you keep scoring.
I think it's high time to break this ancient old fashioned points systems and get adjusted to our present modern times we are in the 21st century for Christ's sake if nobody in the ATP regulators has not noticed yet!
I hope this points system changes because it does not do justice at all. Just my humble opinion and fair point of view.
Yeah Federer can keep screwing up because No 1 is a guarantee for life even he is ill, has a bad year, cannot win major tournaments and so on but the rest must win their utmost. What a JOKE!
Anyway I agree with Becker 100%!
If Nadal manage to find the key for the hard courts, he will reach No 1. semi finals at australian open and indian wells. runner up at Miami. i think that these results show that Nadal may found the key. So we will wait the next 4 events - 2 master, olympics and us open. Nadal defends 400 points. Federer defends 1850 points. Their deference now is 795 due to the fact that Nadal pulled out of Stuggart. It's very possible to see a new No1 after us open. Of course we must not forget Djokovic.
With these ranking points Nadal would be No1. But Federer is here. To manage to be no1 over Federer, he must perform well in every single tournament. I think that Nadal has many chances.
i am surprised why u all guys wants to kill a 5 years history which every body says it is a great history by 1 or 2 loses, we all know and even the greatest players in history said ROGER FEDERER IS THE BEST PLAYER IN HISTORY , that doesnt mean that nadal is not good, he is great , but look at his career and roger career , how many titels roger have had in the last 4 years , dont forget that he stays no1 more than any player in the world and in the history.
he loses? yes,, but it doesnt mean that it is the start of falling down , i am sure he will recover and win a lot of grand slams and atp tours and i am very sure that he will end the year and NUMBER ONEEEEEEEE AND THE GREATEST PLAYER IN HISTORYYY
LOVEEEE UUUUU ROGERRRR AND WAIT FOR UR WINING GAMESSS
Alan is doing a 'Simon' on us ! To get us all going !
He knows better than us that the rankings is cumulative. It does not matter how many tournaments Nadal has won during 2008. It is maths.
The match of the century (perhaps) was so close that noone should have a right to make sweeping statements. Forget about who is number one. You have just witnessed two great champions reach great hights Alan, enjoy the moment.
watch federer win the u.s open, on the fast courts, even feisty Nadal can't chase his shots down. yeah, winning the two in the same year/season is hard but it doesn't make you number one, this is because the rankings take into account the previous years and i don't think anyone would dare suggest that he wasn't the most domitable tennis player the past 4-5 years.
Let me try my last note again.. Omit the first one, some bad grammar..
You know, I have to agree with Becker on this to a certain extent.. It has to be tough to win the French Open and the Wimbledon Title.. And to do it in the same season would definitely have to crown you Number #1 at least for the year..
However, the grass isn't the same as in the past.. It is much slower than before, something that suits Rafas game a little more.. Take nothing away from him, but you make the grass as fast as it was in the past and Rafa can't win Wimbledon.. Its simple physics..
The point being is that it is easier for a clay court specialist to win on grass with some adjustments, given the present day slower grass.. However, it is still as difficult for the grass and hard courters to win on Clay because its the same as it always has been.. slow, slow, slow
However, give some credit to Rafa as he is a demon in the dirt, the best I have ever seen.. He makes it difficult for anyone to win on this surface..
Overall, hats off to the Spaniard for the great year thus far.. Keep it up.. A tribute to the blue collar working tennis player..
D
You know, I have to agree with Becker on this to a certain extent.. It has to be tough to win both the French Open and then turn around and then win Wimbledon Crown.. And to do it in the same season would definitely have to crown you Number #1 at least for the year..
However, the grass isn't the same as in the past.. It is much slower than before, something than suits Rafas game a little more.. Take nothing away from Rafa, but you make the grass as fast as it was in the past and Rafa don't win Wimbledon.. Its simple physics..
The point being is that it is easier for a clay court specialist to win on grass with some adjustments, given the slower grass these days.. However, it is still as difficult for the grass and hard courters to win on Clay because its the same as it always has been..
However, give some credit to Rafa as he is a demon in the dirt, the best I have ever seen.. He makes it difficult for anyone to win on this surface..
Overall, hats off to the spaniard for the great year thus far.. Keep it up.. A tribute to the blue collar working tennis player..
D
daniel d what a fantastic quote from kipling, its amazing how well that describes nadal's monumental determination to stay with fed after the rain break. as i have already posted i thought fed was going to end up winning it especially the longer it went on, and in the final set when fed was 5:4 up and just needed the break as opposed to rafa requiring the break and having to hold his own serve i thought it would be too much, after all here he was up against the man with all the experience and had missed three match points, i really thought he would crack, but as per kiplings quote he dug deeper and deeper and held on where there was nothing left. how beautifully put by kipling. the effort that it required to pull it off could be seen by all on his face after the match, i have rarely seen an athlete so shattered, i mean it really showed physically(mentally), it took every last once out of him and he truly became a man.
thanks for that daniel.
OK if one wins french and wimbledon once for the first time then they are the best in the world..i might as well play tennis win two slams then become the no.1 PATHETIC ABSOLUTE RUBBISH...whoever plays better over time is the true no.1 and anyway we have tsonga,ferrer,and other tough players coming up...BEWARE
It is Amazing that federer has been unbeatable for almost 5 years, now cause of 1 lousy season you starting to get quotes like this "Whoever wins the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year for me is the number one in the world," I guess all the other tounarments are not real tennis. What piece of Bu***T is this.
I don't want to put anyone down but every time Federer plays Nadal, he makes lots of unforced errors. The problem with the words "unforced errors" is the interpretation of the errors. Has anyone ever thought that it's possible Nadal slams such fast and heavy spins to the ball that it forces the errors? Even McEnroe admitted how powerful and heavy spin Nadal's balls are after working out with him. I think his shots are so hard and difficult that it's hard for anyone to return them correctly.
@ralph r, i like ur professional touch!
I felt the game was more psycological, intellectually speaking. both players had the chess pattern to beat the other. One stuck to his plan the other fluterred. Nadal was the calmest ironically, consideriing Fed's reputation. i watched this epic final and remembered Rudyard Kipling words
"If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
to serve your turn long after they are gone,
and to hold on when there is nothing in you
but the will that says to them "hold on,"...
you'll be a man, my son.
what is the right balance between strength and mastery? it was what made all the difference.
I think Federer will recover. Nadal absolutely deserved his victory but it was on a day when Federer made an unprecedented number if unforced errors. He is the more economical and a technically superior player who will win more Grand Slams, including Wimbledon, before he retires.
i watched an interview with nastase and stan smith discussing their famous final at wimbledon which nastase lost in the end and nastase now looks back on that match as being the finest in his career even though he lost, i see a similarity here with fed one day looking back on this match with nadal. obviously time heals all pains and life moves on and priorities change, but for the time being it will hurt horribly. i can only imagine how nastase must have felt when he lost to smith, and the fact that even though he was the undisputed no1 and had all the other slams he never did get his wimbledon crown.
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