Rafael Nadal has beaten Bjorn Borg's record of most number of titles at Roland Garros, Paris, making his tally seven and continuing to be invincible on the French clay court. But that apart, Nadal has done one more thing - he has thwarted Novak Djokovic's attempt at joining the great Australian legend, Rod Laver, and becoming only the second man in the Open era to hold all 4 Grand Slams at the same time.
But Beside The Point, I consider the latter record to be more important than the former. For Nadal, his supremacy on clay being largely untouchable, would have beaten Borg, next year, if not today, or the year after that, or maybe even after that. Question always was: will Rod Laver's Grand Slam record stand unparalleled?
Djokovic's defeat today has further strengthened the already strong case for the affirmative. They all tried - Pete Sampras, Mats Wilander, Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg, Andre Agassi, Ivan Lendl, Jim Courier, Roger Federer, even Rafael Nadal. But Rod Laver's record stands unmatched in the Open era. Modern day men's tennis has been fairly predictable with the top three or four being marvelously consistent. But each man has had his nemesis - Federer struggled to win in Paris with Nadal building a fort of his own there; Sampras had troubles on the clay court, unable to pull off a win in Paris which would have given him a Grand Slam; Nadal wasn't potent enough on the hard courts of Melbourne, thereby losing out on the Grand Slam; and now Djokovic has run into Nadal's little fort in Paris which is beginning to look completely impenetrable.
It is amazing that three of the above four mentioned legends (for want of a better word as some might say Novak isn't one yet, and I'd agree) have hit roadblocks at Paris. It is no coincidence, for clay court tennis can often be a completely different sport compared to tennis on grass or cement. Few players with great stamina have been able to make it big at Roland Garros on a consistent basis.
But going back to our question - will Rod Laver's Grand Slam record stand unparalleled? For the moment, it seems most likely. Let's have a look at why by taking the three major Grand Slam contenders of today into purview:
Novak Djokovic: He looks the most complete tennis player in the world right now. With immense power and classic technique, Djokovic has been able to adapt to different conditions and different opponents. Djokovic's greatest strength has been his ability to come back from behind - his self belief and determination. However, Djokovic's all-round game hasn't been enough to challenge Nadal's abilities on clay so far. He has come short of answers on clay and hasn't been as potent as he has been on the other surfaces. Furthermore, Djokovic is still some distance away from establishing unquestionable consistency, despite his remarkable run in the last 20 months or so. But circumstances make him the most favored.
Rafael Nadal: The number two seed continues to display an unending reservoir of energy everywhere, all the time. Despite possessing a rather imperfect technique (as some experts say), Rafa has been able to blow away his opponents with sheer power. However, Nadal has found it difficult to counter Djokovic's more polished game play on quicker surfaces, making him second to the Serb at Wimbledon, Melbourne Park and Flushing Meadows. His knee has also been taking quite a toll due to the ruthless style of play.
Roger Federer: Undoubtedly the greatest player of the three on an all-time scale, Federer has been ageing, making it difficult for his body to stand the rigors of high-level tennis demanded of him by the two men above. Roger Federer is the kind of player who can win games comfortably even while sitting down on a chair in the centre of the court, eating into the opponent with sheer class, skill and mental supremacy. However, the power-packed tennis thrown at him by Nadal and Djokovic has pushed him beyond the limits. Five years back, he would have blown them away. Today, it's a different story.
As of today, Rod Laver's record seems strongly secure. But will Future take on History and throw on to the court another Rod Laver - strong enough to meet the challenges of modern-day tennis? Only time will tell.
But Beside The Point, I consider the latter record to be more important than the former. For Nadal, his supremacy on clay being largely untouchable, would have beaten Borg, next year, if not today, or the year after that, or maybe even after that. Question always was: will Rod Laver's Grand Slam record stand unparalleled?
Djokovic's defeat today has further strengthened the already strong case for the affirmative. They all tried - Pete Sampras, Mats Wilander, Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg, Andre Agassi, Ivan Lendl, Jim Courier, Roger Federer, even Rafael Nadal. But Rod Laver's record stands unmatched in the Open era. Modern day men's tennis has been fairly predictable with the top three or four being marvelously consistent. But each man has had his nemesis - Federer struggled to win in Paris with Nadal building a fort of his own there; Sampras had troubles on the clay court, unable to pull off a win in Paris which would have given him a Grand Slam; Nadal wasn't potent enough on the hard courts of Melbourne, thereby losing out on the Grand Slam; and now Djokovic has run into Nadal's little fort in Paris which is beginning to look completely impenetrable.
It is amazing that three of the above four mentioned legends (for want of a better word as some might say Novak isn't one yet, and I'd agree) have hit roadblocks at Paris. It is no coincidence, for clay court tennis can often be a completely different sport compared to tennis on grass or cement. Few players with great stamina have been able to make it big at Roland Garros on a consistent basis.
But going back to our question - will Rod Laver's Grand Slam record stand unparalleled? For the moment, it seems most likely. Let's have a look at why by taking the three major Grand Slam contenders of today into purview:
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| Chasing Legend: Nadal, Djokovic and Federer |
Rafael Nadal: The number two seed continues to display an unending reservoir of energy everywhere, all the time. Despite possessing a rather imperfect technique (as some experts say), Rafa has been able to blow away his opponents with sheer power. However, Nadal has found it difficult to counter Djokovic's more polished game play on quicker surfaces, making him second to the Serb at Wimbledon, Melbourne Park and Flushing Meadows. His knee has also been taking quite a toll due to the ruthless style of play.
Roger Federer: Undoubtedly the greatest player of the three on an all-time scale, Federer has been ageing, making it difficult for his body to stand the rigors of high-level tennis demanded of him by the two men above. Roger Federer is the kind of player who can win games comfortably even while sitting down on a chair in the centre of the court, eating into the opponent with sheer class, skill and mental supremacy. However, the power-packed tennis thrown at him by Nadal and Djokovic has pushed him beyond the limits. Five years back, he would have blown them away. Today, it's a different story.
As of today, Rod Laver's record seems strongly secure. But will Future take on History and throw on to the court another Rod Laver - strong enough to meet the challenges of modern-day tennis? Only time will tell.
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