Every dominant athlete has their nemesis. Peyton Manning had Tom Brady, Magic had Bird, Tiger Woods had Duval Mickelson Singh. Roger Federer, the best tennis player on earth and (possibly) ever, has Rafael Nadal. At the French Open Final in Paris earlier today, Federer had the chance to earn that last piece of hardware. He didn’t. Nadal beat Federer to win the French Open for the 3rd straight time.
“Of course, I’m a bit sad, a bit disappointed,” the 25-year-old Federer said. “Eventually, if I get it, the sweeter it’s going to taste. So hopefully I’ll give myself more and more opportunities, over and over again. I know I can do it now, that’s for sure.”
Once Federer won the Australian Open back in February, he set all of his attention on the clay surface, where Nadal reigns supreme. Is it a true rivalry when your opponent can only dominate on one surface? Maybe not. But for now, Nadal sits in the way of Federer’s tennis immortality. It was said that Federer needs a win in Paris to solidify his spot as one of the best ever. I guess that’s on hold now.
Again, it’s highly likely that Federer will win at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in New York, possibly beating Nadal in the finals of both tournaments. But if Federer can take anything from this loss, it’s that he could have very easily won. He had plenty of chances to break Nadal’s serve and couldn’t get it done. Considering that Nadal is the only person not named Federer to win a major since the summer of 2005, I’d say he’ll be just fine for the rest of the year.
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