THE FALL OF A CHAMPION?

The prospects of a repeat of the thrilling 2008 Wimbledon final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal has come into serious doubt. Nadal has been troubled with pain in both knees and looked less than adequate in an exhibition match versus Lleyton Hewitt earlier today. Even worse was Uncle/Coach Toni’s response to reporters on what he would do if he was Rafa. Uncle Toni so eloquently stated, “If it’s me, I’m (flying) to Mallorca.” That spells big trouble for Rafa fans around the world. Hopefully, this won’t be a sign of the beginning of the breakdown of a champion. Tennis is a very demanding sport and Rafa plays a very demanding style of tennis, the combination of the two will inevitably lead to injury. I’m just not sure anyone thought it would be so soon. Hopefully, this is just a bump in the road for Rafa and he can continue to make us watch him and say, how did he do that?

For a slideshow of Rafa click below:

The Evolution of a Champion — CLICK HERE (NY Times)