Though Andy Roddick is on the fringe of the elite players, the gap is very wide and he is a one-trick pony--a threat on hard courts due to his blistering serve. The rest of his game has too many blisters to ever reach his early promise. James Blake is a good all-around player without a defining weapon in his game. There are no other superstars, at least at this time, on the horizon in the U.S.
In men's tennis, there are two superstars who transcend the rest of the sport today and perhaps will ultimately transcend the best ever. With all due respect to Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are far and away the class of the men's game today. Despite a mini-slump of sorts this year, Federer has been the ultimate stylist in recent history. His flawless footwork, grinding ground strokes, and superlative serve have controlled the game until recently.

The accession of a new monarch is often announced with the saying, "the king is dead, long live the king!" The phrase originated in France when Charles VII was crowned following the death of his father Charles VI in 1422. In men's tennis, July 6, 2008 will officially mark the transfer of power from Roger Federer to Rafael Nadal.

In what was undoubtedly the best match I have ever seen, especially in a major final championship, Nadal outlasted Federer in five sets 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7 to win the sport's most valued and storied title--The Championship at Wimbledon, England. In the process, Nadal overcame two rain delays, the longest final ever at the All England Club at four hours and forty eight minutes, the longest elapsed final time at over seven hours, the most games ever in a Wimbledon Final (62) and the latest end time of any final in history at 9:18 local time in England.

In the process, Nadal ended Federer's five-year win streak at Wimbledon and stopped his 65-match win streak on grass and his 40-match win streak at The Championship. With the victory, Nadal became the first player since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win the French Open (on clay) and Wimbledon (on grass) in the same year. That, in itself, is a testament to the incredible player Nadal has become through incredibly hard work.

Long known as a clay court behemoth, Nadal has improved his game on grass steadily on an annual basis. His serve, once a negative, is now a weapon. his backhand, which used to be erratic, is now excellent. His court coverage is unparalleled in the history of the game. His mental toughness matches Federer's, which is by far the best in the game. Nadal is 22 years of age. He now has five majors in the bag.
Federer is stalled at 12 majors, two short of the record of 14 held by the last great American player, Pete Sampras. While it looked like a virtual certainty in 2007 that Federer would eventually eclipse Sampras, it is now a real question as to whether he can ascend to that height. Nadal is the reason. Federer turns 27 next month. His game has shown signs of a slight regression in 2008. How long will he want to pay the price to be at the top of his game? How long will he chase Nadal before becoming frustrated into leaving the game like Borg did after it became apparent that his game was regressing, that he could not beat John McEnroe, and that he could not win the U.S. Open? Only Federer can answer the question.

Up until yesterday, the 1980 Borg-McEnroe final at Wimbledon was the best match I had ever witnessed. Upon looking at highlights of that match, it is evident that Nadal and Federer would appear to be at a slightly higher level though it is tough to compare eras. The equipment is vastly different. There are few serve-and-volley players anymore. That Borg's mark of five straight Wimbledon titles and 41 match win streak at the All England Club remains intact is notable. Borg watched the entire match in box seats while McEnroe watched from the NBC television broadcast booth. McEnroe would later call this "the best match ever." He would know. 

For Federer, it was a case of missed opportunities. He cashed in on only one of 13 break points in the match. Of course, Nadal will point to missed opportunities in not finishing off Roger in straight sets and to a rain delay that reinvigorated Federer when he appeared finished. With the victory, Nadal became the first Spaniard to win at Wimbledon since Manolo Santana did so in 1966. Ironically, Santana was also on hand to witness the historic victory of Nadal.

What a year it has been in sports for Spain in 2008. Sergio Garcia captured his most significant victory ever, taking The Players Championship in golf. In soccer, Spain won EuroCup 2008. In the Tour De France, Alejandro Valverde is the early leader and a favorite to win the prestigious race. Now, there is Nadal and he is the best of them all. While Federer will remain the world's number one player in the ATP computer rankings by 545 points over Nadal, there is no doubt who the real number one player is. Consider that Nadal is now 12-6 against Federer, including 10-4 in finals, 4-2 in grand slam finals, 9-1 on clay, 2-3 on hard courts and 1-2 on grass. Federer is no threat to Nadal on clay--Rafa blitzed him 6-1, 6-3, 6-0 at Roland Garros this year. Nadal is more than a threat to Federer on faster surfaces as Wimbledon revealed.

I had the good fortune of departing the match early in the second set to attend church, figuring I could tape the rest and watch later. When I arrived home, I had hardly missed anything. I could not take my eyes off of my high-definition big-screen set for the remainder of the match, even enticing my wife and children to watch.

This was tennis at its best, at its highest level. This was superior athleticism, skill, and toughness matched only by the grace and humility displayed by both players following an incredibly difficult, challenging fortnight. Both were gracious, humble, and the epitome of what sportsmanship is all about. On the heels of Venus Williams dismissing sister Serena in straight sets on Saturday, this was the best tennis weekend in several years. On that subject, when Venus and Serena are not distracted and dedicate themselves to the game to any substantive degree, they are still unmatched in the sport. This was the seventh time in nine years that one of the two sisters (Venus--five wins, Serena--two) has won Wimbledon.

The sport still has a pulse. The torch has been passed. While Federer will still win his share of titles, they will come few and far between against a younger, faster, improving player in Nadal. Just a year ago, I was telling anyone who would listen that Federer may be the best player ever. Soon, I may revise that to Nadal. He is that good. He is getting better. Barring injury, he may well become el mejor. This was the best of the sport and the best sports has to offer. I was so inspired that I'm thinking about breaking out my Jack Kramer wood model or my Wilson T-2000. On second thought, that's a fault. I no longer have the advantage of younger legs. Perhaps I'll stick to love. That's the likely equivalent of how many games I could win against any decent competition. I believe I aced that evaluation.....                    

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