Wearing an overjoyed smile at the end of a historic match, Rafael Nadal, the top-ranked tennis star and Spaniard who has won eight majors, dropped to the court, performed a somersault, jumped back onto his feet, and pumped his fist and shouted.
He brought back the gratifying memories of when he overtook the momentous Roger Federer in the epic tennis classic two years ago that will live on forever and be marked as one of the theatrical matches in men’s tennis history.
With no better evidence than jubilation, the feeling of humanity, and the sentimental reaction, Nadal declared the nicest surroundings of the U.K. his kingdom, beating Tomas Berdych in straight sets (6-3), (7-5), (6-4) to win his second Wimbledon, thanks to which he’s prominently become the endeared symbol of tennis.
It doesn’t take long for an eroded tennis player to reclaim eminence in a much tedious, exhausting, strategic game, heightening the level of consistency based on resurgence and enthusiasm. He is, suddenly, a proven and godlike man, almost ideal in his dominance that places him in the position of becoming the emperor of Grand Slams, winning the most precious event.
This was his finest moment as the world’s greatest tennis player, recovering from ailments and minor injuries that led to practical doubts on winning another Grand Slam. But now, Nadal, as we call him the King of Clay, is the second-youngest man to win his eighth Grand Slam singles title, advancing by Bjorn Borg with his splendid work ethic and perseverance.
What began with the tournament was followed by a mammoth moment, a gracious period in his lifetime, a 24-year old accompanying Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendi, Fred Perry and Ken Rosewall, all whom own eight majors. If you watched for the eventual increments, then you saw Nadal conquer mastery and capitalize on prowess for winning his second title at the All England Club in three years.
So now he’s putting the bizarre relapses behind him, forgetting about the two year delay, and returning to precedence, after missing the entire tournament with sore knees a year ago. Most of us are impressed by Nadal, who is the world’s favorite to shine on the courts as 16 majors winner Federer slowly ages and weakens as the unbeatable and invincible expertise in the backhand and winning majors because of his bravery and craze.
Most of us are infatuated by his recent level of supremacy, but we're feverish to witness another unbelievable meeting with his nemesis. At this point, the spectators are intrigued by Nadal, who is quickly becoming the focal point and wishes to brighten as the greatest of all-time. As he climbs to the highest level in the game, he also cements his legacy as one of the marquees in the game.
There are times, of course, that he reminds us of the relevancy existing in a sport that attracts viewers for having the one idol that has an impact on dragging observers to witness someone similar to Agassi or Pete Sampras. What we fail to realize is that there’s an art to playing tennis, and building upon the most successful player in the game to foremost accept recognition from the masses. But he has already climbed that hurdle, earning acceptance by surviving and winning in a tiring task and reaching a peak. How many players can accomplish such a thing?
“Right now, I’m very happy to win Wimbledon…” he said. “For sure the U.S. Open is going to be one of my goals for the rest of my career. But right now, (the plan) is to enjoy the beach, fishing, golf, friends, party and Mallorca.”
Maybe it wasn’t one of the best tennis matches. Maybe it was duller than anything, but it was a substantial win for Nadal, who is clearly looking to be the greatest ever. Yet seemingly, the forehand cross-court winner lifted Nadal to the delightful moment, celebrating with his usual rite by falling to his back and embracing his fallen antagonist with classiness and strong sportsmanlike character.
He's written a nice chapter and erased the depressing images of when he lost to Federer in the 2006 and 2007 finals. Instead, he has won 14 straight matches, and has reclaimed the No. 1 ranking in tennis. Also reaching 2,000 points for the win and holding 10,745 points signifies that he’s the admirable tennis player in the world. At times, he forced Berdych to forehand a shot, and caused him to commit an unforced error of the match.
Then, the biggest play, when he connected on a running forehand that quickly passed Berdych down the line, which qualified for three points and led to Nadal’s win. He would later convert the second, hitting another second serve for a backhand and took a 4-3 lead and survived each close set by playing with much emotion. He also had superb footwork and outworked Berdych, who had trouble with his footing and clumsily had difficulty in hitting groundstrokes without finding a comfortable position.
With his health and emotions, he’s inevitably hard to eliminate from contention. Before turning 25, Nadal has solidified his stance, now as the third man since Federer to achieve such a historic landmark with eight majors.
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