What is special about 2017 in men’s tennis? Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal had won just five Grand Slams between them in the five years prior to the 2017 Australian Open. In the same period, Novak Djokovic won eight, while Andy Murray and Stanislas Wawrinka won three each. Marin Cilic was the only other player to win a Grand Slam (2014 US Open).
Coming into this year, barring their loyal fans, no one would have bet on Federer or Nadal winning Grand Slams. The Australian Open got underway and how things changed! Defending champion Djokovic lost in Round 2 and top seed Murray in Round 4. Then on, it was only Wawrinka and Grigor Dimitrov standing in the way of Federer and Nadal and the Australian Open final.
What a finale it was! Federer and Nadal played out an epic five-set thriller, with the former coming out on top and winning his 18th Grand Slam title. This set the tone for the rest of the season. With faith and belief restored, Federer and Nadal grew in confidence again. Federer missed the French Open, much to the disappointment of his fans. Djokovic lost in the quarters to Dominic Thiem and Wawrinka beat Murray in the semis to set up a summit clash with Nadal. The Spaniard crushed Wawrinka, dropping just six games, and went on to win a 10th French Open.
Federer came back fresh for Wimbledon. With Wawrinka exiting in the first round, Nadal in the fourth and Djokovic and Murray in quarters, Federer cruised to another title, hardly challenged. Things got simpler and more straightforward for Federer and Nadal in the final Grand Slam of the year. Defending champion Wawrinka was out with a knee injury, Murray withdrew with a hip injury and this put Federer and Nadal on a semifinal collision course. The two had never played each other in the US Open and the jinx continued. After Federer lost to 2009 champion Juan Martin Del Potro in the quarterfinals, Nadal beat him in the semifinals and won the final against Kevin Anderson easily. Suddenly, Federer and Nadal had won all four Grand Slams of the year between them.
The ability to seize opportunities and convert them into favourable outcomes are traits that only champions possess. There were so many upcoming players who ideally should have taken the fight to these two, but neither Federer nor Nadal allowed it to happen. Even after a long title drought and fight against injuries, hunger, determination and minor tweaks in their near-complete game helped them conquer the world yet again.
Federer and Nadal have adapted well with age and experience. While Federer picks and chooses tournaments, Nadal has changed his style, hitting flatter and volleying more to add a new dimension to his game. While the Grand Slams are over this year, the excitement isn’t. Federer and Nadal are running a two-horse race for the year-end No 1 spot. Federer has done it five times, and is only one behind Pete Sampras, who finished the year as No 1 on six occasions. Considering the wonderful year he has had, and that there are tournaments in Paris, Basel and London on indoor hard courts (his most favoured surface), Federer stands a good chance.
Nadal enjoys a 1,960-point lead over Federer and is defending only 100 points for the remainder of the season. Even though fast hard court isn’t the surface that complements his game, considering his form, the race could be decided at the ATP Finals in London. This wonderful year of tennis may end with the same flourish and magic it began with, if that happens. The author is an engineer and a management graduate, passionate about sport. He is currently a banker in the Middle East
(The author is an engineer and a management graduate, passionate about sport. He is currently a banker in the Middle East)