Team Café
Only last weekend, Rafael Nadal, having
won his first French Open in 2005, at age 19, defeated Stan Wawrinka and became
the first player in the Open era to have won a Grand Slam tournament 10 times.
Now 31, Nadal won 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 to claim his 15th major title. The achievement
of winning 10 French Open titles is called ‘La Decima’, and has been described
by tennis legend John McEnroe as the ultimate sporting achievement. Only six
men in history have claimed seven trophies at the same Grand Slam, including
Roger Federer and Pete Sampras, who have each won seven Wimbledon titles.
The unpredictability of the slow
surface, the windy open conditions inside Roland Garros, coupled with the
disruptions due to inclement weather (the French Open is the only major without
a retractable roof on their main show court), make the tournament one of the
hardest to win consistently. And yet, Nadal has not only mastered the
conditions once, but rather, on ten occasions. And while players train to
perhaps master what the French court has to throw at them, their sole focus
there makes them falter elsewhere. Nadal, on the other hand, has also adapted
his game to win five other slams on grass and hard courts.
Café asks a few sports fans in Goa why
they concur that this to be one of the biggest sporting events of all time:
A Grand Slam title after a gap of three
years; he was completely ruled out by pundits and criticised by everyone. The
fans cannot be more pleased to see legends making an epic comeback, fighting
with each other and new blood alike. Sunday’s 10th Roland Garros was an
emotional victory for every fan as it was Rafa’s coach, Tony’s, last game. I’ve
been watching this pair together since the last 12 years, and it is the most
powerful and truthful relation that can ever exist between a coach and a
player!
Rohit Pagi
La Decima! Rafael Nadal just proved again
he is the undisputed King of Clay! Eighty-one games on clay, 79 wins and just
two losses says it all. Nadal’s career is a true testament to hard work paying
off. Roll on Wimbledon. I hope to see another Federer vs Nadal final.
Shane Paes
