Stephen Bierley
The Guardian
May 11, 2024
It was widely recognised that Spain's Rafael Nadal was ultimately destined to become one of the world's leading players. His outstanding talent and physical maturity were immediately obvious when he was only 16 and last year his big-match temperament was proved in Seville when, at 18, he defeated Andy Roddick on the opening day of the Davis Cup final against the United States.
Nevertheless, this year's extraordinary rush to the top has left everybody a little short of breath. Before the season began he was just outside the top 50. Now, after Sunday's hugely dramatic five-set victory over Guillermo Coria in the Italian Open final, he has claimed his place in the top five - with only Roger Federer, Lleyton Hewitt, Roddick and Marat Safin standing between him and the pinnacle.
More pertinently, in terms of the immediate future, he is being written up as the favourite for the French Open. "Every time I win a match I am favourite for Roland Garros, no?" grinned the Spanish teenager, who has pulled out of this week's Hamburg event. "At the moment I am playing well, but in two weeks' time I don't know."
With five titles already this year, all on clay, it is easy to forget just how inexperienced Nadal is. He has played in only five grand slams with his best result at this year's Australia Open when he lost in five sets to Hewitt, the beaten finalist, in the fourth round. And he has yet to make his debut at the French Open, having missed most of last year's clay season with a stress fracture of his left ankle.
To expect the left-handed teenager to win the title at Roland Garros at the first attempt is perhaps asking too much. Except that Nadal has already displayed levels of resilience, to say nothing of sheer brilliance, that would suggest nothing is impossible for this young man. "If he matures mentally, picks up tips on serving and volleying and keeps that intensity, I can see him surpassing Federer one day," said John McEnroe.
Thomas Muster, the 1995 French Open champion, said of Nadal's prospects at Roland Garros: "He's going to win it one year, and maybe he will do it this time."
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