Bud Collins
NBC Sports
16 June, 2005
19-year-old French Open champ has the looks, and the intensity
PARIS - Spanish teen sensation Rafael Nadal is full of bravado, has loads of talent, and looks the part of a international superstar in the making. He's the biggest thing to hit men's tennis in quite a while.
Birthday to remember
Nadal has the brawny biceps and dark locks that the girls love, and the heart and desire that men the world over admire.
Before beating Mariano Puerta 6-7, 6-3, 6-1, 7-5 for his first Grand Slam title Sunday, Nadal beat world No. 1 Roger Federer, facing down the great Swiss master, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the semifinals.
The kid gave all of Paris thrills, chills and never blanched even when he took a major spill on the red clay. He cherishes the battles, the challenges and the big occasions.
The Spaniard, who turned 19 on Friday, gave himself the best birthday present possible: a major-league win over a man who wanted to prove that at age 23 he�s already one of the best players in history.
Had he won the contest, Federer would have been just one match away from joining a select group of six who have won all four majors, but he couldn�t get the kid to fold.
For Nadal this is about as grand a Roland Garros debut as anyone could imagine.
Nadal knows no fear
Federer said he knew how to beat Nadal, but his forehand and serve largely deserted him. Federer has a tremendous amount of weapons at his disposal, but Nadal is one of the fastest players I've ever seen on clay and it�s nearly impossible to hit through him.
Federer couldn�t contend with Nadal's lefty forehand, the ferocity of his passing shots, and his competitive zeal. Nadal didn�t back down from Federer�s feared first serve and almost dared him to keep coming to the net. The bull gored the matador time and time again.
We haven�t seen Federer outplayed on the big points as consistently as Nadal jumped on him in more than a year.
The kid from Mallorca is just unshakeable. Nadal wowed the crowd with his lack of nerves and brave play when the going got tight.
He won the third set with three seeing-eye forehand winners and a terrific forehand volley. He went down an early break in the fourth set, but kept coming strong while the Swiss master became unglued.
When it was show time at 5-3 in the fourth set, he let out a loud "Vamos," ripped two forehand winners down the line, crushed an overhead and then rolled delightfully in the clay after Federer missed a forehand. He then got off the ground, leapt into the air and punched his left fist toward the sky.
Smiling his way to fame
Nadal's having a blast and the fans in Paris have soaked in his enthusiasm and fell in love with his machismo. What they have witnessed is the hottest player in men's tennis, both on and off the court.
I went to interview Nadal on the practice court Thursday and was struck by what a genuinely sweet kid he is. He must have signed 100 autographs and did so with a smile. Like his mentor, 1998 French champion Carlos Moya, he�s a classy guy who has his feet squarely on the ground.
Nadal is a clutch performer who was a heavy favorite going into the French Open final against Mariano Puerta. Nadal is the first man to win the title at Roland Garros in his Paris debut since Mats Wilander did it in 1982.
And you can add momentum to all the things Nadal has in his favor as the victory over Federer made it 23 straight wins on clay for the young Spaniard.
Not just a clay-court magician
Nadal is without a doubt the next great dirtballer in men's tennis, but he also has the potential to win major titles on other surfaces.
It�s highly unlikely that Nadal will win Wimbledon this year, but he�s stated how much he loves the tournament and he won two matches there in 2003. He�s so fast and has such quick hands that I could see him reaching the second week at the All-England Club, but his serve and return aren�t developed enough yet to go all the way on grass.
However, I can see him doing major damage on the summer hard-court circuit and making a lot of noise at the U.S. Open. By all rights he should have beaten Federer in the Key Biscayne final earlier this year, but he was too inexperienced to hold on to a two-set lead.
Nadal grew up fast during this tournament, and the next time he has that kind of opportunity again, he�ll cash in.
With this kid, it's little doubt, the best is yet to come.
**Please do not reproduce without giving credit to the original source and VamosRafael.com.**
Return to VamosRafael.com.
Return to VamosRafael.com Articles
.
