mtenis.com.pl

In what has been a career full of frameable moments, years from now, Sunday afternoon should still stand out to Rafael Nadal. It could also prove to be the launch pad to his return to year-end World No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings.
His 10th Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters crown. His 29th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title. His 43rd “Big Title”, which inches him closer to longtime rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
But Nadal's first title of 2017 might only be part of the prelude to what could be one of the Spaniard's best years on the ATP World Tour. Nadal is currently second in the Emirates ATP Race To London, a calendar-year points race that started in the first week of January. The Spaniard is 810 Race points behind No. 1 Roger Federer, who has 4,045 Race points.

But with Federer resting and not planning to play until Roland Garros, Nadal could catch the 35 year old during the next seven weeks and then some. The Spaniard could take home 2,500 Race points at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, the Mutua Madrid Open and the Internazionali BNL d'Italia before Federer rejoins the tour in Paris.
In addition to his 19 combined Monte-Carlo and Barcelona titles, Nadal has won Madrid four times, and he's hoisted the trophy in Rome seven times.
“[In Barcelona], I am playing another very important event for me at home and I'm excited about that. Then I going to keep playing at home in Madrid,” Nadal said. “There are so many opponents to play before [Roland Garros], so many important matches. Every event in this part of the season for me, in my heart, is so special. I enjoy every day.”
Current and Former Champions' Big Titles Won (Records Since 1990)
Player Grand Slams ATP Finals
1000s Total (Avg)
Roger Federer 18/69 6/14 26/125 50/208 (4.2)
Novak Djokovic 12/49 5/10 30/96 47/155 (3.3)
Rafael Nadal 14/47 0/7 29/101 43/155 (3.6)
Pete Sampras 14/52 5/11 11/83 30/146 (4.9)
Andre Agassi 8/61 1/13 17/90 26/164 (6.3)
Andy Murray 3/44 1/8 14/94 18/144 (8)
Boris Becker* 2/26 2/6 5/51 9/83 (9.2)
Thomas Muster 1/29 0/4 8/53 9/86 (9.6)
Gustavo Kuerten 3/33 1/3 5/67 9/103 (11.4)
Jim Courier 4/38 0/4 5/71 9/113 (12.6)
Stefan Edberg** 3/28 0/4 1/24 4/56 (14)
Marcelo Rios 0/26 0/1 5/56 5/83 (16.6)
Michael Chang 1/50 0/6 7/86 8/142 (17.
Marat Safin 2/41 0/3 5/87 7/131 (18.7)
Andy Roddick 1/46 0/6 5/75 6/127 (21.2)
Lleyton Hewitt 2/66 2/4 2/75 6/145 (24.2)
Patrick Rafter 2/35 0/2 2/48 4/85 (21.3)
Sergi Bruguera 2/33 0/3 2/63 4/96 (24)
Juan Carlos Ferrero 1/45 0/3 4/84 5/132 (26.4)
Carlos Moya 1/47 0/5 3/76 4/128 (32)
Stan Wawrinka 3/48 0/4 1/94 4/146 (36.5)
Yevgeny Kafelnikov 2/38 0/7 0/77 2/122 (61)
* Becker's four other Grand Slam titles came before 1990.
** Edberg's three other Grand Slam titles came before 1990.
Nadal's high place in the Race means he's in contention to compete for year-end No. 1 with Federer and likely challengers, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, who have much ground to make up after sluggish starts to 2017.
Federer and Nadal are the Race frontrunners in what has been an unlikely start to the year. When Murray and Djokovic battled in an epic Doha final to kick off the season, everyone thought the battle for year-end No. 1 would be a two-man race between the Scot and the Serbian. But both have underperformed to start the year.
A slow start to the season and not being in the first three places of the Race after Miami can make it very difficult to finish year-end No. 1. Since 2004, there's been only one occasion when someone came from outside the Top 3 in the Race after Miami to finish year-end No. 1. In 2010, Nadal was placed sixth in the Race after Miami but finished year-end No. 1.
Murray and Djokovic's start is especially surprising when you consider this: Only three times since 1990, and never since 1999, have the players who finished the previous year ranked No. 1 and No. 2 not reached at least one final at the four big events to start the following season: the Australian Open, the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Miami Open presented by Itau and the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters.

The urge to label a player as the greatest ever will never fade away. Players would come and go, rivalries would flourish, memories would be created, but the average sports fan would always have a notion of who the greatest ever is/was. That urge to quantify things, to differentiate between players, to bring about a normalistation between eras is something that defines every sports fan. No matter how much you try and stay away from it, your mind always has a ‘greatest ever’ chalked out for you.

But Rod Laver is different. We lesser mortals tend to get swayed by emotions, but great men keep them under check and approach things rationally. And that is exactly what Rod Laver has done.

In an interview with the SuperTV Tennis Channel, Rod Laver said that no one is the greatest player of all time, there just can’t be any, because you judge players only by the era that they play in.

Also Read: Why is Novak Djokovic in a buoyant mood before the French Open

“Who is the greatest player of all time? I think no one. When you look at these players(Roger and Rafa), you can put them in only an Era, you can be World No. 1 in your own era.’

When asked if he would win more games against Rafa or Roger, Rod Laver said “Maybe none. They play differently. On clay no one will be stronger than Nadal. Roger can do everything, he knows how to play on hard, grass and nowadays you are good if you can play on all surfaces.”
When talking about the difference in eras, Rod Laver said that every era has its own way of functioning, its own style and you just cannot compare players from two different eras, as a completely different style of Tennis is played across eras.

When asked if he would even have a chance against the players from this era, Rod Laver was quick to point out that he would need to learn to play with new raquets in order to even have a chance with this generation of players.

“I should learn to play with current rackets, understand what I would be able to do. Today to be good players you have to start since you are a kid, understand how to play drop shot, use top spin. It’s easier today to play tennis.”

Spaniard's three 'Big Titles' in past two months give him Race lead

By virtue of his stellar performances this season, and particularly over the past two months, Rafael Nadal has thrust himself to the forefront of the sport once again and in strong contention for his fourth year-end No. 1 finish in the Emirates ATP Rankings (2008, 2010, 2013).
In winning 24 of his 25 matches on the European clay-court swing, the Spanish superstar has lifted three 'Big Titles' - his 10th Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, his fifth Mutua Madrid Open and his 10th Roland Garros crown. The Open Era leader for most clay-court titles won (53), also picked up his 10th Barcelona OpenBanc Sabadell trophy in April.
With 45 'Big Titles' - 15 Grand Slams and 30 ATP World Tour Masters 1000s - it has inched Nadal closer to long-time rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. The Spanish superstar wins one big title for every 3.5 events played, an average marginally bettered by Djokovic, whose 47 elite titles have been captured for every 3.4 events played.
Nadal currently leads the Emirates ATP Race To London, a calendar-year points race that started in the first week of January, with 6,915 Race points. As the first player to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, he is 2,870 points ahead of No. 2-placed Roger Federer, winner of 50 'Big Titles', who has 4,045 Race points. From 17 April to 12 June, Nadal has added 4,680 Race points from five events to his total.
When asked about an assault on No. 1, following his historic title run in Paris, the 31-year-old Nadal said, "I am playing well and I am in a good position... If I am able to keep playing well, [then] why not?"
Current and Former Champions' Big Titles Won (Records Since 1990)
Player Grand Slams ATP Finals
1000s Total (Avg)
Roger Federer 18/69 6/14 26/125 50/208 (4.2)
Novak Djokovic 12/50 5/10 30/98 47/158 (3.4)
Rafael Nadal 15/48 0/7 30/103 45/158 (3.5)
Pete Sampras 14/52 5/11 11/83 30/146 (4.9)
Andre Agassi 8/61 1/13 17/90 26/164 (6.3)
Andy Murray 3/45 1/8 14/96 18/147 (8.2)
Boris Becker* 2/26 2/6 5/51 9/83 (9.2)
Thomas Muster 1/29 0/4 8/53 9/86 (9.6)
Gustavo Kuerten 3/33 1/3 5/67 9/103 (11.4)
Jim Courier 4/38 0/4 5/71 9/113 (12.6)
Stefan Edberg** 3/28 0/4 1/24 4/56 (14)
Marcelo Rios 0/26 0/1 5/56 5/83 (16.6)
Michael Chang 1/50 0/6 7/86 8/142 (17.
Marat Safin 2/41 0/3 5/87 7/131 (18.7)
Andy Roddick 1/46 0/6 5/75 6/127 (21.2)
* Becker's four other Grand Slam titles came before 1990.
** Edberg's three other Grand Slam titles came before 1990.
All eyes now turn to Federer to see how the Swiss will respond in the No. 1 battle as the ATP World Tour moves to grass in the next five weeks. The 35-year-old is making his eagerly anticipated return to action at this week's Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart. Nadal is scheduled to compete at next week's Aegon Championships.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Federer: 'There Are No More Breaks Now'
Since 2004, the year-end No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings has either been first or second in the year-to-date standings after Roland Garros.
Nadal has been among the top two in the year-to-date standings after Roland Garros in 11 of the past 14 years. This is the first time since 2010 that Nadal and Federer occupy the top two spots in the Emirates ATP Race To London at this stage in the season.