Some latest headlines, the first one is Jon Wertheim's Tennis Mailbag where he was asked about his weird God question to Rafa..

Rafa Nadal and the G Word

Where do you get off asking Rafa if he believes in God? How is that newsworthy? You're not on 60 Minutes or the nightly news or anything. It's really none of your business. Lots of players don't cross themselves. That's a pretty weak lead-in to a weak question. By the way, I do believe in God and I enjoy your writing. But geez, stick to the tennis.
--J., Chapel Hill, N.C.
• I was surprised at how many of you took issue with that question from the Nadal Q&A. For the record, I WAS NOT the reporter who asked it, but I thought that it was fair. The reporter had a right to ask; Nadal had a right to decline. (Like many of you, I thought his answer was quite revealing.) I think there's an interesting risk-reward ratio in these interviews. The safe questions -- "How does it feel?" ... "Did you ever imagine this?" ... "How do you assess your performance?" -- tend to yield the safe answers. The more obscure questions either yield the "no comments" (or worse), or trigger some of the most insightful responses.
And since when do any of us "stick to the tennis"? Part of the appeal of tennis specifically and sports more generally lies in the depth and dimension and personalities of the athletes. Their images are about so much more than forehand and backhands (or excellence while on the court for the Cleveland Cavaliers or Real Madrid or the back nine at Augusta). Rafael Nadal makes millions in endorsements, yes, because he wins tennis matches but also because of his narrative. Again, he is well within his rights to decline to talk about his faith. But I think it's a fair line of inquiry.
On the subject of religion, I once asked Uncle Toni about what role of faith plays in life. His response: "I don't believe. I studied history in university. Religion comes from ignorance in people. Tribal societies, when they see a flash of lightning or something unusual, they say it come from the Magician. But when society move forward, and technology discover more, religion goes in the back. For me, is very important to be moral -- to be good person. But not religion."


Nadal set to finally flourish at Flushing
By Tom Perrotta

Rafa's best shot
First things first: Rafael Nadal can win in Flushing, N.Y., and this is his best chance to capture the U.S. Open. He was playing well enough to take the title in 2008, but the added burden of the Olympics (he won the gold medal in Beijing) wore him down. I don't put too much stock in the other barriers often discussed: The courts are too fast for him and the surface is too hard on his body. Nonsense, I say -- he can win on anything. Nadal hasn't won the U.S. Open because of its place at the end of the tennis calendar. This year, he should be in good health, as he won't have to worry about the Olympics, and he has a better understanding of his knee tendinitis and how to treat it. He'll also have weaker competition: Juan Martin del Potro, the defending champion, isn't going to play and Roger Federer hasn't played well since the Australian Open (though I wouldn't count him out, either). If Nadal is healthy when he arrives in Flushing, he'll be the favorite.

Rafael Nadal - 2010 US Open Odds
Nadal is +300 in the outright winner's market for the 2010 US Open.
Rafael Nadal is on top of the tennis world and there is enough breathing room between first and second place that he should remain on top of the tennis world for a long time to come. His current ranking is supported mainly by multiple Masters Series titles and 2 Grand Slam titles - none of which have a drop off date that is approaching any time soon.
Here are Nadal's odds to win outright for the next 4 Grand Slams starting with the 2010 US Open:
2010 US Open: +300 (3/1) Boylesports
2011 Australian Open: +250 (5/2) Boylesports
2011 French Open: -225 (4/9) bet365
2011 Wimbledon: +200 (2/1) SkyBet

Rafael Nadal serves up a smile for his adoring fans
Not only is he world number one in tennis, Rafael Nadal is a top class gentleman too.

The Spanish tennis star proved he's always got time for his fans when he was surrounded by a group of excited admirers while on holiday on the Mediterranean isle of Formentera.

Though he was there to get away from it all, Rafael happily chatted to the group, before posing for a photo with them.

The 24-year-old also appeared to have been inspired by his country's storming World Cup victory as he showed off his ball skills - and buff physique - by the water's edge.

Rafa, as he likes to be known, is taking advantage of some free time in his schedule before returning to the court, for the US Open in August.