Nadal and Iniesta make Spain the sporting nation of 2010

It was looking like the Spanish were going to have a 2010 to forget. What with Rafael Nadal retiring from the Australian Open and neither Real Madrid or Barcelona managing to get to a European Cup Final held at the Santiago Bernabeu, redemption came in the successes of Nadal at the French Open and Wimbledon and Spain's victory at the FIFA World Cup.

US Open 2010 Odds - Roger Federer a co-favorite with Rafael Nadal

 Nadal has never won the title in Flushing Meadows but with Roger Federer fading and with defending champion Juan Martin Del Potro out of commission, a fantastic opportunity for Nadal is ripe for the picking later this summer.

Is Nadal becoming the next Federer?

One thing we know about Nadal is that he has typically peaked around this time in a season, and that he gradually falls off from here. Up to this point, he has also lacked Federer's ability to cruise into the semis at Slams. It's harder work for Rafa all around, and he's never gotten as many free points with his serve as Federer has. He'll need to change some part of that equation if he wants to own the sport the way his rival has. It's not beyond the realm of possibility. In 2005, it would have been difficult to imagine Nadal ever winning a Wimbledon final, let alone winning one without being broken.

Rafa's all the rage
(this is an old article from 2005 but I have never read it before & it's a good one)

Nadal is exactly what tennis needed. He is a fierce competitor who has a lot of pride but not in an arrogant sort of way. His good looks and Spanish charm make the sponsors, among others, happy as clams and even Federer is happy to have found a player that can and wants to be his main rival.