MELBOURNE – Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have history against them as they strive to win the season’s opening major at the Australian Open in Melbourne.
World number one Nadal is bidding to become the first man in 42 years to hold all four Grand Slam titles simultaneously, but the ‘Rafa Slam’ is the subject of some debate.
Australian legend Rod Laver, who twice accomplished a calendar Grand Slam in 1962 and 1969, contends that what Nadal is pursuing cannot be technically termed a Grand Slam. “People will say, ‘He’s going for a Grand Slam.’ And I say, ‘No, he’s not doing that,'” Laver said.
“That wasn’t the way this whole thing was set up. It starts in January and ends in September; starts with the Australian Open and ends with the US Open.” The Spaniard strung together the last three majors at the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open to head into the new year poised to continue his dominance of men’s tennis. Nadal became only the seventh man in history — and the youngest at 24 in the Open era — to claim a career Grand Slam of the four major tournaments when he conquered Novak Djokovic in New York last September.
Nadal is reluctant to dwell on his chances of pulling off a ‘Rafa Slam’ over the next fortnight, especially as he is up against the all-time Grand Slam leader Federer. “I think if that’s to happen, for sure I’ll be more happy that I won the Australian Open than because it is the fourth one in a row,” he said. “Maybe I’m only going to have this opportunity once in my career. “But not for that reason I am going to have the pressure. The pressure is like every Grand Slam, you want to play well in the important tournaments and for me, to have the fourth (major) or not is something that is not in my mind.” Tennis traditionalist Federer also believes a Grand Slam should be won in a calendar year. “For me it’s the one during the year. Then the other one, if Rafa were to do it, it’s amazing in itself as well. It’s just a different order,” Federer said.
Australian Open – Nadal, Federer battle history
