Photo courtesy of Yann Caradec's Flickr Page - Rafael Nadal: https://www.flickr.com/photos/la_bretagne_a_paris/5756335239
Later today, the men's final at the U.S. Open, the final grand slam of this calendar year in tennis.
It pits Rafael Nadal, one of the greatest champions in men's tennis history, against someone entirely new to Grand Slam finals, Kevin Anderson, the South African giant.
Anderson is 6 foot 8 inches tall, so he obviously bring some power into the game.
However, Nadal has some considerable power, as well. Plus, he has more experience, more speed, and likely more mental toughness. Obviously, Nadal has always been known for his excellent physical condition, as fitness is one of his main strengths. You might think that Anderson, with his inexperience, might at least have an age advantage, but that is not true, either. Both men are 31 years old.
Frankly, it is hard to see any advantages that Nadal does not have entering this particular match.
Nadal will be aiming to win his second Grand Slam title of the year, and his 16th career Grand Slam overall. He already owns more Grand Slam titles than anyone other than Roger Federer, and this would put more cushion between him and Pete Sampras, as 14. It would also bring him a bit closer to Federer, who has won 19 overall. Nadal has already won two previous U.S. Open titles, in 2010 and again in 2013. If he wins this match, he will have gone to three Grand Slam finals this year, and would have won two of them, making it likely that he would end the year atop the men's rankings. He is already considered one of the greatest champions of all time that the sport has ever produced, but this would cement that status even further. Indeed, it might even re-open the debate about whether or not he is better than Federer, who resurrected his late career with two Grand Slam titles of his own this year.
Looking forward to it, and I will try to diagnose what happened, and the implications, at some point tomorrow.
Enjoy the match!
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