Well, here we go again.
Despite facing off in a major just twice since 2014, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal are about to go at it in the semifinals of a second consecutive major on Friday, and it's about as compelling a scenario as you could ever ask for.
Nadal came out on top at the French Open in June in straight sets, but it was deceptively competitive, indicating that Nadal's competitive edge wasn't quite as great as people might like to think.
The two were playing on Rafa's preferred clay surface, where the ball bounces slow and high, playing to the strengths of Nadal's demoralizing forehand and his sociopathic predilection to run down any ball that comes his way. Federer, who might be the second-greatest clay court player of this era, went down in straight sets.
This time around, the two all-time greats will meet on grass. This is where Fed has won eight of his record-setting 20 majors, and where his all-court game shines brightest, catering to his millimeter-precise serving and mastery of the forgotten art of volleying. (The lack of a wear pattern down the T of Wimbledon's grass courts is one of the more disturbing trends in recent years.)
In theory, this is Federer's match to lose _ he holds a 2-1 advantage over Nadal on grass _ but honestly, it's anyone's guess who will come out on top. Nadal has only captured two of his majors at Wimbledon and it's easily his weakest surface. But late in his career, he is playing with the added motivation of trying to eclipse Federer's major haul and forcing everyone to agree he's the greatest men's tennis player of all time. Nadal also beat Federer in the 2008 Wimbledon final, which might be the greatest tennis match ever played.
Federer and Nadal's respective love of grass and clay is so distinct that the two played an exhibition match in 2007 on a court that was half-grass, half-clay. In college football, we would call this a home and home series. In soccer, we'd refer to it as a two-legged tie. Whatever you want to compare it to, two tennis rivals facing off on each of their favored, specialty surfaces is unheard of. Borg and McEnroe never did it. Neither did Sampras and Agassi.
What adds to the impressiveness of this is how close the French Open and Wimbledon are on the calendar (they're mere weeks apart). Making a deep run in both tournaments in the same year is so physically taxing that even players in their absolute peak have struggled to accomplish the feat.
But this will be the fourth time Federer and Nadal do their dual-surface dance in the same calendar year. They are both well into their 30s. Let that soak in for a second.
That we're getting two of these Federer-Nadal matches in the late stages of a major in the same year is not something that should be taken for granted. Federer spent an extended amount of time over the past six years dealing with back and knee problems, and did not win a major from 2013-2016. Nadal, thanks to his punishing style of play, has consistently battled knee and wrist problems over the course of his career, and it kept him out of major contention in 2015 and 2016.
This is all to make one single point, which cannot be said enough: Watch this match on Friday.
