TENNIS WIMBLEDON – What’s up with the Wimbledon seeding group? Djokovic hasn’t won a Slam title since the 2013 Australian Open. Yet, Djokovic is the top seed at Wimbledon. But that might not be all bad for the Nadal camp. All Nadal usually needs is a purpose. By James Beck
Who has won three of the last five Grand Slam tournaments? And played in four of the last five Slam finals?
And who has won Wimbledon twice?
Not Novak Djokovic!
What’s up with the Wimbledon seeding group? Djokovic hasn’t won a Slam title since the 2013 Australian Open.
Yet, Djokovic is the top seed at Wimbledon.
But that might not be all bad for the Nadal camp. All Nadal usually needs is a purpose.
All Nadal Needs Is A Purpose
Nadal couldn’t win anything meaningful in the States, they contended a few years ago. Nadal won the U.S. Open in 2010 when he needed it to complete a career Grand Slam.
He was ready to complete an almost unheard of second career Grand Slam until his back got in the way in this year’s Australian Open final.
The Spanish left-hander even won Wimbledon that first time in 2008 when almost everyone — except a few such as yours truly — claimed Nadal couldn’t win except on red clay, and nothing important other than in Paris. And certainly not in London.
Rafa Tightened His Shoestrings In Beijing
Then there was all the talk about Olympic gold later that summer for all the others. Roger Federer needed it to complete his resume since at that time he didn’t own a French Open crown.
All Rafa did was tighten his shoestrings for the 2008 Beijing Olympics to bring home the gold. So much for the theory that he couldn’t win another big one on a hard surface.
Even last year at the U.S. Open, Nadal was once again written off. Still just a clay-courter.
No Chance To Win In New York Again?
Nadal certainly couldn’t last long enough in New York to tame Djokovic, most experts contended last summer.
The Spanish wonder ran roughshod over Djokovic at Flushing Meadows last September, then overwhelmed the Serbian in Paris the next time the two met with anything important on the line.
Until now, Nadal probably didn’t have a purpose for winning Wimbledon a third time, other than it would feel good and put him one step closer to reaching Federer’s Grand Slam total.
Nadal Has His Purpose For This Wimbledon
Still just a clay-courter, they think?
Well, Nadal might just show up at Wimbledon with another notch to punch on his gun belt. Forget about chasing Federer. Nadal just has to demonstrate once again to the world that this game of tennis has never seen a more versatile, more complete and more talented player. He has his purpose.
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James Beck is the long-time tennis columnist for the Charleston (S.C.) Post and Courier newspaper. He can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com
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