Federer vs Nadal: The ageing titans set for an epic Australian Open battle

Who wins title remains to be seen, but the arch-rivals have beaten all odds to set up this clash

In December 2015, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal exhibited glimpses of their brilliance with the racquet in front of an overawed Indian audience in New Delhi. My elder brother and I, both huge Nadal fans, had managed to get two passes to the match. And, yes, we did witness something that I am going to cherish my whole life.

The crowd seems to have been split into two equal factions – one supporting Nadal and the other Federer. After an exhilarating display of quality tennis, Nadal managed to beat Federer in that match. But Federer fans seemed hardly discouraged; one of them said: “Koi baat nahi, apna banda jet-lagged tha (never mind, our man was jet-lagged)”. Pat came the reply from one who was part of the Nadal fan club: “Haan, haan Nadal ke saamne hamesha jet-lagged hi rahta hai (yeah, yeah, he is always jet-lagged when pitted against Nadal).”

The Federer-Nadal rivalry is rigourous, and involves a lot of adrenaline on both sides. But theirs is not unlike other greats in other sports: The hallmark of any competitive sport – actually good for the sport – is the comparison and undeniable rivalry between the two of its greatest players. The never-ending comparison between footballers Ronaldo and Messi, cricketers Tendulkar and Lara, Tennis stars Sampras and Agassi, and shuttlers Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei – these are only a few examples.

So, coming back to Nadal and Federer, when the two were again set for a clash in the 2017 Australian Open’s men’s final match, an involved debate over rivalry was imperative. Federer and Nadal overcome many odds to set up this Sunday’s epic clash, the ninth meeting in a Grand Slam final for these living legends.

On the one hand is Roger Federer, 35, who had been out of action for six months due to injury. Seeded 17th, he has won 17 Grand Slam titles — more than any man in the history of the game. But he has not won any Grand Slam since 2012 Wimbledon. When he walks out into the arena, Federer will be the oldest man to appear in a Grand Slam final since Ken Rosewall, who was almost 40 when he took on Jimmy Connors in the 1974 US Open and lost.

And on the other hand is Rafael Nadal, with injured knees, sore wrist and his once perfect forehand now lost. Seeded ninth in this tournament, he last won a slam in 2014, his record ninth French Open title.

Federer says he is expecting an “epic battle” when he resumes the fight of his life against Rafael Nadal on Rod Laver Areana on Sunday. Few matches in the grand, sweeping history of tennis have commanded as much attention as this.

For many fans – myself included – who have seen this rivalry shape their emotional engagement with and understanding of the sport, it is enough that they will play each other again on the biggest stage. Two months ago, if you asked anyone to bet for a Federer-Nadal Australian Open final, you would have got answers like “are you out of your mind”, “they are way past their best”, “are must be joking”, etc. But here they are again, the two famous, ageing titans of tennis. They haven’t been fit, but they are suddenly at the top in the Australian Open.

Their journey to this final has not been easy. Each survived an epic five-set match in the semifinal. We cannot deny their luck when favourites Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic lost their respective matches in the early rounds.

Nadal who has dominated Federer in their head-to-head match-ups, has a 23-11 record overall and has won nine of their eleven matches in Grand Slams. Another exciting part of this match is that it is not happening in their respective dens. As we all know, Federer is the king of grass (Wimbledon) and Nadal is famously known as the king of clay (French Open). So, they are not in their own backyard as they playing on hard courts.

Whoever wins, the match is going to be memorable. As fans, we must know that two of the greatest players of tennis are going to square off on Sunday. And it is going to be an amazing match.