Roger Federer Ready For Rafa Challenge
22 November 2009
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Despite having a successful season Roger Federer remains weary of the threat Rafael Nadal poses at the end of the season.
The Spaniard is the only player that can take over the number one spot from Federer at the ATP World Tour Finals this week in London.
Federer is the only player that has featured in all four Grand Slam finals this season winning in Paris, to secure the career Grand Slam and again at Wimbledon.
But the rivalry between the two players has been on the backburner for several months with Nadal out of action from injury.
The pair went head to head once again at the first Grand Slam of the year in Australia with the Spaniard once again getting the better of Federer, but the Swiss number one gained some revenge in the Madrid Masters beating Nadal in the final.
But the pair were not able to contest the French open or Wimbledon due to a tendonitis flare up for Nadal that saw him unable to defend his Wimbledon title.
Despite all the injury worries for his opponent in an interview with Sky Sports Federer isn’t taking his number one status for granted: "I'm aware of it. I'd be lying if I said I'm just here to play well.”
"I'm here to win the tournament and try to stay number one in the world.
"Competition's really stiff so it's not going to be an easy task for me or Rafa if he wants to get it but it's fun that it's on the line for the last tournament of the season."
But since the summer Federer’s attention has been elsewhere after becoming a first time father to twin girls and he has played sparingly since his U.S. Open final defeat to Juan Martin Del Potro.
And Nadal has been trying to get his season back on track since returning to the tour in late August. In the last five tournaments that he has played he has reached at least a semi final racking up the points as he has gone along.
And this week’s ATP World Tour Final, the last tournament of the season, could see the pair once again battle it out for the top spot in one of sport’s greatest rivalries.
A Rafa vs. Roger final anyone?
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