Two together

A match between the greatest player ever and the greatest player of the moment, was how Rafael Nadal chose to bill the French Open semi-final between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. A couple of days later,Nadal levelled that other great,Bjorn Borgs haul of six French Open titles. The conditions were best suited to Nadal,yet the largeheartedness that informed his appraisal of his peers challenge is a reminder of the civility and dignity with which the greatest rivalry in mens tennis has transformed their careers into the sports golden age.

Professionally,Federer and Nadal need each other. They consolidate each others positions in a way few others can. Federers shot-making forces others to run themselves ragged and tired; yet Nadal traverses from side to side of the court. Nadals aggressive and powerful baseline game and use of record-breaking top spin overwhelm other opponents. But Federer withstands,even if he couldnt on Sunday,with precision positioning and devastating use of drop shots. If the adage the better your opponent the better your game holds,this is surely the example. Yet,for all the professional tussle,the mutual respect that both have displayed is not just commendable but inspiring.

After the 2008 Wimbledon final,for example,Nadals words of comfort that Federer was still the apex player showed a humility lagging in the ego-fuelled world of professional sport. Moreover,Federer has treated Nadal as an equal,despite Nadal holding Federer as a role model. He even publicly congratulated Nadal,on overtaking him in the rankings as world number one. The tennis masters have a valuable lesson for other sportsmen: sport comes first,but not to the detriment of sportsmanship.