The Fourth Ace of Tennis

The Fourth Ace of Tennis

Since 2003, tennis has gone through a decade of dominance by only a few men. As in team sports, the question of whether a few powerful forces winning all the championships are better or worse for the sport, compared to parity and new champions rising up. However, that’s not what this article is about. No matter what your opinion is on that issue, it cannot be denied that the last ten years have given us some of the best matches of all time, most of which have come between these giants of the sport in the last couple of rounds in majors. There has been a proverbial passing of the torch among these tennis superstars throughout these years, even though each of these men are competing at an extraordinarily high level. It started with Roger Federer in 2003, and his career has been illustrious to say the least. A few years later, Rafael Nadal hit the scene and took the tennis world by storm. These two men battled like superheroes several times, but were both surpassed last year by the Serbian Novak Djokovic, who put together one of the greatest years in tennis history together in 2011, not losing a single match until the French Open. Unfortunately for one man, there’s only so much room for the elite, and until recently, Andy Murray was the man left out. Murray has been considered arguably the best fourth-ranked player ever, and that he would have won multiple majors already had he not been up against the aforementioned tennis legends. He now has his moment in the spotlight as a major winner, and now that he has that monkey off his back, we’ll see if Murray can progress and take charge of the tennis world. He has a golden opportunity, and if he does indeed break out, then 2013 might be the best year of tennis in recent memory. There has not been a dominant American male player since the run of Agassi and Sampras (even though Andy Roddick had his moments), and while that has made the USA interest in this sport decline a little bit, I hope that everyone including my fellow Americans will appreciate the greatness that we have in front of us. With the breakthrough of Andy Murray, we could all be in store for magical things this coming year, and we’ll see if the four aces of tennis will bring us matches that will live on forever.

The Ace of Diamonds:

Roger Federer has to be considered the Ace of Diamonds, for many reasons. He is virtually flawless. Fed is the smoothest player on the court in this generation, to the point that it looks like he’s gliding, and he plays tennis so effortlessly, and gracefully. However, that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have a tank of power and fury to go along with it. He is a gentleman’s gentleman, which is very important. All four of these men are class acts, but Fed’s personality and charisma make him the kind of guy that people should want to imitate. He’s kind of like the Derek Jeter of tennis, an ambassador for the sport and a winner. To call Roger a winner is an understatement, to say the least. His 17 major titles are the most all time, and there have been many tennis champions throughout the years. The best athlete in the history of Switzerland is a model of consistency, and is beloved throughout the world. The Swiss has single-handedly made Wimbledon his own personal playground. Roger won his first major there in 2003, his first of five consecutive championships in England. He won it again in 2009 and 2012, giving him a share of the record with 7 Wimbledon titles. Three of those victories were against American Andy Roddick, including a marathon match in ’09 in which Federer won a 16-14 fifth set. However, his most memorable Wimbledon match is arguably one that he lost, in 2008 against Rafael Nadal, in possibly the most exciting match of all time, but I’ll get to that later. The Swiss has one the French Open only one time, because it has been dominated by the guy up next. 2009 was the only time Roger has lifted the championship trophy at Roland Garros, defeating Robin Soderling. The other four times he made the final, he fell short to Rafa. Even though his success in France is limited, the victory earned him the Career Slam, by winning all four majors at least once. Down under in Australia, Federer has won four major titles, which he did in only 13 sets. The Australian Open is not what Roger is known for, which is incredible because he has still won there four times. Finally, there’s the US Open, where once again, Federer has dominated. The New York crowd adores him, which in large part is due to his five straight championships from 2004-2008. However, that was the last time that he won the US Open, and the last time he made a final was when he lost to Juan Martin Del Potro in 2009. He just recently was upset in the quarterfinals by Tomas Berdych, and it is unclear whether Fed will be able to get back on top in America again. The downside on Roger Federer is that he is now 31 years old, and obviously on the downturn of his career. His Wimbledon crown this year was his first major championship since the 2010 Aussie Open, and with the changing of the guard, we’ll see if Roger can win any more majors before he retires. Federer is the face of class, and that absolutely makes him the Ace of Diamonds.

The Ace of Clubs:

The club is a deadly weapon that is a symbol of strength and brute force. So, naturally, the Ace of Clubs in tennis is none other than Rafael Nadal, the Spanish warrior. Nadal is an 11-time major champion, a mark that ranks him tied for fourth in men’s singles tennis history. Imagine how many championships he would have if he didn’t start his career when one Roger Federer was in his prime! If Roger is known for his grace on the court, Rafa is known for his physique. Nadal is the strongest tennis player possibly ever, with his muscles bulging out of his shirt. The Spanish southpaw can power the ball past anyone with his forehand and backhand, and can run around all day. This has been proven by his biggest matches against his contemporaries, which in some cases have lasted between five and six hours (see 2012 Australian Open Final). Nadal is a workout warrior and has the stamina and force to play with anyone. Unfortunately, he is prone to injury, including having one right now that has kept him out for two months. He is also the king of clay, and has made his name at Roland Garros in the French Open. Out of his 11 singles titles, an incredible seven of them have come on those clay courts in France. He won from 2005-2008, and after a one-year drought, has rekindled his winning streak from 2010 until now, and sports a seemingly impossible 52-1 record at the French Open. The world hasn’t seen one man dominate a surface like Rafa owns the clay since Federer had his amazing streak on grass, including his run at Wimbledon. Early in his career, Nadal was thought to be a one-trick pony who could only win on clay, but after winning one match, his career blossomed into one of the best we have ever seen. That has resulted in him also earning the Career Slam, showing that he can win on any surface. That match was the 2008 Wimbledon Final against his nemesis Roger Federer, the man who had won the previous five titles before that. It was the ultimate master vs. the prodigy challenge, and the historical implications could be felt by everyone in the world, including those two players. What happened was spectacular, with a five set, almost five hour match that resulted in a 6-4, 6-4, 6-7, 6-7, 9-7 victory for Rafael Nadal that officially established him as the best player in the game, and you could feel the crown being handed over. After that, Nadal won the 2009 Australian Open (another five-setter over Fed), and won three out of four majors in 2010. While it’s been two years since Rafa won a major outside of the French, he still dominates the clay, and is only 26 years old. He is still in phenomenal shape, and has shown no sign of slowing down. The only reason he hasn’t won more majors is because he lost all three of the majors in finals to Novak Djokovic in between the 2011 and 2012 French Open. It will be seen in time whether Rafael Nadal can pass Roger’s 17 major titles, but there is no question that no matter how he earns his career, Nadal will be considered one of the greatest of all time. Rafael Nadal is the perfect guy for the Ace of Clubs, a true force to be reckoned with.

The Ace of Spades:

If Novak Djokovic were to be any playing card, he would be the joker, and not just because his name fits perfectly. Novak has the most animated personality of the four tennis stars by far, and always likes to have fun on the court. He wears his emotions on his sleeve, and is beloved by crowds because of it. A spade, while not glamorous, is a solid, sharp tool, that isn’t afraid to get dirty and always gets the job done. In my opinion, this best describes Novak Djokovic, the Serb who is impossible to break down. Djokovic is a complete player in every aspect of the game. He is a very good offensive player; he not only has the power and force to hit shots by his opponents, but he also has great touch, and can make any shot from any angle. Novak can hit cross-court shots, drop shots, lob shots, slicing backhands, blistering forehands...you get the idea. He is also extremely fast and agile, so it’s very hard to get any ball past him, and he has great stamina so he could finish any point, and never breaks down over the course of a math, which is one of the reasons he has a superb five-set record. Djokovic is an elite defender as well, fighting off shots and keeping points alive against all odds. Factor in that big-time serve, and there’s simply no aspect in his game where an opponent can have a definite advantage. He does not have a weakness, and anyone who wants to beat Novak will have to play a flawless match. Djokovic had success early on, winning the 2008 Australian Open, but that was his only major title for three years. However, in 2011, he simply took the tennis world by force and ascended rapidly to the number one spot in the world. After winning the 2011 Australian Open, the Joker continued on an unbelievable 43-0 winning streak to start the year, finally losing in the French Open. He did not slow down, however, continuing his spree and finishing the year 70-6, a remarkable record. Novak won the Wimbledon and US Open championships as well that year, breaking out for three out of four major victories. He continued his dominance over into this year as well, beating Rafael Nadal for the third straight major in the Australian Open, a six hour marathon that ended 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5. Djokovic has not won a major since then, but has made two out of the other three finals, including the last one where he just lost to Andy Murray at the US Open. However, the damage is done, and after winning four majors over the last two years, and being just 25 years old, Novak has established himself as the new force in tennis. Roger Federer is aging, and Rafael Nadal has a lot of mileage on him and has had injury history, so the door is open for the Ace of Spades to take charge of this sport. He very well could, unless someone else has something to say about it...

The Ace of Hearts:

That sound you hear is half of England screaming for joy because their boy Andy Murray has finally won a major championship. The second sound is the other half of England sighing with relief that Murray will no longer be the best loser in the history of tennis. Andy Murray is my ace of hearts because he has always been the lovable loser of tennis; a phenomenal talent who has never won a major because the three guys ahead of him were better. Yesterday, though, he defeated Novak Djokovic in five sets to win the US Open, his first major title ever. It was a huge moment; Murray had been so close for years but had never been able to get over the hump. He would get deep into tournaments, only to get into the semi-finals and matchup with one of these other three heavyweights, and would normally lose. When he did win, he would get to the final and face another giant of the sport, and lose that one. Now, as a major champion, he is the lovable winner, and ready to take the next step. Murray’s breakthrough was a long time coming, but it came to fruition this year. He lost in the finals of Wimbledon to Roger in front of his home crowd, but came back from that by defeating Federer to win the gold medal in the London Olympics, proving that he could beat the big guys. He continued that success by coming to America to play in the US Open, which he won. Now he has to be taken seriously, and there is only one question: Will Andy Murray build on his success and progress into one of the top two tennis players in the world? This question has huge implications; before now, when Fed, Nadal, or Djokovic had to play Murray, they could assume it would be a win, but not anymore. If Murray keeps growing and perfecting his game, then next year there will be four true giants of tennis playing at one time. Another reason why he is the Ace of Hearts is because of the emotion that Murray displays while he is on the court. Previously, Andy would show his disappointment and frustration visibly through his body language, but now he has matured and shows his adrenaline and passion. He is a wizard with the racket, especially with his lethal drop-shot. He doesn’t look very athletic, but he is, and although he isn’t the fastest or the strongest, Murray knows how to move around, play great defense, and get the job done. We saw Djokovic win a major and go on a run, and the same could be in store for Andy Murray next year. Murray is full of passion and this is the reason why he is the newest ace of tennis. The Ace of Hearts is Andy Murray, the newest major winner.

How incredible of a year are we in store for in 2013? All four majors are now up in the air, and we could start seeing these legendary five hour, five set matches in the semi-finals AND in the finals. 2013 could very well be the greatest tennis year of this generation, with four of the best players to ever step on the court all battling against each other to win majors. There still is no powerful American in the field, especially now with the retirement of Andy Roddick, but that does not mean that the interest in tennis should be less. Along with the four superstars of the game, there are also very good players below them, like Ferrer, del Potro, Berdych, Tsonga, and Tipseravic, who can also potentially push for a championship as well. Over the past few years between these four players, we have seen matches that will be retold throughout generations, but the potential for history is booming next year. 2013 will be the Golden Year of the Golden Age of tennis, in which the Four Aces of Tennis will all be fighting for the same goal, the chance to lift a major championship trophy, and be proclaimed the greatest in their sport. Who will be the number one ranked player 12 months from now? Your guess is as good as mine, and I can’t wait to find out.