Team World Brought All The Right Stuff Together To Win Their First Laver Cup Title

Team World lifts the Laver Cup in London

Team World entered the final day of Laver Cup 2022 in London trailing four-time champion Team Europe 8-4 and needing to win three of four matches. While it wasn’t an impossible task, it would take everyone on John McEnroe’s Team World squad coming together and playing inspired and focused tennis on Sunday.

With each win worth three points, match by match, Team World turned this year’s Laver Cup upside down and won three straight matches – all with exciting outcomes – to win the Laver Cup title for the first time.

It was quite a weekend to remember in London, which drew more than 96,000 tennis enthusiasts to the O2 Arena, first to bid farewell to Roger Federer, then to see Novak Djokovic’s return to the ATP Tour after winning his seventh Wimbledon title, and, finally, to see Team World’s remarkable final-day comeback, in which Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime and Frances Tiafoe of the United States shouldered the load and carried the team on their shoulders to triumph.

Auger-Aliassime gave Team World the lead on the final day thanks to a pair of wins, first by partnering with Jack Sock to edge Matteo Berrettini and Andy Murray, 2-6, 6-3, 10-8, then by defeating Djokovic, 6-3, 7-6 (3). Next, Tiafoe, fought off four match points during a second-set tie-break to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas, 1-6, 7-6 (11), 10-8, which clinched the 13-8 victory for Team World. 

When one considers what transpired, it’s pretty wild that a team with zero Grand Slam singles titles beat a team with 66 that featured Federer (20), Rafael Nadal (22), Djokovic (21) and Andy Murray (3). But that’s exactly what happened. 

In praising his team during the trophy ceremony, Team World captain McEnroe said: “They brought the energy, belief and intensity.”

Later, McEnroe admitted: “It beats losing, that’s for sure. The difference was that we kept battling. There was a great team spirit. We knew we had a shot at it, but it was an uphill battle.”

While McEnroe likely would have been second-guessed for playing Auger-Aliassime back-to-back in Sunday’s first two matches – especially if the young, 21-year-old Canadian faltered against the veteran Djokovic, 35 – in hindsight it was a brilliant and tactical decision.

“This is something that’s discussed among all of us,” he said. “These guys know the ins and outs of what’s going to work best. Felix was ready for it, he had debuted last year, and now he was ready to step up to the big time.”

Auger-Aliassime said he enjoys the challenge that comes from playing in team events, “feeling I can bring something not only to myself but to the team. I feel like it pushes me also to stay positive, to dig deep, that feeling that I’m not only playing for myself, I’m trying to bring something to the team, bring a point to the team.”

Tiafoe added: “All week leading up I kept saying this was our year. The guys showed up. Felix beat Novak, Jack and Felix also played unbelievable doubles. We did it all together, it wasn’t just me.”

Coming off a semifinal run at the US Open, which boosted his ranking to a career-best World No. 19, Tiafoe has been playing some of the best tennis of his career. He said he would rank his Laver Cup-clinching victory over Tsitsipas among his best.

“To do it here in Laver Cup, to win for the first time, given how bad Mac wanted it, how bad everybody else wanted it, seeing what Felix and Jack did – I thought it was just time. It was time to get it done,” Tiafoe said during his team’s final press conference. 

Looking back, as New York Times tennis correspondent Christopher Clarey suggested in a tweet Sunday evening, “[the] Laver Cup has proven that it is value added for tennis.

“Its future is up to the players. If the best ones commit to it consistently and continue to care about the outcome it will thrive.”

A postscript

Roger Federer said this year’s Laver Cup competition would remain special to him – especially the sendoff he received Friday evening after playing in the final match of his pro career.

“Being on court on Friday and having such a huge moment in my career, being surrounded by my biggest rivals like Novak and Andy and Rafa was truly unique, and I can never thank them enough for being there and staying there and going through it with me,” he said.

“I hope that their farewell will also be unique and special, that it works for them, because it was beautiful for me.”

Cover photo: Courtesy Getty Images for Laver Cup.

On film: Borg vs. McEnroe, tightly strung rivalry

For 1 hour and 37 minutes on a recent Sunday morning, I felt like I had gone back in time to the summer of 1980 and Sweden's Björn Borg was the top tennis player in the world, in pursuit of a record-breaking fifth Wimbledon gentlemen's singles championship. 

From 1974 to 1981, Borg dominated tennis, both on and off the court. He became the first male player in the Open Era to win 11 Grand Slam singles titles. He possessed a powerful forehand, perfected the two-fisted backhand, and was rigorously disciplined to a fault. On the other side of the net from the 24-year-old Borg was none other than John McEnroe, three years Borg's junior: young, American, talented, abrasive. When you think of Borg vs. McEnroe, you think of tennis, former rivals, best enemies. They were the antithesis of each other.

During a screening at the Cinema Club in Washington, D.C. on March 25, I watched Borg vs. McEnroe, which premiered in limited release in the U.S. last Friday. (It played last fall on the film festival circuit in Europe.) It is directed by Danish filmmaker Janus Metz with the screenplay provided by Swedish writer and director Ronnie Sandahl. Sverrir Gudnason is a dead ringer for Borg while Shia LaBeouf portrays McEnroe.

Borg vs. McEnroe focuses on Borg's rise to prominence, starting from his youth through the 1980 Wimbledon Championships. We learn how Borg's coach, Lennart Bergelin (played brilliantly by Stellan Skarsgård), helps him to channel his competitive – obsessive – behavior off the court so that he can focus on his impulsive game on the court. Meanwhile, we also learn of McEnroe's complete obsession with Borg prior to their big Centre Court championship match.

"Essentially, the movie implies that, despite appearances to the contrary, Borg and McEnroe were inwardly very similar – and different mainly in their behavior. What the drama suggests is that the pressure to maintain appearances, to keep his furies under control and channeled, exacted a very high emotional price on Borg," writes critic Richard Brody in The New Yorker.

"I'm just like everybody else ... I'm not a machine," says Borg, during a testy exchange with a reporter on the eve of his showdown with McEnroe.

Overall, I found Borg vs. McEnroe enjoyable. The fourth set, 34-point tie-break, during which McEnroe saved five match points, takes up nearly the final third of the film. It is at times very riveting and played to its full dramatic effect. The points are fast and so are the edits. While the film focuses on the "Fire and Ice" rivalry between the two future Hall of Fame players, I feel I learned a lot more about the complexity of Borg's character – think tightly strung perfectionist – than I did of McEnroe. However, seeing McEnroe's bad on-court behavior recreated – yelling at both the chair umpire and at pigeons, too – brought back memories for which he's forever remembered. "You cannot be serious!"

Borg vs. McEnroe is presented in both English and Swedish with subtitles. I highly recommend this film.

We're all in: A look back at the inuagural Laver Cup

Hoisting the Laver Cup / Roger Federer and Team Europe celebrates.

Throughout the tennis world, all eyes were focused on the O2 Arena in Prague last weekend for the inaugural Laver Cup. By all accounts, it was a huge success. For three days it was Europe versus the World – even, if at times, it was more like Europe versus the United States. Still, anytime you have an event where Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are included – let alone teamed as magnetic doubles partners – we're all in.

"I could get used to playing on the same side of the net as @Rafael Nadal," Federer tweeted after he played doubles with Nadal.

At a time when the Davis Cup has failed to adapt, innovate and simplify its format, the Laver Cup – largely the brainchild of Federer – stepped in and made a statement. From its all-star team concept to its innovative scoring – in which the point value of matches increased each day – to the pitch-black court, it seemed tennis fans liked it. So, too, did television audiences – even if it meant for U.S. viewers having to wake as early as 3:30 a.m. on the west coast to watch it. (For those of us living on the east coast, tuning in to see the early matches was still very much a breakfast affair, starting from 6:30 a.m.) 

Just as important, I sensed the players enjoyed participating in the Laver Cup, named after the Australian Hall of Fame great Rod Laver. There was plenty of camaraderie to go around for both teams. To see Federer and Nadal cheering each other on was pure delight. And, in seeing Federer offer some very sound coaching advice to his young teammate, Alexander Zverev, suggested to me that he has a very bright future as a pro tennis coach if he wishes to pursue that avenue.

"It's trying to thread the needle between a fun, unsanctioned event, but not an exhibition," wrote Sports Illustrated executive editor and senior writer Jon Wertheim. "But by and large, it succeeded. The matches were entertaining. The format worked. The players were sufficiently invested. We saw – yet again – that best-of-five is an excess. The black court looked cool. Federer and Nadal playing alongside each other was tremendous."

On the last day of competition, in which each victory was worth three points, the final match of the first Laver Cup came down to Federer facing the mercurial Nick Kyrgios, who shed his bad-boy image and seemed to embrace the team concept. The Swiss provided a nice coda for his memorable season as he won in three sets after facing a match point at 8-9 in the decisive match tiebreaker. 

Final score: Team Europe 15, Team World 9.

"It was a feeling that was on the same level as the biggest moments I've had in my career," said Federer, following his 4-6, 7-6 (6) [11-9] victory over Kyrgios.

It prompted Christopher Clarey, tennis columnist for The New York Times, to write of Federer's reaction: "That is a major statement from a 36-year-old champion who has won a record 19 major singles titles, an Olympic gold medal and Switzerland's first Davis Cup."

Federer and Nadal / A magnetic doubles team.

While the Laver Cup was technically an exhibition – after all, it offered no ATP rankings points or official tour sanctioning – it hardly seemed like one. There were capacity crowds each day and the big arena atmosphere seemed reminiscent of the ATP Finals in London.

"People were questioning if this is going to be an exhibition," said Team Europe's Marin Cilic, after his team swept to an early lead in first day of competition, "but for none of us this is exhibition."

John McEnroe, the former World No. 1 and highly visible (and vocal) on the sidelines as coach for Team World – and never one for a loss of words – said of the Laver Cup: "You've got to be an idiot if you don't think this is something that could be great for tennis. I can't imagine there's a player that played – or didn't play, for that matter, and watched it – who wouldn't think this is something we should be supporting."

Imagine, what it must have felt like for the event's youngest competitors, the 20-year-old Zverev for Team Europe, and Frances Tiafoe, 19, and Denis Shapovalov, 18, for Team World, competing in the inaugural Laver Cup. Each got a taste for what it's like playing in front of a big, enthusiastic crowd on a big tennis stage. And, collectively, they represent the best of the #NextGenATP players.

All of that said, I have a simple suggestion for the future. Although the next Laver Cup will be held at the spacious United Center in Chicago (home of professional basketball's Chicago Bulls and pro ice hockey's Chicago Blackhawks) in September 2018, it is my hope that Team World will try to be more global in its selection of players. Granted this year, Kei Nishikori of Japan was injured, Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina withdrew because he was not sufficiently recovered from the U.S. Open, and Kevin Anderson of South Africa was not available. However, each would help make Team World a more well-rounded squad to go along with Americans such as John Isner, Sam Querrey and Jack Sock, and Kyrgios of Australia. Of course, if Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic are healthy, not to mention Stan Wawrinka, it's scary to imagine the potential depth of Team Europe. Perhaps, the organizers will have to rethink the current geographical concept in order to spread out the wealth of European talent that dominates the current tennis landscape.

Although the Laver Cup came just two weeks after the conclusion of the United States Open and a week following the Davis Cup semifinals, it's placement in an already crowded tennis calendar was welcome. For many of us who follow tennis in the U.S., the United States Open has always been a climatic peak of the season – especially in years when the U.S. has already been eliminated from the Davis Cup. So, witnessing the positive reception of the Laver Cup – whether in person or watching at home on TV – I can't help but think that added up, it gives us all a sense of the great emotion and wonderful team spirit that often is missing in our worldwide sport. Not to mention, thanks to Federer and Nadal, there were some pretty decent feel-good moments, too. 

Photos: Courtesy of Roger Federer's Twitter feed.

But Seriously ... John McEnroe is back and ready to talk

During this month's U.S. Open fortnight, I began reading But Seriously by John McEnroe. It's honest, it's funny, there's no bulls–t. What's not to like, right?

Well, it's been fifteen years since McEnroe's international No. 1 bestseller You Cannot Be Serious, and in reading his new memoir, it's clear that the elder statesman of tennis is ready to talk, again.

McEnroe has alway been seen as someone who is both controversial and beloved. In But Seriously, the tennis Hall of Famer and commentator for ESPN and other American and European networks "confronts his demons and reveals his struggle to reinvent himself from champion and tennis legend to father, broadcaster and author."

As The Guardian wrote in its review of But Seriously, the book reveals McEnroe's "difficulty of living a mature life in the shadow of youthful achievement."

As a tennis player, McEnroe made his mark as a champion during the final two decades of the 20th century. He was always outspoken with his views about tennis and its players during his playing career. Now, he's combined the world of 21st century sport and celebrity through both his commentary and in his writing, too.

In But Seriously, among the many questions and themes which McEnroe tackles are: "Who are the game's winners and losers? What's it like playing guitar onstage with the Rolling Stones, hitting balls with today's greats, confronting his former on-court nemeses, getting scammed by an international art dealer, and raising a big family while balancing McEnroe-sized expectations?"

But Seriously is richly personal and McEnroe is brutally honest in what he shares with us.

"In 2002, when I ended my first book, I was just beginning the process of working out what I was going to do with my life now that I could no longer compete at the highest level as an athlete," writes McEnroe. "Would it still be tennis – playing on the seniors tour, commentating, a bit of coaching – or something else, like art-dealing, or TV, or film? Or something totally different? I had no idea which way my life was heading, but I knew if I wanted to have new experiences that would fire me up the same way being on a tennis court had done, I was going to have to take some major risks.

"I've always needed to feel challenged, to push myself, and I've tried out a lot of different stuff in the intervening fifteen years. Some of it's worked and some of it hasn't, but in life as in sports, it's often the big defeats that teach you the most. If you're too scared of falling flat on your ass, you'll never get out of your chair. And I hope that what I've learned from some of the more laughable calamities I'm going to describe for you on the pages that follow has given me a new perspective on the successes that came before."

Here are some candid excerpts from But Seriously:

On art:
"I love art and as a result know a little more about it than the average person, but I'm no expert. What I would say is that when you look at some of the biggest artists in the world right now, people like Damien Hirst, Takashi Murakami, Richard Prince, Jeff Koons – what's keeping them a step ahead of the competition isn't only their art, it's the fact that each and every  one of them is a brilliant businessman who knows how to maximize the return from their talents." ...

"Collecting art has become a lot more complicated over the years. When I first started buying, I did it on the basis of acquiring things that I liked – that I would want to put on the walls in my house. I thought that was my biggest strength – that I didn't have some kind of dogma I'd learned from studying art history holding me back. With hindsight, that probably hurt me quite a bit, financially. If I had listened to people that knew, who told me to buy certain things at certain times, pieces that I wasn't sure about, I would have done even better. I started to do that after a while, so I wasn't a total moron, but I'd still get stubborn sometimes. And that would cost me."

On commentary:
"Even while I was pursing other career options and interests at the start of the 2000s, I had no intention of turning my back on my work as a commentator. For me, being in the commentary box is an opportunity to have a voice in the game. It won't surprise you that I've got a few things to say  – on doubles, on the lack of serve-volleyers in today's game, on wooden racquets, on let-cord serves, on gamesmanship, on ... Do you want me to go on? As self-appointed 'Commissioner of Tennis,' it is my duty to do that.

"At first I would get upset when people told me I was a better TV commentator than I was a player – it took me years to realize they were paying me a compliment. I started behind the microphone back in 1992, when the dominant style of commentary was incredibly dry and boring (or at least, I thought it was). My timing was good, because tennis on TV was crying out for a change of style." ...

"When it comes to my commentating style, I try to be honest, though I'm always respectful – I hope – of the players I'm watching. Whatever the level of tennis, I know it takes guts to be out there. I don't make it about me, either, so I won't speculate about what I would be going through if I was on court, or compare what's happening on court with what I might have gone through in a similar match. I won't reminisce what it was like for me, say, in my final of 1980 – whatever, because half of the viewers weren't even born then. And anyway, who cares? Viewers want some insight into what they're watching, not some old fart going on about what he might have gone through thirty years before with his wooden racket. Which isn't to say I don't think what I did with that Dunlop wasn't pretty cool at times. I just don't want to keep reminding people."

On music:
"As a teenager, I remember sitting up and taking notice when the girls started screaming for Björn Borg in his first year at Wimbledon. It was like something out of Beatlemania. I began to take the sport I was playing a bit more seriously.

"Once I started going to Europe to play Wimbledon every year I went from being the kid who played the sissy sport to someone who was cool enough to hang out with the British rock stars who'd been my heroes. That was one of my greatest perks when it came to success on the tennis court. I'd never imagined rock guys like Robert Plant being into Wimbledon – that was the opposite of what I would've expected. But the Stones, Zeppelin, all these bands I'd grown up loving – even Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath – were telling me, 'You're great,' or 'Wow, I really respect what you're doing.' I was still only a kid at the time, and I remember thinking, 'Holy sh–t! This is amazing!'"

On artists:
"I have a special appreciation for artists – and stand-up comedians – because, like tennis players, they're out there by themselves. That's part of the reason I love art, because I realize artists have to expose themselves to criticism, just like we do on a court. There's always the potential to embarrass ourselves, and we have to learn how to deal with that. For tennis players, it's not about who hits the tennis ball better, because a lot of people can do that. It's about getting over jet lag, getting over the nerves, getting over fear of failure – and actual failure – among other things, because very rarely do things go the way you want them to.

"For artists, there's this constant process of appraisal and rejection, especially with abstract or conceptual art – 'What the hell is that? It sucks. My kid could do better.' That sort of stuff. So I respect them for putting themselves through that, I admire them for having the guts to put themselves and their work on the line, and as a result I'm interested in them as characters."

On Roger Federer:
"In the summer of 2003, I'd been back in the commentary booth at Wimbledon. No one knew it at the time – least of all me – but as I watched Roger Federer win the first of his seven Wimbledon titles, I was watching the dawn of a new era. What's incredible – with hindsight, and given who he has become – is that back then no one was totally convinced about Federer. Sure, people had been talking about him for a while as the next big thing, especially after he'd beaten Pete Sampras at Wimbledon in 2001. But by this time he was almost twenty-two, and in the Slams he hadn't gotten further than the quarters, so there was a question mark over whether he was ever going to get it together to win one Grand Slam title, let alone eighteen (at the time of this writing!). No one was jumping up and down shouting, 'This guy is going to be the greatest player, just you watch!' Even so, I believe the expectation of what he might be capable of was getting to him. Yes, I know, Roger Federer."

On winning his first Grand Slam:
"Winning your first Slam is always a game-changer for a player – both in your own head and in the way other people see you. Suddenly you're on another level from the other pros, a potential title contender wherever you go. My own first Grand Slam title win was at the U.S. Open in 1979. I was twenty years old, and up against my fellow New Yorker Vitas Gerulaitis, who was four years older than me. This was the guy who had taken me under his wing and become my friend and mentor, and I was feeling uncomfortable about having to play him now in what was the biggest match of either of our careers. The crazy thing was, here we were, two guys from Queens, and we actually got booed by the New York crowd. Why? They'd wanted a Connors-Borg final and we'd gone and spoiled it for them. Too bad. I didn't care. I'd had a great run in the tournament, I'd beaten Connors easily to get to the final, so I felt like it was my year.

"On the day, I was able to put my relationship with Vitas aside and ended up beating him in straight sets. Now I had taken my place at the top along with Connors and Borg. Vitas could've held that against me, but he never did. In fact, he even took me out with him on the night I beat him. Straight after the final he asked me, 'What are you doing later?' I replied, 'What are you doing?' Because I knew whatever he was doing was going to be a hell of a lot better than what I might have planned! I guess there's more than one way to be a winner."

You cannot be (too) serious!

John McEnroe / He not only makes watching tennis interesting,
he's affable, opinionated and makes each story line believable.

One of the joys of watching the Wimbledon fortnight unfold on TV is listening to the entertaining and insightful commentary of former world no. 1 tennis player John McEnroe.

During McEnroe's illustrious Hall of Fame career, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles, including three Wimbledon championships. McEnroe was a superb shot-making artist and a gifted volleyer. He was both a winner and a whiner.

Throughout his career, McEnroe was often confrontational on the court with chair umpires and linesmen, and his famous catchphrase "You cannot be serious!" grew out of an exchange he had with a chair umpire at Wimbledon in 1981.

Now 53, not only is "Johnny Mac" graying gracefully around the temples, he's much less controversial in the broadcast booth than he was on the court. In fact, McEnroe has become much more mellow and affable now that he speaks in the hushed tones favored by tennis commentators.

As a super-talented commentator much in demand ~ at this year's Wimbledon he is commenting on men's matches for both U.S. (ESPN) and British (BBC) audiences ~ McEnroe not only makes watching tennis interesting, he's not afraid to voice his opinion. He's honest and all about accountability. And, yet, he also enjoys drawing upon an historical perspective of the sport like few others can do, except, maybe Bud Collins, to enhance his gravitas.

Chances are good that over the course of a five-set match, McEnroe will bring up his epic 1980 championship match against his great rival Bjorn Borg ~ his first Wimbledon final. His recall of this famous match is very detailed and spot-on. McEnroe was booed by the crowd as he walked on Centre Court following heated exchanges he had with officials after his semifinal victory over Jimmy Connors. He saved five match points in a 20-minute, fourth-set tie-break and won it 18-16. Borg went on to win the fifth set 8-6 and the match, considered by many to be the greatest Wimbledon men's final of all time.

In sharing his opinion of today's players and of the sport he dearly loves, McEnroe makes excellent use of the English language that's part lyrical, part plain-spoken, part New York state of mind. In a 2008 interview with the New York Times, McEnroe said his "vow" as a broadcaster was "giving people an idea of what it's like to be out there." Still a competitor in the booth, this is what makes listening to McEnroe such great entertainment.

Last week, McEnroe observed the match involving seven-time French Open champion and world no. 2 Rafael Nadal, who was knocked out in the second round at Wimbledon by Lukas Rosol, the 100th-ranked player in the world. It was an outcome that stunned the Centre Court audience and nearly left McEnroe speechless after the match ~ well almost:

"I can't believe what I just witnessed," said McEnroe on ESPN's broadcast. "At the end of the day, (Rosol) had more energy than Rafa Nadal. He challenged (Rafa) every step of the way and stepped up like no one could ever imagine.

"Rafa's not only physically one of the most gifted players ever to play, but mentally he's so tough. He imposes his will eventually on you and wears you out both physically and emotionally. And, to think that this complete unknown (Rosol) could step it up ... Nadal was the guy who looked perplexed."

And speaking of Rosol, whom not many tennis fans had ever heard of before his epic upset of Nadal, McEnroe opined:

"Lukas who? Three aces and a forehand winner. He looked really tight in that last game. It's going to be inspirational to a lot of guys. It was an inspirational performance. Talk about unpredictable. In my wildest dreams, I never thought it would happen."

McEnroe was also in ESPN's broadcast booth at Centre Court last Friday night for Roger Federer's five-set, come-from-behind victory over journeyman Julien Benneteau. Naturally, he had plenty to comment upon. As Federer was serving for the match, ahead 5-1, McEnroe said:

"It's a formality now, but  you've got to hand it to Benneteau. He's really persevered out here tonight." After match point, he added: "It's torture that Roger's put himself through, but in the end it's all worth it."

McEnroe isn't afraid to give props to the losers, especially if they've given their all out on the court. On Benneteau's spirit, he said:

"It's a brutal game; he's played the match of his life and now, he's limping off the court. But he gets a standing ovation. Now, he doesn't want to leave the court and you can hardly blame him."

Often, McEnroe is given the opportunity by his broadcast partners ~ Ted Robinson of NBC (McEnroe comments on the French Open for NBC), Bill Macatee of CBS (McEnroe also comments on the U.S. Open for CBS) and Chris Fowler of ESPN ~ to get in the last word before signing off. In his postmortem of the Federer-Benneteau match, he shared these final thoughts:

"Julien Benneteau played the match of his life and swung for the fences. He played an intelligent match and deserved to have the crowd appreciate his efforts. At the end of the day, a lot of people, including myself, picked Federer to win this. You would like to see him win another Slam. The fact he's already got six (Wimbledon titles), he's still hungry. He still finds a way to dig deeper and beat an unknown like Benneteau."

Like Federer, McEnroe's still hungry. Just a tad mellower. The Grand Slams are his time to shine. He understands the characters of tennis and their emotions ~ and, best of all, he makes each story line believable.

John McEnroe photograph courtesy of AELTC, copyright 2012.

Rafa Nadal: Fighting for every point

Rafael Nadal / The King of Clay

Rafael Nadal has a Curriculum Vitae that is the envy of young adults.  In an age where most 25 year-olds are still trying to find their place in the world, Nadal woke up on his 25th birthday Friday ready to go to the office.

Not just any office mind you. Nadal's office was on the terre battue of Roland Garros in Paris, where he has won five French Open singles championships. He probably had his C.V. zipped up with his Babolat tennis racquets.

While it might have been easy enough for Nadal to call in sick on his birthday, take the day off and go out sight-seeing around the City of Lights with his family, the undisputed King of Clay, as he is nicknamed, put on his kit, grabbed the tools of his craft and went to work under the watchful eye of his Uncle Toni, his coach.

Or was it play?

In front of an enthusiastic crowd of 15,000 tennis spectators in Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros ~ plus a world-wide television audience numbering in the millions ~ this elite-level Spaniard from Mallorca, who is easily identifiable simply as Rafa, painstakingly plied the genius of his craft. He won his semifinal match over Britain's Andy Murray 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 to advance to the final of the 2011 French Open, where he will try to tie Bjorn Borg's record of six French Open titles.  Borg has become an ally of Nadal and is expected to be in a court side box cheering for Nadal to tie his record.

A few hours after he left the stadium court victorious, Nadal found out the identity of his next opponent for Sunday's championship match ~ and, it would be a familiar foe. Namely, Roger Federer, who broke the 43-match winning streak (41 matches to start the 2011 season) of Novak Djokovic in four sets as darkness began to set in over Paris late Friday evening.

Over the course of this French fortnight, Nadal overcame a dismal start ~ he needed five difficult sets to advance over the American John Isner in the first round ~ and his other first-week wins left him feeling in a state of resignation.  Plus, he came into the French Open having lost four consecutive finals this year to Djokovic, including two on clay, his best surface.

Had Rafa become obsessed by his defeats to Djokovic? Many of his most loyal Facebook fans recognized something was troubling Nadal, whose confidence seemed shattered.

Nadal's press conferences at Roland Garros became a kind of daily confessional.  He wasn't happy with the way he had been playing and he acknowledged that it was a matter of time before Djokovic, currently ranked No. 2 in the world, would move up to No. 1 and replace Nadal at the top. (Had Djokovic beaten Federer on Friday night, he would have surpassed Nadal in the rankings. If Federer beats Nadal in the final, Djokovic will climb to No. 1 when the new rankings are released on Monday.)

Then, a funny thing happened on the way to the final: Nadal regained his confidence and his ability as the second week of the French Open developed. The Matador, as he's been nicknamed, put together a string of impressive victories ~ including a straight-set win over Robin Soderling in the quarterfinals ~ to carry him into his semifinal against Murray. Now, with six consecutive victories at this year's Roland Garros, Nadal will go after another French Open title on Sunday afternoon against Federer, 29, who is the career leader with 16 Grand Slam titles.

Nadal and Federer share a bit of history at Roland Garros, where Nadal has never lost to Federer in three previous French Open finals (2006, 2007, 2008) and also beat Federer in a 2005 semifinal en route to winning his first French Open title. Nadal owns an impressive 44-1 career record at Roland Garros, a statistic that hasn't gone unnoticed by Federer.

"It always seems to me that Rafa needs to be in a French Open final to make it special, and I got the match I guess I was hoping for," said Federer, who won the 2009 French Open when he beat Soderling in the final, as quoted in Sunday's edition of the New York Times. "After beating Novak, in a way it's a nice gift that I get the chance, and I am looking forward to it."

I am intrigued by what it is that endures Nadal to so many of his most loyal fans, who adore him and daily post "Vamos Rafa" and pictures of their idol on Facebook profile pages across many continents and on tennis forums with much aplomb. And, it's nice to read what tennis critics have to say about the nine-time Grand Slam champion, too.

"Lately with him, it's been like being on a roller coaster ride," said John McEnroe, a tennis legend himself who is an analyst at Roland Garros for American television audiences. "Make no mistake, though, he fights for every single point."

Indeed, Rafa's fan base is tremendous.  As of Friday, there were more than 6.8 million fans of his official Facebook page.

One Facebook admirer of Rafa's penned a birthday ode to him that began:

Happy Birthday, my sparkling Rafa!
You're everything to me!
You're the god of beauty!
You're the god of tennis!

Pretty serious stuff, yet very poetic ~ and, most importantly, very sincere.

Sincerity has always been a trait that endures Rafa to his fans. After his win against Murray, Nadal downplayed Borg's record, saying: "I don't think about that. A lot of respect for the great Bjorn, but I ... focus on (trying) to play well. For me, it is much more important to win at Roland Garros than equal Bjorn."

So, we have arrived to Sunday's epic final, another classic in the Nadal-Federer rivalry. The two have met 24 times overall and Rafa holds a 16-8 advantage.

By now, at least on Facebook, everyone is on a first-name basis for the biggest stars of men's professional tennis. Nole, as Djokovic is known by his nickname, has been eliminated. And what had been, in the words of American tennis analyst Mary Carillo, a "trivalry" has been reduced simply to Rafa and Roger, following in the tradition of other great tennis rivalries like Borg and McEnroe, McEnroe and Jimmy Connors, and Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.

As the San Francisco Chronicle's Bruce Jenkins noted for readers of his Saturday 3-Dot column about the Rafa-Roger final: "Just like old times ~ and as contemporary as it gets."

And, win or lose, Rafa will be out there on Sunday fighting for every point. He wouldn't have it any other way.

A postscript: Sunday evening, Rafa Nadal defeated Roger Federer 7-5, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1 to win his sixth French Open title.

Rafael Nadal image courtesy of Tennis Channel (c. 2011).

Djokovic: Nole's got the fever

Novak Djokovic / He's got the whole world in his hands.

Novak Djokovic is arguably the hottest athlete on the planet. Not just in professional tennis, mind you, but in the whole world.

Yes, the whole world.

Djokovic is perfect in 2011. He's won 39 consecutive tennis matches this year, including his first two matches at the French Open this week. Djokovic has won one Grand Slam this season ~ the Australian Open in January ~ and he has already amassed titles in Dubai, Indian Wells (Calif., USA), Miami, Belgrade, Madrid and Rome. At Roland Garros, Djokovic is seeded second behind five-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal.

Nicknamed Nole, the just-turned 24 year-old Serbian native has grown and matured as a player. Recently, he made headlines for revealing a new, gluten-free diet that has made him appear more fit and trim while also improving his endurance on the court.  Djokovic's world ranking has improved since the start of the year, from No. 3 to No. 2, and his sights are clearly set on becoming the new No. 1.  That's a position currently held by Nadal, whom Djokovic has beaten twice on clay in finals at Madrid and Rome  ~ Nadal's best surface.

Singing and swinging / Could Novak Djokovic be the next No. 1?

Based on his current performance, I like Nole's chances of becoming the next No. 1. Others like his chances, too.

American tennis commentator Mary Carillo, who is covering the French Open for Tennis Channel and NBC Sports, has nothing but high praise for Djokovic.  Recently, she told the San Francisco Chronicle's Bruce Jenkins: "Now you look at him and he's the strongest and fittest guy out there.  I'm also trying to think what anyone is doing better on the court.  Djokovic has the best forehand on tour right now, and the best backhand." About the winning streak, which includes winning his final two matches in 2010 (for a total of 41 consecutive victories, Carillo labels it: "A remarkable streak."

Djokovic is chasing after the Open Era (from 1968-present) record of 42-0 to start a season set by American John McEnroe in 1984.  Coincidentally, McEnroe is at Roland Garros as a tennis commentator for both Tennis Channel and NBC Sports. He spoke about Djokovic and the streak during an interview with Carillo that was broadcast Wednesday on Tennis Channel.

"(Djokovic) has it a lot tougher than I did," said McEnroe, whose 1984 winning streak was stopped in the French Open final by Ivan Lendl. "He had to win a major his first tournament of the year. Back in my day, the Australian Open was played at the end of the year in December.  We can all talk about the depth in the game being better now. The fields are tougher. What Djokovic has done is more phenomenal."

McEnroe continued: "The one thing he's had going for him, I suppose, is that the expectation wasn't as high.  Let's be honest. We still thought Nadal and Federer were the favorites going in (to the Australian Open). We were wondering about Djokovic.  Why is this guy stuck at No. 3 in the world, and wondering, if that was what his lot in life was going to be?  Is he ever going to be able to step it up and beat these guys?"

At the French Open  / Nole tries for his second Grand Slam of 2011.

Instead, Djokovic put together an impressive two-week run in Melbourne, and hasn't looked back.  During the winning streak, he's 4-0 against Nadal and 3-0 against former No. 1 Roger Federer, who is in the same half of the singles draw as Djokovic at Roland Garros.

"I got to hand it to him. (The streak) has been a great shot in the arm for tennis," said McEnroe.  It's a bummer for me, but records were made to be broken. So, I like that. It's great for the sport, it's unbelievable. It's incredible what he's been able to accomplish."

Is there a moment maybe Djokovic, who is a beloved national hero on and off the court in Serbia, wanted to lose to take off the pressure from winning? Carillo asked McEnroe.

McEnroe was candid in his response. "I think there was a moment. In Madrid, he beat Nadal for the first time on clay. When he went to Rome and made the semis, he was still playing good tennis.  Then, he faced Andy Murray, and Murray nearly had him there."

Djokovic held off a third-set rally by Murray, where he trailed 4-5 and faced match point.  He reversed his misfortune and came back to beat his British rival 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (2) to set up his fourth final of the year against Nadal.  In the final, Djokovic was dominant in beating Nadal 6-4, 6-4.

"I think there, maybe (Novak's) thinking to himself: 'Maybe it would be good to lose that one, take some pressure off myself.'  But, then he showed character. At the end of the day, the competitor in him said: 'The hell with this.' He took some pressure off and he (beat Murray) in the semifinals. Then, he beat Nadal, again (in the final)."

The streak /  "The run I've had is definitely something I didn't expect."

So, what does Djokovic think about his newly found success that has elevated him to becoming a co-favorite along with Nadal to win the French Open?  He revealed his thoughts during an interview with ESPN's Chris Fowler that aired Sunday during the opening day of this year's tournament at Roland Garros.

"The run I've had is definitely something I didn't expect to go this far," said Djokovic, who has won 25 career titles and led Serbia to the 2010 Davis Cup championship. "If someone told me I would go without any losses to the French Open, it would be hard to believe."

Djokovic will be tested throughout his remaining matches at Roland Garros starting Friday, when he faces former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro, seeded No. 25, in the third round.  If he succeeds against Del Potro ~ and the seeds hold true through the rest of the tournament ~ his remaining opponents could include: No. 13 seed Richard Gasquet (Round of 16); No 12 Mikhail Youzhny (quarterfinals); No. 3 Federer (semifinals); and ultimately, top-seeded Nadal in the final.

"I think the hard work I've put in during the last year and the experience is starting to pay off," said Djokovic. "And my confidence on the court, I think confidence is obviously a very important part of your game.  You can get confident, but it's easy to lose. It's very important to be focused. I've been trying to work on my consistency.  I am a more mature player."

While it may be impossible for Djokovic's streak to go on forever, there's no arguing that Nole is doing some truly amazing things on the tennis court ~ and, in doing so, every match he's gaining new fans around the world.

All images courtesy of Tennis Channel, c. 2011.