Vamos Rafa

Its no surprise that Rafa has once again proved the pundits wrong. For me the best testament for a champion to emerge and remain in any sport is given by the desire to continously improve. Nadal has done that over and over again. In the past, there have been great clay court champions, greats who were natural on clay but could not bring their game to adapt to the grass or the fast surfaces. Rafa was not to be one of them. If you dissect Nadal's tennis over the last 2 years or so, what has changed, simply put have not been his strengths which have remained enduring assets but the chinks in his armor. If there was an Achilles' heel, a blemish in Rafa's game before the US championships, it was the serve. Rafa changed his service grip just a few days before the start of the final slam, he found he could serve faster and consistently big and the results were evident for everyone to see. What sets Rafa distinctly apart is his ability to meliorate, change, albeit subtly to suit certain surfaces, against certain opponents. The great Billie Jean King once remarked that champions keep playing till they get it right. That said, Rafa is only 24 and has got everything right, resulting in the grand slam and the Olympic gold. So what next. Great champions set bigger sights when a goal is achieved and go all out to accomplish them and for tennis fans that privilege of sighting greatness has just begun.