Mumbai: As the countdown to the Australian Open begins, there is no doubt that World No. 1 Roger Federer is the favorite to win the title, and there is hardly a player on tour who resents Fedex's superior skills.
It was an era where the margin of error was near zero, and the difference between the top 10 players miniscule — the wild 70's and 80's with larger-than-life men who ruled tennis. The top players were charismatic egomaniacs, rough and tough as well as outstanding athletes who fought battles on court and off court.
"The fact that it's become extremely professional, not that it wasn't then, but each of them travel with their own group of friends, whether it's relatives, coaches, trainers, dietitians, a variety of people travel with them. So, it's not often that you might end up seeing Federer having dinner with Nadal," explains former great Vijay Amritraj.
People flocked to see McEnroe matches not just for outstanding tennis, but also for his infamous temper tantrums. There was the wild assassin Jimmy Connors, and the Ice-Men — Bjorn Borg and Ivan Lendl. They tolerated each other only after retirement. Their legacy was carried on by the overtly colourful Andre Agassi, with his golden locks and disregard for authority. It was a wild and exciting time indeed.
Cut to the present. For the last three years Nadal has been at No. 2 and Roger Federer at the top. The competition just can't seem to catch up. The behaviour is spotless, and unlike his predecessors, Nadal seems quite happy and admits to liking Federer.
"Roger and me, we are very normal guys. We aren't anything special, and we happen to share a good relationship," is Nadal's view.
And someone who has seen these players over the year feel that the game has got more professional and the players have no time for such frivolities, on the other hand there is the thought that the ATP Tour is no longer competitive.
"They both enjoy it when they play each other, and they are really nice guys off court. I think it's great for the sport that we have the rivalry only on the court. Off the court, they can certainly be friends," says World No. 16 Carlos Moya.
Is this lack of colour and personality the price the fans pay for watching Federer's brand of faultless tennis? A true challenger to the Federer era may change all that.
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