Rafael Nadal Set To Make A Racket At The U.S. Open

By Michael Lopez

Eight Grand Slam titles, a gold medal from the Olympics, and over $32 million won in prize money — yes, at 24 you can say that Spanish tennis pro Rafael Nadal has accomplished a lot. But the one title he hasn’t earned yet is champ of the U.S. Open.

When the legendary tennis tourney kicks off on August 30, New York will be swarming with fans eager to see hotshots like Serena Williams, Roger Federer, and Andy Roddick — but who will the media darling? We're betting on Rafael!

Currently ranked No. 1 in the world, this superstar’s been winning championships for over eight years (since he was 15!) and racked up a fan base like you wouldn’t believe. As we all know, Spain is riding high right now after that World Cup win, so if hometown hero Rafa takes the cup, it’ll be huge!

Sports critics think Nadal is more than capable of walking off the court victorious. And they claim the only reason he hasn’t won in the past was due to poor timing issues (burnout, conflicts, etc). But with all the prepping he’s been doing, this could be Rafa’s year.

One thing Nadal has in his favor is that defending champ (and fellow Spaniard) Juan Martin del Potro won’t be competing. But that still leaves arch rival Roger Federer to deal with. Fresh from his ESPY win, Roger’s taken home five U.S. Open titles and has a long history of on-the-court beef with Rafael.

Anyone remember their Wimbledon ’08 battle? Tennis legend John McEnroe called it “the greatest match he’s ever seen”. Going on nearly five hours, Rafa emerged victorious, which only added fire to the rivalry.

We think Rafa’s got a great shot at winning this year, but tennis can be very unpredictable. So start working out those neck muscles, because there is going to be a LOT of back and forth action going down at NY’s Billie Jean King courts this September!

Source: [ESPN]

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Tags 2010, Rafael Nadal, Sports, Tennis, Us Open