‘Rafael Nadal has raised the bar for tennis players’

Roger Federer praised Rafael Nadal’s evolution. The Swiss player faced the Spaniard 38 times and he could experience Nadal’s improvements in all aspects. ‘I think he’s a player with a lot of possibilities‘, Federer said.

‘He can play really deep in the court and really in the court, too, now. He’s really become a player that can do both. We don’t have that many guys on the tour that can actually do that. So that’s always an option for him, Plan A, Plan B, depending on how he wants to start the match.

Or he can even have variation by doing it on the deuce side and not on the ad, for instance, or vice versa, because he’s so comfortable in, on, and back. Which is very difficult, I can tell you that, because I have tried to play from back.

And it’s a totally different game and geometry from way back there. So that’s one thing. I think he — for a typical clay-court player, which he is not, he can actually volley very well. He reads the game really well going forward.

He closes the net down very well. He rarely misses serve-and-volleys or anything like that kind that we used to see from some of the great clay-court players in the back that would feel so uncomfortable at net. And Rafa is not like that.

That’s why he’s also had success in doubles. Then because of his spin and lefty, mental and physical ability, he’s raised the bar for tennis players. Yeah, and he can out-tough you, if need to be and just make shots.

That’s another asset for him that he’s always got in the bag somewhere.’ Does he help you raise your level in a way, the challenge of it? ‘Sometimes. I don’t think he’s a classic player who actually lifts my game.

I have had that maybe against Novak or Murray or Roddick or Hewitt, other guys, you know, where I play more of a normal ball. He falls into a category that plays very — with so much topspin that you never really play normal balls.

But naturally, because it has been finals, that’s where usually you play your best. He has definitely also made me play some of my best tennis against him.’ ALSO READ: David Ferrer: ‘It will be my last US Open.

Facing Rafael Nadal is a gift’ .