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In 2012, Rafael Nadal clinched a record seventh Roland Garros crown, completing another impressive return to clay and hoping for more in the rest of the season. Instead, the Spaniard missed the second part of the season with a left knee injury.
He didn’t play after Wimbledon and had to finish outside the top-2 for the first time since 2004. Rafa stayed away from the courts until February 2013, skipping Roland Garros and starting over on his beloved clay court.
In one of the most impressive comebacks of the Open Era, Rafa claimed 75 wins from 83 matches in 2013, lifting ten ATP titles and blasting past all challengers to win world no.1 year-end for the first time since 2008. Rafa collected 4,000 points at Roland Garros and the US Open, playing at a high level on hard courts and delivering back-to-back titles in Canada and Cincinnati for the first time in his career to build a massive lead over Novak Djokovic in the ATP Race.
The Serb lost the US Open final to the Spaniard and went on to win every match until the end of the season. Both fought hard for the number 1 of the year until the end, and Nadal managed to stay ahead of Djokovic after reaching the final in Beijing and the semifinals in Shanghai and Paris.
Rafa knocked out David Ferrer, Tomas Berdych and Stan Wawrinka in the ATP Finals to secure the No. 1 of the year and set up another title showdown with Novak. Roger Federer did not enjoy a remarkable season, finishing outside the top-5 for the first time since 2002.
Still, Roger qualified for the ATP World Tour Finals, meeting Djokovic in the first round.
Roger Federer is a role model
Roger Federer shed light on the challenges of dealing with fame and fortune. “How can I be myself? That has been the greatest test of my character.
How do I deal with people who ask me what it’s like to be rich, or what I’m going to do with my prize money? How do I deal with the travel, with the celebrity and the fortune?” he expressed. “It’s easy when you’re sitting on the couch at home.
There are many celebrities on this planet, I am not the only one. Not the only good tennis player either. It’s nothing out of the ordinary for me, but it does get harder when you’re out and about. The press also portrays a certain image and sometimes you have to meet impossible expectations. They want you to be the superhero,” continued the Swiss player.
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