Diego Berrueta

Rafa Nadal is one of the brightest sport stars of this time. His achievements in the last five years are astonishing, and he is the best tennis player at this moment. His matches are usually broadcast on TV. I immensely enjoy watching these matches. Until last year, he used to hold a fascinating pulse with Roger Federer, who is widely considered among the best tennis players ever. The multiple Federer vs. Nadal matches in the last few years were, in my opinion, one of the finest sport events. Their Wimbledon'08 final was one of the most dramatic matches in the history of tennis. The exquisite talent of Federer and the physical and mental strength of Nadal produced a unique mix. Even if the vast majority of Spaniards are supporters of Rafa, we acknowledge and respect the incredible skills of Roger (this is also unique: rivals of Spanish sport figures are naturally the target of our 'negative affect' --consider the case of Alonso/Hamilton). All tennis aficionados are sad while we watch the brightness of Roger's star to fade out. Apparently, he is being replaced by younger players who are challenging Nadal's dominance. So far, it is in vain. No one can win everytime, but right now, Rafa seems to be unbreakable. A couple of hours ago, he beat Novak Djokovic again in a long and dramatic match. Tomorrow, Rafa will play another final. Sooner or later, he'll lose, but anyway, we'll enjoy watching tennis of the highest quality. So, thank you Rafa, and thank you too to Roger and the other rivals, for allowing us to vibrate with the finest professional sport.