[2003]

Roger Federer reached all four slam finals in 2007, Nadal reached 3 finals and a quarter final.

Roger won the prestigious Tennis Masters Cup. We will have to wait to see if Nadal can win the WTF.

Federer won 8 titles in 2007, including 3 grand slams.

Nadal won 3 grand slams in 2010, including the prestigious RG Wimbledon double. He also won 3 slams in a row.

Both players had interesting slam draws. Federer had to beat world number two Rafael Nadal in Wimbledon final, and a very on fire Djokovic in the US Open. Nadal had to beat Bird Itch in Wimbledon final and a very tired Djokovitch in Us Open final.

2007 was probably Federers least impressive 3 slam season, 2010 was Nadals best season so far one would have to think.

So who had a better season?

Discuss.
The floor is yours. Have at it.

[finishingmove]

Nadal looked more convincing this year.

[r2473]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0

[Pirata.]

Federer 2007, I think, but we need to wait to see how Nadal does at Shanghai/Paris/London

[finishingmove]

Originally Posted by r2473

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0

Unbelievable forehand on the run from Rafa

[Pirata.]

Originally Posted by finishingmove

Unbelievable forehand on the run from Rafa

The Federer drop shot at 1:23 is godlike

[Raferminator]

Rafa's 2010 season is superior and it isn't even close. I'm sure Fed would gladly trade the breathtaking elegance of his gilded golden man purses for a golden career slam at the age of 24.

As it is even today, Fed still has the golden purse; Rafa has the career golden slam.

[Arakasi]

This thread is premature.

[holagirl56]

Tough to say. Both were very patchy seasons with levels of brilliance.

2007 Federer was the beginning of the end...he still won 3 slams but he lost early at IW - Miami to Cañas which opened the floodgates at the Masters. However, his AO 2007 run was fucking BRILLIANT, and his backhand looked amazing as did that drubbing against Andy "the gap is closing" Roddick. Right after that, towards the beginning of the clay season, he split with Roche and his form fell. Up and down clay season capped off by his annual loss to Nadal at RG and a tight one at Wimbledon. The US hard court season was mediocre by his previously created standards and I remember in the 2007 final in Montréal against Novak he just COULD NOT convert those set points in the first and he lost. Djokovic had a ton of bp chances in that US Open final, but Fed managed to close it out because of his experience -- he wasn't playing that great though. He did finish the season on a high note at TMC.

Rafa, on the other hand, follows the opposite trajectory. After AO this year, everyone thought he was done for good with his loss to Murray, and then two matches that he should have won at IW and Miami he lost. At this point there was all the OMG RAFA WILL NEVER WIN ANOTHER SLAM hysteria, much like the current OMG RAFA WILL WIN 27 SLAMS hysteria. Of course he had an excellent clay season and that continued onto grass. Average North American hard court season for him...the losses that he had probably helped him peak at the US Open. However, we've yet to see how he will end the year.

In terms of overall form in their years, Federer and Rafa are about equal. Fed's middle of the year lacked while Rafa's beginning did. I'd say Federer's peak form in 2007 was better than Rafa's peak form in 2010. However, I think Rafa's 2010 results beat Federer's 2007 results.

[Johnny Groove]

At the end of the USO, Federer was 53-6.

He had 3 slams, 1 slam final, 2 TMS wins, 2 TMS finals, and Dubai title.

At the end of the USO this year, Nadal is 59-7.

He has 3 slams, 1 slam QF, 3 TMS wins, 3 TMS SF, and Doha final.

Until the end of the year, Federer in 2007 went 16-3, won Basel, TMC, Madrid Final, Paris R16.

So Federer in total was 69-10, with 3 slams, 1 final, 1 TMC, 2 TMS wins, 3 TMS finals, and Basel and Dubai.

So Nadal needs to go at least 10-3, win the TMC and at least one of Paris/Shanghai. If he does, then maybe the stats are close.

But for right now, gotta give it to Fed.

Funny how Nadal's greatest season *might* be equal to Federer first year of "decline".

[Swiss Mountain]

2007? it was not a good year for Roger, everybody start to beat him and talk about his decline.

See 2005 and 2006 instead, and especially the ratio victory defeat.
Nadal is no competition to fedExpress, he's a millions years from Fed. Nadal record look ridiculous. And he didn't even beat fed this year in slam, while Fed beat Nadal in wimbledon, etc, and I loved the 6/0 he did to nadal in W final

[2003]

I also forgot to mention Nadals clean sweep of the three clay titles and Roland Garros in 2010 were impressive, although his form in them was hardly great. He played very averagely at RG 2010 compared to other years, yet best when it counted.

Didn't Federer beat Nadal at least 3 times in 2007 also?

[selyoink]

Irrespective of playing styles and enjoyment the answer is Nadull's 2010. 2007 Fed is when he started to decline, his forehand began to erode a little and it was his serve that was winning him majors. It is a true testament to Fed's greatness that he managed to win 3 slams that year despite the drop off in his level of play from the prior 3 years.

Nadull while benefitting from his trademark luck with some very easy draws at all his winning slams clearly had the best year of his career. 2010 Nadull might not have been a better player than 2007 Fed but he did have a better season regardless of the remainder of his results this year as really only the YEC matters after the last slam.

[Topspindoctor]

3 consecutive slams on 3 different surfaces. First male player to achieve this in open era. Nadal 2010 > Federer 2007

[FlameOn]

Nadal's 2010 season, he scooped all the clay MS events as well.