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Nadal returns to chase Federer yet again


When Rafael Nadal steps into New York at the end of the month, he could be forgiven for thinking he is touching down on his personal version of square one.
The tennis world will welcome Nadal back to Grand Slam competition at the U.S. Open with gusto, as he completes a men’s draw stacked with multiple potential champions.
But things will be different for the Spaniard this time around, with the gaze of Flushing Meadows spread more widely this year rather than being trained exclusively upon Nadal and Roger Federer.
Rewind 12 months and Nadal was the hottest topic of conversation as he sought to complete a remarkable 2008 season by adding the U.S. Open to his French and Wimbledon titles and Olympic gold medal.
That his challenge came undone with an exhausting loss to Andy Murray in the semifinals appeared to matter little. Nadal ended the year as world No. 1, and despite Federer’s eventual triumph in New York, it was the younger man who reasserted his authority by winning the Australian Open and looking primed for a big 2009.