‘ ‘ ‘ Apparently Pete Sampras has taken out an insurance policy on his record 14 Grand Slam… ‘ ‘ ‘ Apparently Pete Sampras has taken out an insurance policy on his record 14 Grand Slam singles titles. ‘ ‘ ‘ It comes in the form of a 6-foot-1, 22-year-old lefty from Spain. It goes by the name Rafael Nadal and is providing Sampras with some serious protection. ‘ ‘ ‘ See, everyone had all but anointed Roger Federer the greatest tennis player ever. Over the past seven years, Federer has run through the men’s tennis world, exhibiting a reign of dominance never before seen in the sport. ‘ ‘ ‘ Federer got all the way to 13 slams without much interference. And on Sunday, he found himself in the final of the Australian Open, just three sets away from tying the all-time record. ‘ ‘ ‘ But then he looked across the net. And there was Sampras’ policy. ‘ ‘ ‘ Nadal, once considered a clay-court specialist, has officially supplanted Federer as world’s best and now holds three of the sports’ four major trophies, the No. 1 ranking and, for all intents and purposes, Federer’s number. ‘ ‘ ‘ With the emergence of Nadal’s all-court game and Federer’s aging career, the world can no longer guarantee Federer will surpass Pistol Pete. ‘ ‘ ‘ Nadal, considered a minor roadblock four years ago, has officially staked his claim as the next great champion. ‘ ‘ ‘ Consider this: At 22, Federer had exactly two major titles. At 22, Nadal already has six and has won every slam except the U.S. Open. To boot, he’s taken out the great Fed in the last three slam finals they’ve played in, all within the past year. ‘ ‘ ‘ Sampras must be paying crazy premiums. ‘ ‘ ‘ What’s more, Federer appears emotionally and mentally drained by Nadal’s stranglehold on their rivalry. At the conclusion of the five-set final on Sunday, Federer addressed the crowd as the tournament’s runner-up. As he spoke in front of an arena that has witnessed him win down under three times prior, the Swiss great began to weep. He choked on his words and lauded Nadal’s greatness. And you knew right then ‘- Federer just doesn’t know if he can ever pass Sampras either, not as long as Nadal is around. ‘ ‘ ‘ While you consider all this, take into consideration the state of the game. Tennis, once popular in the country for decades, has garnered more apathy than attention in recent years. Perhaps it’s the absence of a great American champion, like Sampras or Andre Agassi. But what it possesses now is a rivalry just as captivating and exciting as the Agassi-Sampras era. ‘ ‘ ‘ It has history on the line, it has two of the best players the world has ever seen taking each other to the limits. It has Federer crying in the agony of defeat. It has Nadal, the consummate competitor. ‘ ‘ ‘ If you still have any reservations about the sport’s intensity and intrigue, forget them. Expel all notions of tennis as a country-club sport of dainty athletes. ‘ ‘ ‘ The reality is that tennis is a ballistic, rabid and physical game. Its professionals have the best hand-eye coordination of any athlete in any sport. Imagine a ball traveling at you from 70 feet away or less, tumbling at speeds hovering around 100 mph and its non-stop, back-and-forth nature with little static. ‘ ‘ ‘ You also have to respect any athlete whose season every year is 11 months long, with a one-month offseason ‘- just enough time to prepare for January when tournament play begins again. ‘ ‘ ‘ The next Grand Slam on the calendar is the French Open, to be played in May. It’s the only major title not on Federer’s shelf and the tournament Nadal has won four consecutive years. ‘ ‘ ‘ Federer played in three of the last four finals, and though he has yet to beat Nadal, you can be sure he would like nothing more than to conquer his greatest rival at the site of his greatest successes. ‘ ‘ ‘ But if Nadal stays true to form, it will most likely result in a Nadal title, potentially his seventh career slam, just a month shy of his 23rd birthday. ‘ ‘ ‘ In case you’re keeping track, that’s exactly halfway to Sampras’ record just five years into his career. I think Pete is going to need a new policy.