Mail Time

To: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and all other "experts"

From: Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick



NADAL: Hey, sorry to bother you. I know you all are probably busy writing yet another article about how dominant Roger Federer is and therefore don't have time to read this, which is ok. I don't mind. Go ahead and continue. No, really...



Ok, who am I kidding? I'm sick and tired of the Roger Federer appreciation tour. Have you all forgotten that I hold a large lead over him in the head-to-head category? Are you all too busy marveling at his 15 major titles? Psh, by the time I'm done I'll have more than 20 of those.



Can't you see that my Swiss rival's time as king is running out? You sure seemed to be getting the hint a few months ago after I beat him for, what, the 5th time straight or something like that? You were all getting ready to hop from one bandwagon to the next. Then I lose a couple matches, hurt my knee, and all of sudden we're back where we started? Gimme a break.



RODDICK: I haven't forgotten about what happened last Wimbeldon. Although you may have forgotten that I played in it. I won 39 games while Roger took 38, yet I still lost. Now I know how Al Gore must have felt.

You all are talking about what a great match that was, but it seems the whole thing is about Federer, Federer, Federer. I don't mean to sound bitter, but, hey, I was part of that match, too. I played my heart out and kept it close. Yet it seems I'm nothing but a minor side note. This certainly isn't the treatment Roger got when he lost to Nadal a year ago.

And it's not like I haven't done anything else recently. I beat Federer a few times. I have the fastest serve ever. I'm the best tennis player in America. I may not be as good as Federer but I am very close. Yet he gets ten times the hype that I get.

NADAL: It's ridiculous to say that Roger Federer dominates tennis as much as Tiger Woods dominates golf. I have beaten Federer about twice as many times as he beat me. If anyone dominates the rivalry, it's me. And I'm not the only one who can take him down. Other skilled players like Roddick have beaten him a few times.

I am the future. And soon Roger will be nothing but the past. I have already put a dent in his crown, even if you can't see it. Soon it will be gone. I will shatter any records that he sets. Only then will you finally see that I was the better player all along.

Hopefully you will, anyway.