There's never been a more fantastic four heading into Wimbledon

June 8, 2011 - 0:0

Rafael Nadal

The extraordinary Spaniard was surprisingly downbeat after his Roland Garros triumph - but then your sixth title is never going to feel as good as your first.
His demeanour was slightly subdued in Paris where he was saved by his innate ability to lift his game when it counts and the fact clay is his natural habitat.
If he is not right on the money at Wimbledon he will be more vulnerable there but his remarkable transformation to a grass court player in recent years still makes Nadal the man to beat.
WORLD RANKING: No 1. Rafa's rule at the top of the pile would have come to an end had he not beaten Roger Federer at Roland Garros.
TITLES: The Spaniard equalled Sweden's Bjorn Borg's six French Open titles to win his 10th Grand Slam and his 46th title.
PRIZE MONEY : So far Nadal has trousered a mind-boggling £25,823,025 in his career.
BEST SHOT: He is an underrated volleyer and his serve has become a force but the monster forehand remains the most awesome weapon in tennis.
FITNESS RATING: Nadal has had serious problems with his knees but his French Open displays show he is in
Roger Federer
Smart money will have gone on the Swiss when he was 9-2 to win Wimbledon before the French. You will not get that price now, especially as his serve was outstanding at Roland Garros and will be even more effective at SW19.
His Rogerness is keen for us to know that he is not a spent force and indignation is a powerful thing - especially when your ego is as big as a Swiss Alp.
The question is: at nearly 30 and having achieved so much, does he want it so badly to deliver when the pressure is at its most intense?
WORLD RANKING: No 3. After years of unrivalled domination at the top of the rankings, Federer knows he is in a four-way fight to get there again.
TITLES: Holds the record for Grand Slams with 16, beating Pete Sampras.
He has only won the French Open once, however.
Also picked up 67 other titles.
PRIZE MONEY: Not surprisingly, the Swiss tops the charts on that front too. He has won £39,183,323 on the court so far.
BEST SHOT: There is nothing he cannot do and his serve combines power and accuracy, but the free flowing forehand is as beautiful as it is deadly.
FITNESS RATING: Federer has had few injuries but did suffer from glandular fever at the start of 2008.
Novak Djokovic
The fact remains that the burning Balkan has never reached the final of Wimbledon or the French Open. Yet he has improved so much in the past nine months and become so used to winning that you would put nothing past him.
Withdrawing from this week's AEGON Championships may not hurt him but the key will be whether he can move as phenomenally well on grass as he has been doing on clay and the hard courts.
And will the snapping of his winning streak take the pressure off him or act as a deflationary force on his mentality?
WORLD RANKING: No 2. The Serb's amazing 43-match unbeaten run came to an end in Paris and with it his chance to overtake Nadal.
TITLES: Djokovic has won the Australian Open twice and taken 25 titles in total.
PRIZE MONEY: Still trailing behind Federer and Nadal but his career earnings are £16,155,281 to date.
BEST SHOT: While he has turned his serve from a weakness to a strength in the past 12 months, his backhand down the line has been superb, and highly effective against the left-handed Nadal.
FITNESS RATING: Sometimes ran out of steam in long matches but no longer an issue.
Andy Murray
With his wiring more complex than the Large Hadron Collider, anything could happen with the mercurial Scot.
He believes hard courts are his best surface, many others beg to differ. He is excellent on grass and usually reacts well to the domestic pressure heaped upon him at Wimbledon.
He has just enjoyed his best ever season on the more difficult clay, which was the first substantial improvement in his tennis for some while, therefore he should step on the grass with nothing to fear.
WORLD RANKING: No 4. Murray started the year at four, dropped to five behind Robin Soderling, but is back knocking on the door of his rivals.
TITLES: Although he has reached the semi-final in all four Slams, the big prize still eludes the British No 1. 16 career titles.
PRIZE MONEY: Hardly a pauper but Murray's £9,840,956 leaves him in the shade of his three other rivals.
BEST SHOT: His hugely versatile backhand. It is metronomically accurate and the two hander can go down the line or cross court, or revert to a fine single handed slice.
FITNESS RATING: His intensive pre-season training in Miami has paid dividends on the court and he can match anyone for stamina. Has had a number of injuries, the latest of which was a turned ankle at the French Open but should be okay for the grass.