Discussion

Nadal may have something up his sleeve

Rafael Nadal's aura palpably dwindled at the conclusion of last season. The world No.1 knows that if he can't shake the rust, it will be another lost opportunity in Australia.

Updated: January 17, 2009, 9:57 PM ET
By Kamakshi Tandon | Special to ESPN.com

MELBOURNE -- The bulging biceps are holstered in a short-sleeved, collared shirt and the capri-length piratas have receded to a conventional length.

The message is clear: Rafael Nadal, the boy wonder, is no longer. Taking his place is Rafael Nadal, the established No. 1 of men's tennis and the reigning French, Wimbledon and Olympic champion.

It has taken some time for the uniform to fit. Nike handed Nadal the first batch of short-sleeved shirts just before the ...

Read full story

ESPN Conversations


You must be signed in to post a comment

Already have an account?

You are fully responsible for the content you post. Content that includes profanity, personal attacks or antisocial behavior (such as "spamming" or "trolling"), or other inappropriate content or material will be removed. We reserve the right to block any user who violates our terms of use, including removing all content posted by that user.

2009 AUSTRALIAN OPEN

2009 champions
Women's singles: Serena Williams, United States
Men's singles:
 Rafael Nadal, Spain
Men's doubles: Bob and Mike Bryan, United States
Women's doubles: Serena and Venus Williams, United States
Mixed doubles: Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi, India
Official scoreboard: Scores
Slam Central: Follow all the Slam action

Aussie Open key coverage
More from Oz

MORE TENNIS HEADLINES

HOTTEST CONVERSATIONS

ESPN Community »