Has the balance of power in men's tennis shifted?

[JM1776]

While Federer will still be number one on the computer come Monday, it seems to me that Nadal has claimed the top ranking with the year he's had. Granted, Djokovic could match him with a pair of Slams this year if he wins the U.S. Open, but Rafa already has two of the Big Three.

I had predicted about 45 seconds after last year's Wimbledon gentlemen's final that Nadal would improve and win it all this year. I also predicted just before the 2008 Aussie Open that FedEx would not win a Slam this year. I'm three-quarters home with the latter, and think that the U.S. Open is a four-horse race between Djokovic, Federer, the resurgent Marat Safin and Nadal ... though I'm not sure he can beat any of the first three on the fast hard courts at Flushing Meadows—at least not yet.

Opinions?

 

[pork3]

^^
I'd have to see how Rafa plays on hardcourt in the latter part of the season as I'm not convinced he's as dominating on that surface.
As for Safin, he's too inconsistent for my tastes. Has an immense amount of talent, but I question his heart and his commitment to the game.
As for the likely contenders in the US Open finals, I wouldn't be surprised to see Djokovic (who I'm not exactly a fan of) and Federer.

If Federer was not to win the US Open, and following this heartbreaking loss, I see him possibly taking a year off or getting some outside insight through a new trainer/coach.

-Jamman