Kafelnikov: The Tennis God
There are many good players on the circuit at the moment (Pat Rafter, Carlos Moya, Andre Agassi, Tim Henman and of course, Pete Sampras) but few are as complete as Kafelnikov is. This is the reason why he rose to be god of tennis. While many would claim that Pete Sampras as the undisputable king of tennis, or a couple of other notable individuals, Yevgeny is the only player on the tour today that has been true to tennis itself, which is the only way to rise above the ranks. To be true to tennis is to hold a love for the game, not just a love for certain aspects.
Unlike many years ago, few top singles players play doubles. This is always a big indication of that players perception of tennis. To restrict oneself to literally half of the game implies that the motive is money, fame or prestige. Players often cite that they don't play doubles in order to concentrate on singles, but if a love of tennis is the motive for playing why should it matter. This is not so bad if a player occasionally dabelles in the other field (as Pete Sampras does), but there are huge amounts of 'great' players who avoid doubles' matches like the plague. This is not to say that players who don't play doubles are not good at tennis, it would be stupid to say so, but can a player ever be considered 'great' if they chose not to in an entire half of the sport. The argument that doubles does not pay as much and recieves less coverage is commercial nonsense, as any player who says their 'in it for the money' or to get on television should not be taken seriously anyway. Hence, Kafelnikov being one of few players who does play both circuits already shows himself as being above the pack.
Futhermore, he can play on all surfaces, and win tournaments on these surfaces. This is particularly refreshing as most players balance their game in favour of a single surface. Pete Sampras (and almost all Australian players) gear their game to fast courts, whilst the European players strategise for clay. Andre Agassi also leads the field in this area, demonstrating his talent, though his image falls down again, because he never plays doubles. Naturally, a player is going to be better at one style than another, but to ignore an entire aspect of the game (such as many of the Spainards, who even sometimes refuse to play Wimbledon) is unforgiveable. On the other hand, players who try to succeed on a surface which doesn't favour them (such as Pete Sampras or Pat Rafter) says alot about their attitude.
Being good on all surfaces obviously complements a players repertoire. Thus, Kafelnikov is also a complete player, and can do almost any trick in the book - slice, lob, roll. He also, if grudgingly, plays at the net or serves and volleys, a skill that is being left behind in favour of heavy ground-strokes.
In short, as a tennis player, he appears almost perfect, it is his mental aspect that is less reliable, but that is far from a short coming. Being erratic he can dissapoint but also surprise; he can miss an easy shot, but hit a difficult one. Spectators and commentators may find his altering frames of mind frustrating, but he is not a machine and should not be expected to play like one. It is good to see that he does register emotions and feelings in a day and age where people are turning them off. A 3-dimensional character he is, making him a far more interesting player and person, even if it makes supporting him slightly more stressful.
Taking into account the game of tennis and all its aspects, few players have mastered it so completely as Yevgeny. He may not be able to master it every time he walks out onto a court, but he can master it in more variable circumstances than any other player, making him the god of tennis.
YEVGENY KAFELNIKOV CHAMBER The Realm of The Citadel : SPORTS FEATURES THE REALM OF THE CITADEL : MAIN HALL