Commentary

New year, new rules: Rule No. 17

Clay, grass and concrete all reward different skill sets. It's time to acknowlege this.

Updated: December 30, 2009, 11:48 AM ET
By LZ Granderson | ESPN The Magazine

Barring a shift in the ATP rankings, come May, Roger Federer will arrive in Paris as the top seed at the French Open for the sixth time in seven years. And no one will believe he is the man to beat. That distinction -- along with four titles at Roland Garros -- belongs to Rafael Nadal.


Want to know why tennis should seed based on surface? You've got to be an Insider.

LZ Granderson | email

Senior Writer, ESPN The Magazine
  • Edited NBA and tennis for ESPN The Magazine
  • Columnist at The Atlanta Journal Constitution
  • Fellow at Hechinger Institute, Columbia University

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