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This subject is far more complicated than your question implies. The short answer is that Federer was finally forced to change mentally, while Nadal was forced to change physically.Tennis fans have watched Federer search for answers to solve the Nadal puzzle since their very first match in 2005.While he added features to his game like the drop shot, more serving and volleying, and the SABR, the defining obstacle for Federer to overcome was not about tactics, it was about his mental approach.But both Federer and Nadal had to make significant adjustments in their games after suffering declines in their games (no Slam titles for Federer since 2012 Wimbledon, no Slam titles for Nadal since Roland Garros 2014) followed by the injuries that wiped out the second half of their 2016 seasons.I wrote in depth about this subject over a year ago in analyzing the 2017 Australian Open: Lon Shapiro's answer to How did Roger Federer win Australian Open 2017?Six months ago, I went into more detail in response to a question from Nadal’s perspective: Lon Shapiro's answer to Why can't Nadal beat Federer anymore?Here’s a quick summary of those articles:#1: Federer had to change mentally from “if I play my game I will win” to “if I don’t take chances on the big points, I can’t win.”“For most of Federer’s career, he was so good he could play a little safe against just about anyone in the world and still win. If you look at his career percentages, Federer always had trouble winning break points because he chose to chip his backhand return and play his own brand of amazing defense. He just accumulated so many break points, eventually most players crack under the pressure…”But he couldn’t do it against Nadal:“who was always able to break down the Federer backhand with his high topspin crosscourt forehand. And when Federer actually played a good offensive point on a break point, Nadal seemed to raise his game and hit other worldly passing shots.”#2: The breakthrough came when Ljubicic became Federer’s coach at the end of 2015, and it finally paid off in the 2017 Australian Open:“It was only under Ljubicic that Federer made the technical and mental improvements in his high backhand and off the backhand serve return that he finally committed to taking more chances…“Federer took chances by stepping in and driving his backhand on the return and in most rally shots. From a psychological standpoint, Federer finally got to a point where he had nothing to lose, and did the one thing he hadn’t done in all their previous matches…“By refusing to let Nadal create and then dictate long points, Federer was not beaten down physically. By having confidence in his game plan, he accepted the risks he was taking and didn’t get down or doubt himself, as he has in the past.”[NOTE: I think if Federer did not have that historic run of success from 2003–2007, he might have made these same mental adjustments much earlier in his career. Or, if he had come up a few years after Nadal was already #1, these psychological dynamics would have also changed: Lon Shapiro's answer to Federer is 5 years plus older than Nadal and Djokovic. What if he were 5 years younger? How would the Slam totals change?]#3: Nadal was forced to make physical adjustments that ultimately affected him mentally.But let’s be clear that Nadal is a different player now than he was from 2005–2013:“As I outlined in the article about the AO 2017 final, Nadal has had to change his game (bigger serving, more aggressive points, flattening out his ground strokes) in order to save his body. You can see those changes since Carlos Moya was added as a coach.”#4: The 2017 Australian Open Final really showed how much Federer’s rise did not happen in a complete vacuum.In 2017, Federer reinvented himself for a number of reasons (which are explained in detail above and in the linked articles. For the sake of clarity, let’s call this new and improved version Federer (17).Similarly, Nadal has been on a long road to regain top form by hiring Carlos Moya in 2016, and working on shortening points by hitting harder, flatter shots, and especially by stepping inside the baseline to attack off his backhand. For the sake of clairty, let’s call this more efficient version Nadal (17), while the old Nadal who hit huge topspin, and played deeper in the court Nadal (13), which was his last great season as the #1 player in the world.A huge part of this competitive dynamic played out in the 2017 Australian Open finals, in which Federer (17) won the first and third sets against Nadal (17), and lost the second and fourth sets against Nadal (13):“There was a great graphic on TV [during AO17] which showed that Nadal’s average forehand reached 4′ 1′’ after the bounce in the first set, then improved to 4′ 11″ in the second set. When Nadal went into his classic defensive mode in the second set, Federer was once again uncomfortable, hitting shoulder- and head-high balls off the backhand.”To start the fifth set, Nadal (13) went up a break, serving at 3–2, 40–30, but missed a winning forehand that hit the tape and went out. The cumulative efforts of this match and the five-hour semi-final match against Dimitrov finally wore down Nadal, allowing Federer (17)’s attacking game and risk taking on second serve returns to pay off:“Unfortunately for Rafa, he used up his last reserves in those early games of the fifth set. I think the first two service games took about twenty minutes. Federer’s ability to stay aggressive on his backhand serve returns and groundstrokes put tremendous pressure on Nadal. Instead of [Federer] getting thirteen break points in a entire match, he had fifteen break points in the fifth set, while winning two.”Nadal (13) simply couldn’t maintain the movement and passing shot brilliancy that he had when he was in his early twenties. Nadal made a forehand error, and Federer held easily:“Nadal started guessing on the location of Federer’s serve, a sure sign that an opponent has either cracked mentally or physically… He got aced twice and shanked another return in that game.”At 3–4 in the fifth set, Nadal’s body finally gave out:This was one of the finest games of the match, and matched the drama of some of the best matches in their rivalry, but seeing the greatest counter puncher in the history of tennis miss four running down the line forehands in one game made me think he had nothing left in the tank.#5: The physical changes in Nadal’s game helped him win the 2017 US Open title and regain the #1 ranking, but it changed his mental outlook:“…the psychological dynamic between these two players has completely reversed.“Rafa’s mentality was that if he played his game, Federer had to play perfect tennis to beat him… He has spoken many times about his willingness and ability to suffer on the court, and I think this speaks to the way he wears down opponents physically as well as mentally.”Nadal is now confused and frustrated against Federer (just like he was for a couple of years against Djokovic). Playing like Nadal (17) put the Swiss champion in his comfort zone. The result was Federer dominated him, winning in straight sets at Indian Wells, Miami, and Shanghai.On the other hand, if the Spaniard fell back into Nadal (13) mode, he was afraid that the toll on his body needed to beat Federer could ruin his body and affect the rest of his season. (Once again, Nadal couldn’t finish the season in 2017, withdrawing from three different events due to injury).#6: Federer regained a mental edge he had lost since the Wimbledon 2008 Final:“When you have two all-time greats playing each other over the years, their current ranking or play against the rest of the world doesn’t matter. It becomes the case where the guy with the edge just knows he’ll come through and the other guy has the tiniest doubt in his mind. This difference in mentality translates into the one or two big points that change the course of a match.“At Wimbledon in 2008, Nadal hit one of the most impossible up-the -ine running forehand passing shots I’ve ever seen, resulting in the service break at 7–7 in the fifth. At the Australian Open in 2017, Nadal missed four running forehands to lose serve at 3–4 in the fifth.”Conclusions:As evidenced by Nadal’s brilliant play this clay court season, he can still play the old way, but the toll it takes on his body is clear, based on the fear he expressed in describing the hand cramp he suffered in the third set of the French Open Final. It will make it impossible for him to play that way on grass or hard courts if he wants to play a full season.Nadal is not even sure he will play the Queen’s Club grass court tournament, because of his grueling clay court schedule. With no grass court preparation, he might suffer another early exit at Wimbledon.Federer, on the other hand, skipped the last two clay court seasons not only to rest his body, but to preserve the change in their mental dynamic:“Losing to Nadal on clay would give Nadal that familiar taste of victory, and restore him mentally for the rest of the season. (It’s like a basketball player who doesn’t make a shot the whole game, but finally makes a couple of free throws. Seeing the ball go through the basket breaks the cold streak, and often this same player will get hot or hit a game winning shot.)”The rest of this season will be fascinating to see play out. If Federer reaches the semis at Stuttgart this week, he will regain the #1 ranking. If Federer can stay fresh, can he win another Wimbledon?Given their current rankings, they could be on the opposite sides of the draw for the rest of the year, meaning each player would have to get to the finals in order to meet.I hope we get future matches between these all-time greats, but it could be unlikely as age and the wear and tear of playing on hard courts for the last half of the year could wear down one or both of them.Thanks for the A2A.

The pace of the game isn't slower in the NBA, it's actually faster. Median possessions per minute this season (2013) so far in each, assuming these numbers are right:NBA: 2.00 possessions per minute (Median possessions per game: 96.09 NBA Stats - Teams Overall, 48 minutes)NCAA: 1.77 possessions per minute (Median possessions per game: 70.7 NCAA BB Team Possessions per Game, 40 minutes)So... that kind of contests the premise of the question.I do agree they produce very different products. There are definitely stylistic differences in the leagues. Some things that I think are causes (you already mentioned several of them):24-second shot clock vs. 35 in college. Speeds up offensive play substantially in the NBA and is probably the primary reason for the pace difference (2.00 vs. 1.77) noted above.Defensive 3 seconds in the key in the NBA. Reduces the types of defensive strategies that can be used, particularly limits some zones.82 game seasons. The NBA season is long, tiring, and the games in all reality don't mean as much. Each is 1/82 of your regular season vs. 1/~30th. Strategically this can and should affect things (i.e. Popovich sitting his top guys last season for whole games, full court pressing, etc.).3-point line. It's further away, which adds some more spacing as defenses are forced to defend further from the basket.The crowd. Having been to many NCAA games when Stanford was good and many NBA games, I can say college crowds are at a different level (save for Oracle Arena in Oakland during the playoffs). Volume and excitement of the crowd probably affects perception of the players (and probably affects the players too).NCAA Tournament vs. NBA Playoffs. The one-and-done nature of the Tourney introduces more variance, which may appear more frantic and exciting.Personally, I think the style and quality of play in the NBA is more fun to watch as a spectator now than the NCAA's - I didn't always feel this way. It's due to this current crop of stars, combined with a significant change in how many NBA teams think about offense (early start to offense, emphasis on corner 3's, ball movement, and multi-action sets, as opposed to 1-on-1 Iso's, which seemed to be the norm for so long).I think your question sort of hints that you disagree, but to each his/her own!Edit: Just saw some of the tags on this question, namely 'Duke Basketball' and 'New York Knicks'. I should say that if those current teams are your sole representatives of the two leagues, then I totally agree with you.

America’s Cup – Yachting(images via: Sailing Team USA, 2space and Sailing.org)Arguably the oldest current championship trophy, the America’s Cup is a silver ewer crafted by Great Britain’s Garrard & Co. in 1848. Originally named the “R.Y.S. £100 Cup” (RYS standing for Royal Yacht Squadron), the cup was first awarded on August 22, 1851 to the owners of the schooner America after its victory in the Royal Yacht Squadron’s 1851 Annual Regatta around the Isle of Wight.(images via: XS Racing and Ecaptain)Following America’s victory, the trophy was renamed the America’s Cup and was held at the New York Yacht Club for the next 132 years as NYYC-sponsored yachts successfully defeated every challenge. Finally in 1983, the yacht Australia II, owned by the Royal Perth Yacht Club, ended the longest winning streak in professional sports history. Affectionately known as “the Auld Mug”, the original silver ewer has been modified several times by having its base extended to accommodate the names of race winners.Stanley Cup – NHL Ice Hockey(images via: FacilityBlog, The North End Zone and Syracuse.com)The Stanley Cup is awarded to the National Hockey League’s playoff champions at the climax of each season. The original trophy was donated in 1892 by Lord Stanley of Preston, the Governor General of Canada, to the country’s top-ranking amateur ice hockey club. As such, the NHL’s most prestigious trophy predates by several decades the establishment of the NHL itself.(image via: Deadspin)The Stanley Cup has been modified many times over the past century due to the requirement that the names of the players, coaches and staff from each year’s champions be engraved. The current version of the silver and nickel-alloy trophy is 35.25 inches (89.54 cm) tall and weighs 34.5 lbs. or 15.5 kilograms. It’s also waterproof… luckily.Claret Jug – PGA Golf(images via: About.com/Golf, Sports Poster Decorations and Sportsblink)The Claret Jug, formally known as The Golf Champion Trophy, dates from 1872 and is awarded to the winner of each year’s British Open, one of professional golf’s four major annual tournaments. The winner’s name is engraved on the original silver trophy immediately before presentation, and the winner is allowed to keep the trophy for a full year – it must be returned before the next year’s British Open begins, upon which the previous year’s winner is presented with an engraved replica.(image via: Sportsnet.ca)The original Claret Jug is housed in a glass display cabinet in the clubhouse of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews since 1928. The silver claret jug is inscribed ‘The Golf Champion Trophy’, and was made by Mackay Cunningham & Company of Edinburgh, Scotland for a mere £30. The trophy replaced the previous award, the Champion’s Belt, which was a red leather belt with a silver buckle. Good thing too, if you’ve ever tried drinking champagne out of a belt!Vince Lombardi Trophy – NFL Football(images via: LIFE, NorthJersey.com and PeopleQuiz)The Vince Lombardi Trophy has been awarded to the winner of pro football’s Super Bowl since January 15, 1967, when the NFL’s Green Bay Packers defeated the AFL’s Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 35-10. The trophy received its current name in 1970 as a tribute to Lombardi following his tragic death from cancer. Unlike other professional sports trophies like the Stanley Cup, a new Vince Lombardi Trophy is crafted each year and presented to the Super Bowl winning team, after which it is theirs to keep in perpetuity.(image via: LIFE)The Vince Lombardi Trophy carries significant intrinsic value as it is made by Tiffany & Co. entirely from sterling silver. The trophy is 22 inches (56 cm) tall, weighs 7 pounds (3.2 kg), and is made over a period of approximately four months requiring 72 man-hours of labor. At today’s current precious metal prices, the trophy is valued at upwards of $50,000.Commissioner’s Trophy – Major League Baseball(images via: Sportsmemorabilia.com and New York Daily News)Ask the average sports fan what the Commissioner’s Trophy is and often as not your reply will be a blank stare. Show them a photo, however, and “the World Series Trophy” registers immediately. The trophy, which is awarded annually to the victors of Major League Baseball’s World Series, is presented by the Commissioner of Baseball (currently Bud Selig) and is the only one of the four major North American sports championship trophies not to be named after an actual person.(image via: Boston.com)The Commissioner’s Trophy, like pro football’s Vince Lombardi Trophy, is made by Tiffany & Co. and has an estimated value of $15,000. It has been awarded 42 times since the St. Louis Cardinals won the World series in 1967 and again, like the Vince Lombardi Trophy, is made from scratch each year as the winners get to keep the one they’re awarded with.Grey Cup – CFL Football(images via: LIFE, Bonesville and Lone Pine Publishing)The Grey Cup is awarded to the winners of the annual Grey Cup Game, the penultimate game in every Canadian Football League season. First awarded in 1909, the Grey Cup has grown from a silver loving cup to a much taller trophy decorated with engraved plates bearing the winning team’s name and those players who suited up for the championship game. As these plates will be completely filled in 2012, the Grey Cup will need to be enlarged or redesigned for the 2013 CFL season.(image via: CBC)The Grey Cup is reused from year to year and must be returned by the winning team each year. Over its nearly century long history, the Grey Cup has endured more than a few breakages. One notorious example occurred in 1987 when a player from the Edmonton Eskimos sat on it during post-game celebrations. In 1969, the Ottawa Rough Riders defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders 28 to 9 to win the Grey Cup, which was subsequently stolen and held for ransom. The CFL refused to pay and an anonymous tip led to police recovering the Grey Cup from a hotel locker.Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy – NBA Basketball(images via: Associated Content, Chicago Breaking News, NBA.com and Hoopedia)The Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy, named for late NBA commissioner Larry O’Brien in 1984, has been awarded to the winner’s of the National Basketball Association’s championship game since 1977. The trophy may be young in years but already certain traditions have sprung up around it, including it’s appearance in the annual NBA champions’ celebratory parade. The trophy’s 9-inch wide upper portion is meant to resemble a basketball and is hollow with a hinged lid. Winning teams often fill the trophy with dip and enjoy “dunking” tortilla chips during post-victory celebrations. No telling if any double-dipping controversies have arisen.(image via: Adam Fagen)Tiffany & Co. creates a new Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy every year from 14.5 pounds of sterling silver and vermeil overlaid with 24 karat gold. The trophy is currently valued at $13,500… now that’s Dorito-dipping in style! The 22-inch (55 cm) tall trophy is the permanent property of the winning team and the Los Angeles Lakers have the largest collection so far: eight!FIFA World Cup Trophy – Soccer/Futball(images via: Trophies Trophy News, Unprofessional Foul and Solar Navigator)The FIFA World Cup Trophy was first introduced in 1974 and is awarded to the victors of soccer’s quadrennial World Cup match. The trophy stands 14.4 inches (36.5 cm) tall and is made of 11 lbs. (5 kg) of 18 carat gold. First awarded in 1974 to World Cup hosts and champions West Germany, the World Cup Trophy features the names of the winning teams on its underside, and after 2038 all the available space will be filled.(image via: Monsters and Critics)The World Cup Trophy replaces the Jules Rimet Trophy, which was won by Brazil in 1970: as it was their third time winning the World Cup, Brazil also won the right to keep the trophy. New rules instituted by FIFA state that the solid gold World Cup Trophy cannot be won outright – winners are presented with a gold-plated replica instead.Gentlemen’s Singles Trophy – Tennis(images via: Corned Beef Hash, Way 2 Health ‘n Beauty and Wimbledon Open Tennis)The most prestigious trophy in professional tennis is the Gentlemen’s Singles champion’s trophy, an 18.5 inch (47 cm) tall and 7.5 inch (19 cm) wide gilt silver cup awarded at Wimbledon each year. Though Women’s and Doubles champions are also awarded trophies, the Gentlemen’s Singles champion’s trophy takes precedence having been awarded since 1887.(image via: Corned Beef Hash)The Gentlemen’s Singles champion’s trophy has remained unchanged and unmodified since 1887 and winners spend mere moments with their prize following its presentation – after which the cup is returned to its secured display case at the All England Lawn Tennis Club. Don’t feel too bad for the champs, though, current price money for the Gentlemen’s Singles winner is £850,000 plus (since 1949) they receive a miniature (8.5 inches high) replica of the trophy. American Pete Sampras has 7 of them in his own personal secured display cabinet.Borg-Warner Trophy(images via: ViperClub Forums and CBS Sports)Perhaps the largest trophy in pro sports is the Borg-Warner Trophy, on display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum in Speedway, Indiana. The trophy symbolizes victory in the Indianapolis 500 automobile race first held in 1911. The trophy itself was first presented at a celebratory dinner in 1936 and exudes Art Deco elegance and style. It stands 5 feet, 4 inches (162.5 cm) tall and weighs 153 pounds (45 kg). Commissioned at a cost of $10,000 – big money in the depths of the Great Depression – the Borg-Warner Trophy is estimated today to have a value of more than $1.3 million.(image via: Auto Racing One)The Borg-Warner Trophy’s unusual design features the embossed faces of each Indianapolis 500 winner rendered in a checkerboard pattern. Since 1988, Indy 500 winners have received a downsized replica of the Borg-Warner Trophy that stands 18 inches (46 cm) tall. The current trophy replaces the 24 inch (61 cm) tall replica that was mounted on a walnut plaque.(image via: The Donovan)If you’re wondering about the trophy above… don’t ask, don’t tell! Just kidding, it’s the 3rd place trophy awarded at the Army National Guard’s annual Combatives Tournament. Said by some to be the worst-designed trophy EVAR, at least it gives competitors a little extra incentive to win 2nd or 1st place – not that there’s anything wrong with that.