Reuters
Tennis – Australian Open – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia – January 28, 2022. Spain’s Rafael Nadal celebrates winning his semi-final match against Italy’s Matteo Berrettini. REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake
Reuters
Tennis – Australian Open – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia – January 28, 2022. Spain’s Rafael Nadal celebrates winning his semi-final match against Italy’s Matteo Berrettini. REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake
Over the years, Rafael Nadal has enthralled tennis fans with his performances on the tennis courts. The 20-time Grand Slam champion has come back from numerous career-threatening injuries to dominate his opponents.
Chiefly, his perseverance and never-say-die attitude have invited words of admiration from his fellow players on the tour and past legends of the game. John McEnroe, the seven-time Grand Slam champion, was full of praise for the Spaniard as he reached his 29th Grand Slam final.
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John McEnroe has words of appreciation for Rafael Nadal
The American was impressed with Nadal’s longevity on the tour and praised the Spaniard for his performances on the court. Subsequently, the 62-year-old said, “It is tremendous that he is going to play his 29th Grand Slam final. He is a great champion, he is humble. He is the best athlete I have ever seen in any sport.”
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Tennis – Australian Open – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia – January 28, 2022 Spain’s Rafael Nadal celebrates winning his semi final match against Italy’s Matteo Berrettini REUTERS/Loren Elliott
Moreover, the American felt, “nobody was talking about Rafa when we were dealing with the Djokovic thing. He hadn’t played in the last six months and all of a sudden he shows up here and does this .”
Recently, the seven-time Grand Slam champion was asked about the best tennis player in history. Further, he said, “It depends on the day, who you’re talking to, what surface. For me, Rafa is the best clay-court player, Novak is the best hard-court player, and Roger the best grass-court player, even though Djokovic has won three times at Wimbledon.”
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Tennis – Australian Open – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia – January 28, 2022. Spain’s Rafael Nadal in action during his semi final match against Italy’s Matteo Berrettini REUTERS/Loren Elliott
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The Spaniard’s journey at the Australian Open 2022
Entering the opening Grand Slam of the season on the back of lifting the Melbourne Summer Set title, the 35-year-old looked in fine nick as he brushed past his opponents. He had straight-forward victories in the opening two rounds. Further, in the third round, he was stretched to four sets against Russian Karen Khachanov.
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Tennis – Australian Open – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia – January 28, 2022 Spain’s Rafael Nadal reacts during his semi final match against Italy’s Matteo Berrettini REUTERS/Morgan Sette
Subsequently, in the quarterfinals, he defeated Denis Shapovalov in a high-voltage encounter in five sets. He is one step away from creating history with his win over Matteo Berrettini yesterday.
Can Nadal overtake Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic and lift his 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open 2022? Do let us know your views in the comments below.
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