Rafael Nadal‘s struggles with injuries have raised major concerns in the minds of his fans. The 37-year-old Spaniard made a comeback last month after nearly a year of absence from competitive tennis due to a hip injury. But his comeback journey was unfortunately cut short and he had to withdraw his name from the 2024 AO. Despite these injury concerns, the Swiss tennis star, Stan Wawrinka has picked Nadal as a favorite for the 2024 French Open.

Stan Wawrinka recently gave an interview with Marca. He spoke about Rafael Nadal’s willingness to compete at the highest even at this age, despite his fitness issues over the years. Wawrinka also hinted that if Nadal is fully fit, he’ll be the favorite to win in Paris this year.

Stan Wawrinka says that there is ‘no one’ who knows the French Open better than Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal has won 14 French Open titles throughout his career. To keep him out of the race would be a foolish thing to do. While conveying his thoughts clearly, Stan Wawrinka has warned the tennis world that Rafael Nadal will be ‘a danger to everyone’ if he’s physically fit.

During the interview, Wawrinka was asked whether he considers Nadal a favorite in Roland Garros this year. To this, he replied, “If he is healthy he will always be one of the favorites wherever he goes. He’s missing games. He has won so many times at Roland Garros that he will always be the favorite. There is no one who knows the tournament better.”

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But what keeps Rafael Nadal motivated to continue playing? Here’s what the 38YO Swiss tennis star said in reply to this question. “Rafa is a great champion and he has already been injured before and came back. It doesn’t matter what you have earned or how much money you have, if you feel that passion you want to continue.

38-Year-Old Stan Wawrinka Reveals Brutally Honest Reason Behind His Fire to Play Tennis

The Swiss star further added, “In Brisbane, he was playing at a high level before getting injured again. If he is healthy he will be a danger to everyone and a candidate for big titles.”

The Swiss tennis player isn’t having a great run on the Tour at the moment as he recently got knocked out of the Rio Open. However, Stan Wawrinka is among those few players who have managed to sneak in a few Grand Slam titles in the era of the ‘Big Three’.

Wawrinka says he’s happy to have been able to play against the best in the history of  the game

A couple of days ago, the 38-year-old tennis player admitted that his passion for tennis is what keeps him active even at this age. Recalling his fond memories from playing against the ‘Big Three’ in tennis he said, “I’m not the one to say if it should be given more value. But I know how hard it was to win with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic in the draws. I am very proud of everything I achieved.”

When asked if playing in a different era could have helped him a few more major titles, he said, “I am happy to have been able to play against the best in history.” He went on to add, “Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic have been the best tennis players ever seen. It was a challenge to face them as well as a satisfaction.”

Stan Wawrinka won the French Open in 2015. Can he prove himself yet again to be a major challenger at Rafael Nadal’s favorite Grand Slam event? Or will the King of Clay have the last laugh?

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