Rafael Nadal has been surprising the tennis community and beyond with his prolonged success. Given his injuries, it seemed that the Mallorcan could retire anytime when he was already in his mid-20s. However, the Spanish sensation is very well alive and kicking at almost 34 years of age, with 19 slams under his belt and counting.
Rafa’s incredible run is even more astonishing at the French Open, where he conquered the title 12 times (!!!).
French tennis legend Henry Leconte was immensely talented during his days and he understands the game extremely well. During a recent interview with Stats Perform, Henry commented:
“What’s astonishing to me is how he evolved physically, how he changed his game, how he improved. I like to compare him to an F1 racing team which is producing a new car every year, he is coming every year with a new way of playing and adapting. He works on his serve, on his right hand, his left hand, and he’s always changing some things.
He’s been able to improve every year which allowed him to win the Roland Garros, this is amazing. And mentally, he’s out of this world. To play at his level at Roland Garros, under these circumstances, physically and mentally, I couldn’t even play one set like that.”
“During my time, Bruguera was a bit like him, and when I had to play him on clay, with my style, I knew it was over, I was about to run everywhere and get destroyed. Rafa is extraordinary. This is what’s impressive and people don’t realize how much he works,” he added.
Rafael Nadal’s ranking and performance in 2020
Now ranked no.2, the Spaniard played his last match on the 29th of February when he overcame Taylor Fritz 6-3 6-2 in the final in Acapulco to win his 85th career title.
Currently, this season Nadal has a 13-3 win-loss record. Nadal clinched 1 title in Acapulco.
Rafael Nadal |
| Embed from Getty Images |
