Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic won the first three Grand Slams of 2022, proving once again how the generational change is a real chimera. Fresh from a long stop due to injury, the 36-year-old Spaniard left everyone speechless by winning the Australian Open and Roland Garros.
The Iberian thus hoisted himself to 22 Majors, extending over Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in the all-time standings. The Serbian narrowed the gap by triumphing at Wimbledon for the seventh time in his career and equaling his idol Pete Sampras.
The 35-year-old from Belgrade has revived a season that risked becoming bankrupt. Nole has in fact paid a very high price for her choice not to vaccinate against the Coronavirus and is unlikely to be able to fly to the United States next month to compete in the US Open.
Federer, for his part, is still struggling with rehabilitation after having undergone yet another operation on his right knee. The 40-year-old from Basel is expected to return to the Laver Cup, which will take place at London’s O2 Arena from 23-25 September.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Tommy Robredo excluded King Roger from the fight for the GOAT title.
Robredo on the Big 3
“Rafael Nadal [was the toughest to play against], for the way he plays, with this speed of the ball, the spin of his forehand, for the difference due to him being left-handed and for the way that he runs after every ball as if it was the first,” Robredo stated.
The 40-year-old, by contrast, ended his career with a 2-7 record against Novak Djokovic and a 1-11 record against Roger Federer. “I dont say the others are easy.. but for me Rafa Nadal had something that makes you suffer more inside the court than the rest,” Robredo said.
In a recent interview, the 36-year-old talked about the definition of talent, as he believes whoever wins the most has the best talent. Nadal‘s recent comments about talent caught the eyes of many fans and experts. He said, “In tennis, as in any sport, the ultimate goal is to win.
So, for me, the summary is clear: the one who wins is the one with the most talent”. Later, Serena Williams’ former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, posted a story on his official Instagram account about Nadal’s comments.
In that story, he said, “I agree 100% with this statement! Real talent is the ability to reach one’s goal.“
