By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, July 12, 2023
Wimbledon—Novak Djokovic is Grand Slam king, however Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal exert a better influence on tennis, says Toni Nadal in a brand new interview.
Chatting with ClayTennis.com, Toni Nadal, Rafa Nadal’s uncle and authentic coach, stated each Federer and Nadal have transcended tennis greater than Djokovic. Toni Nadal additionally says had Rafa Nadal not suffered so many accidents “he most likely would have gained greater than the others.”
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Uncle Toni additionally identified of the Massive 3 champions solely Rafa Nadal owns the profession Golden Slam—successful all 4 Grand Slam championships in addition to Olympic gold medals in each singles and doubles, which he achieved partnering buddy and now coach Marc Lopez on the 2016 Rio Olympic Video games.
“I feel Federer and Nadal have transcended their sport greater than Djokovic,” Toni Nadal instructed ClayTennis.com. “And Federer has transcended his sport greater than anybody else.
“With regards to categorizing who’s the very best… we must set up clear requirements which might be all the time a bit open to opinion, as a result of who’s the very best, the one who holds the world report or the one who wins the Olympics? I don’t know.
“I feel the one who has managed to play at a greater stage and do harder issues is Federer, the one who has gained extra is Djokovic and if we have been to rely all of the issues Rafael hasn’t performed due to harm, he would most likely have gained greater than the others.”
Toni Nadal says primarily based on report, Djokovic is the very best, nonetheless he asserts each Federer and Rafa Nadal are extra vital to the sport’s progress than the 36-year-old Serbian celebrity.
Twenty-three time Grand Slam champion Djokovic is 2 wins away from capturing his twenty fourth main title to equal Margaret Courtroom’s all-time Grand Slam report.
If Djokovic defeats Jannik Sinner within the semifinals and goes on to defend his Wimbledon crown on Sunday, he’ll tie Federer with eight Wimbledon championships. If Djokovic defends Wimbledon he’ll arrive in New York for subsequent month’s US Open on the verge of momentous historical past bidding to turn out to be each the primary man since Rocket Rod Laver in 1969 to win the calendar Grand Slam and seize a twenty fifth Grand Slam crown to interrupt Courtroom’s report, which was as soon as believed to be untouchable.
Nonetheless, Toni Nadal says the very fact solely one of many 4 Grand Slam is performed on clay and the year-end ATP Finals are staged on arduous courtroom hurts his nephew’s trigger and helps Djokovic in his hunt for historical past.
“Nicely, Djokovic is healthier as a result of he has gained extra titles than Rafael. If Djokovic is 23?” Toni Nadal stated. “However let’s set up various issues: we stay in a tour that’s all the time performed on quick courts. My nephew all the time performs three Grand Slams on the floor he doesn’t do nicely and one on the floor he does nicely.
“He has all the time performed all of the Masters on the floor he doesn’t do nicely on. On this planet of sport, the officers can tip the steadiness somehow. Who wins the Tour de France? If the sports activities officers places within the mountains, one kind of rider will win it, and if he places in a time trial, one other kind of rider will win it.”
In an interview with Tennis Now previous to the pandemic, Toni Nadal, who performs with a one-handed backhand himself, referred to as Federer essentially the most fashionable and one of the crucial vital gamers as a result of he drew so many individuals all around the world to play and watch tennis.
“If I used to be not Rafael’s uncle and coach I might need Federer to win each event,” Toni Nadal instructed Tennis Now in that 2020 interview.
After his nephew rallied to defeat Daniil Medvedev within the 2022 Australian Open closing, Toni Nadal stated if Rafa had not endured so many accidents, Mentioning his nephew suffered a foot harm after defeating Mariano Puerta to win his maiden main on the 2005 Roland Garros and battled by the ache of the persistent foot harm to struggle again from two units down vs. Daniil Medvedev within the Melbourne closing, Toni Nadal stated if Rafa Nadal had been more healthy in his profession “he would have been the very best.”
“I strive to not be a fan of something or my nephew or something,” Toni Nadal stated. “The one who’s a fanatic is a closed particular person.
“Who’s the very best? It’s a tough factor to find out.
“The one who manages to play on the highest stage punctually, the one who wins essentially the most titles… If my nephew hadn’t been injured a lot, and it isn’t uncle’s love, he would have been the very best.”
Photograph credit score: Getty
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