Fernando Verdasco says he would've beaten Roger Federer if he had played him more, jokes that Rafael Nadal has won RG "1000 times"
Fernando Verdasco recently said Rafael Nadal is the toughest opponent he has faced in his entire career, while joking about how dominant he has been at Roland Garros. Verdasco also talked about his matchup against Roger Federer, claiming that he wouldn't have had zero wins against the Swiss if he had played against him more often.
Speaking in an interview with Punto de Break, Fernando Verdasco simply answered "Rafael Nadal" when asked to name his toughest ever opponent. Even when reminded that he has beaten Nadal thrice, Verdasco insisted that it was still the hardest thing he's ever had to do.
The 37-year-old also highlighted how Rafael Nadal gives his 100% throughout the match, which makes the assignment very demanding of any opponent.
"Being at 100% at all times, I think Rafa demands one more step from you, both physically and mentally," Verdasco said.
Verdasco then went on to talk about the comments he often heard during the peak of his career, which suggested that he was a more talented player than Nadal. According to the 37-year-old, Spain has had so many good players over the years that there are many different perspectives on who is the most gifted of all.
"I imagine this will depend a lot on who says it, others will say that Feliciano (Lopez) has more talent, others will say that Rafael Nadal," Verdasco said. "In Spain we have had the great luck of having several generations with brutal talent; if you listen to foreigners talking about us you will see that they tend to define us as gladiators, as physically tough guys."
Verdasco then made a humorous comment about Nadal's Roland Garros success, saying that the 35-year-old has won the title in Paris "1000 times".
"Rafael Nadal has won Roland Garros 1000 times (laughs)," Verdasco said. "The toughest tournament mentally and physically in the world, but other Spaniards have dominated it before, this is seen in the history of tennis."
During the course of the interview, Fernando Verdasco also spoke about his record against all the members of the Big 4. He has beaten Rafael Nadal thrice, and Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic four times each, but is winless against Roger Federer in seven meetings.
But Verdasco believes that that last part is mainly down to the fact that he has played Federer too few times.
"With Rafa, he is the one I played the most times (17-3), then Murray (13-4), then Novak (11-4) and finally Roger (7-0)," Verdasco said. "I beat the first three at times, but with Federer I never could. The closest I got was at the London Masters, going 6-4, 4-4 and two break points, but those two balls slip away and there is no turning back."
"With Rafa I had to play 14 times until I beat him for the first time," he added. "Just as if I had played 14 times with Roger I would have won one."
"Rafael Nadal is one in a billion" - Fernando Verdasco
Fernando Verdasco was later asked about Ken Rosewall's comments that Rafael Nadal would not have been able to defeat Roger Federer so often if he was right-handed. Verdasco responded by claiming that his compatriot always had the game to defeat Federer, irrespective of which side he played from.
"With his physique and mental strength, he would have won anyway," Verdasco said.
The 37-year-old also put emphasis on Rafael Nadal's ability to hit forehand passes even when pushed wide of the court. According to Verdasco, while Nadal may not play as beautifully as Federer, his ability to lift his game at the important junctures sets him apart from everyone else.
"Technically it can be more or less showy, everyone says that Roger Federer is the most elegant, the one who plays the most beautiful," Verdasco said. "Rafa does not play as beautiful as Roger, but Rafa in important moments he arrives from outside the court and hits a forehand on the run from outside the net... and you are stunned.
"Rafael Nadal is one in a billion, otherwise he would not have had the career he has had," he added.