"His tennis is much more entertaining than Djokovic and Federer's" - Mats Wilander on French Open champion Rafael Nadal
Former World No. 1 Mats Wilander has praised Rafael Nadal for the changes he has made to his game over the years. Wilander stated that he enjoys watching the 22-time Grand Slam winner dominate the field at the age of 36.
In his column for French newspaper L'Equipe, via Spanish daily AS, Wilander said the Spaniard has added many layers to his game and is more fun to watch than either Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer.
"His tennis is much more entertaining than Djokovic's and Federer's. The older he is, the more I enjoy watching him play. We see that he trusts his variations more than when he used to at 22 or 23 years old," Wilander said.
The Swede also compared Federer's game to Nadal's and analysed how they've evolved over the years.
"With Roger, everything seems easy. It's simple and aesthetic. Rafa is different: his true personality arises when the racquet hits the ball. Of course, the beginning and the end of the motion are not as fluid as with Roger," Wilander said, adding, "But the contact with the ball is so pure, his touch on the ball is so extraordinary that I am always blown away."
Wilander, who covered the French Open with Eurosport as a commentator, was so overwhelmed with the 36-year-old's game that he expressed his wish to stop commentating and just watch the Spaniard play.
"Previously, there was a repetitive aspect to his game. We knew exactly how he was going to win most of the points and get the job done 6-2, 6-2, 6-2. Now he creates uncertainty. What will he do next? It's like watching Federer when he was at his best. I no longer want to commentate on his matches, I just want to watch him play," Wilander said
Rafael Nadal unsure of Wimbledon participation
Rafael Nadal has been dealing with a chronic foot injury since the start of his career. He recently already started an ambitious treatment called Radiofrequency Ablation, which could have a say in his participation at the Wimbledon Championships this year.
The King of Clay was able to get through gruelling matches at Roland Garros only because he used injections to numb his foot and overcome the pain. After the tournament, he stressed that he needed to find a different course of action moving forward.
The Mallorcan has won Wimbledon twice in his career (2008, 2010) and will be hoping to be pain-free by the time the 2022 edition begins on 27 June.