"I've never seen a player spend so much time on a tennis court" - Bjorn Borg hails Rafael Nadal, backs Novak Djokovic to win more Grand Slams
Swedish tennis legend Bjorn Borg has showered praise on Rafael Nadal for his "unbelievable" commitment to the sport. He has also conveyed his best wishes to Novak Djokovic for his future endeavors.
Earlier this week, Borg, an 11-time Grand Slam champion, was in Chennai, India, along with his wife Patricia Ostfeld. Their son Leo, playing in the ongoing ATP Challenger 100 men's international tournament, lost in the first round against Serbia's Hamad Međedovic.
Incidentally, in addition to his father, Leo also looks up to Nadal for inspiration. He also spent time at the Rafa Nadal Academy in 2020.
Borg, who has been the captain of Team Europe since the Laver Cup started in 2017, took time out from his schedule to speak with former Indian player Vijay Amritraj in Chennai. The 66-year-old remarked that Nadal used to put extra hours into practicing his serve during the Laver Cup.
Borg won six French Open titles, the second most after the Spaniard's record of 14.
"We used to spend five or six hours a day practicing. At the Laver Cup, they used to open the courts at 6 am because Rafa would just serve for an hour before he actually started practice," Borg said. "I have never seen a player spend so much time on a tennis court. He's one of the greats; he commits so much time to his game. It's unbelievable."
Borg also predicted that 2023 Australian Open winner Djokovic would still be at the top of his game for the next few years, and could win several more Majors.
"Djokovic is fit and he's eager to play. He has three to five more very good years of tennis in him. He wants to break all the records and set new records. I think he'll win a few more Grand Slams. I wish him the best," he added.
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Rafael Nadal's 18-year run in the top 10 could end soon
Ever since he won his 22nd Grand Slam title at the 2022 French Open, things have gone downhill for Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard's performances have been subpar of late, largely due to physical issues.
At the 2023 Australian Open, Nadal suffered a hip injury during his second-round loss to Mackenzie McDonald. That came on the heels of the abdominal issue he had been dealing with for much of 2022.
One of Nadal's most extraordinary achievements is the consecutive number of weeks he has been in the top 10 of the ATP rankings. The Spaniard broke into the top 10 on April 25, 2005, and has never been out of it since.
It has been a record 908 weeks on the trot for Nadal in the top 10. Jimmy Connors is the second name among the men at 788 weeks, and the third is Roger Federer at 734.
The 36-year-old, however, is set to lose 500 points since he will be unable to defend his Acapulco title this year. If he also skips Indian Wells, beginning on March 8, another 600 points will be taken away from him.
Nadal would then likely find himself in 11th position in the ATP rankings, finally ending his historic run in the top 10.