"If Rafael Nadal wins Roland Garros, he will be the greatest of all time" - Jose Luis Clerc
Former Argentine player Jose Luis Clerc has said that Rafael Nadal would end the GOAT debate for good if he wins Roland Garros this year.
The 35-year-old created history earlier this year by beating Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final. In the process, he broke a tie with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic to become the first men's player to win 21 Grand Slam singles titles.
Rafael Nadal has entered the 21 & Only Club.
With a 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 win over Daniil Medvedev in the #AusOpen final, @RafaelNadal has passed Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic with a 21st Grand Slam singles title, the most in men's tennis history.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Former World No. 4 Clerc has said that Nadal is on the cusp of tennis immortality, while Federer might have won his last Major. Clerc said:
"If Nadal wins Roland Garros, he will be the greatest of all time. The one who I don't think will win another Grand Slam is Roger. Those of us who love the sport want Federer to be eternal, but he is not. People tell me 'Batata , Roger is the best,' but for me the one who wins the most Grand Slam titles is going to be the greatest in history," Clerc said.
Rafael Nadal's 2022 season so far
Rafael Nadal has made a dream start to his 2022 campaign. After opening his season with the Melbourne 250 title, the Spaniard recovered from two sets and a break point down to triumph for the second time at the Australian Open.
In the process, Nadal joined Djokovic as the other player in the Open Era to win the double career Grand Slam as he won a record 21st Grand Slam singles title. The legendary left-hander continued his perfect start to the year, winning the Acapulco title. However, his unbeaten 20-0 start to the season was snapped by Taylor Fritz in the Indian Wells final.
The first man to beat Rafael Nadal this year?
Taylor Fritz. https://t.co/9uV3U7XsEE
The Spaniard had sustained a rib stress fracture in his semifinal against Carlos Alcaraz, which hampered him against Fritz. Currently out of action, Nadal has skipped Monte Carlo and Barcelona and is doubtful for Madrid and Rome. It remains to be seen if'll be fit enough to win a record-extending 14th title at Roland Garros later this summer.
Meanwhile, Nadal's contenmporaries and the other GOAT contenders Djokovic and Federer have respectively played four and zero matches so far this year. While the Serb is in action at the ongoing Belgrade Open, Federer hasn't played since Wimbledon last year due to knee surgery.
The Swiss recently shared a few pics from his rehab with a tentative return to the court later this summer.