"Rafael Nadal has no ceiling at Roland Garros, he has no rivals" - Juan Carlos Ferrero
Spanish tennis players Juan Carlos Ferrero and Guillermo García Lopez recently had a discussion on Rafael Nadal's achievements at Roland Garros. Both Ferrero and Lopez believe that Nadal's record in Paris is absolutely incredible, which will be very difficult for anyone else to replicate.
Rafael Nadal won his record-extending 13th French Open trophy two weeks ago, which marked his 20th Grand Slam singles title overall. That also tied him with Roger Federer for most singles Grand Slams in men's tennis history.
Ferrero, who won one Grand Slam title in his career - at the 2003 French Open - spoke about how Rafael Nadal will continue to have chances to win more big titles if he remains physically fit.
"With Rafa it is difficult to predict the number," Ferrero said. "He has no ceiling at Roland Garros, he has no rivals and as long as he remains physically at his current level he will have chances, in this and other tournaments."
The former World No. 1 also provided some insight into why Rafael Nadal feels so comfortable on the claycourts of Paris.
"He has a lot of depth and he is very comfortable on courts like that to be able to defend as he wants," Ferrero added. "Something very great has been created around Rafa in Paris, obviously he has something that makes him play well all the time."
The 40-year-old, who defeated Rafael Nadal twice in nine meetings on the ATP Tour, then went on to elaborate the changes that the World No. 2 could make to continue winning in the years to come.
"(He can) Try to shorten the points, play more on the court and the serve has evolved," Ferrero said. "At these levels, the improvements are very small, but he will work to have on that next year."
I don't know if we are aware of the magnitude of what Rafael Nadal has accomplished: Guillermo Garcia Lopez
The 37-year-old Guillermo Garcia Lopez, who is still competing on the circuit and is ranked No. 216 in the world, added that it would be impossible for anyone to replicate Rafael Nadal's achievements in Paris.
"They say it in the news, that it is impressive, but if you stop to analyze it well...Sergi Bruguera won it twice, Ferrero once and (Carlos) Moya another...I don't know if we are aware of the magnitude of what he has done, nor if another player will be able to repeat it in another Grand Slam," Garcia Lopez said. "Especially at Roland Garros...He must feel very comfortable on that court. This year the conditions did not favor him, or the other players but he has been able to move the ball more than anyone."