Rafael Nadal sympathizes with Andy Murray - "He shared the tour at the prime time of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer & myself"
Rafael Nadal recently shared his experience playing against Andy Murray in the early days of the latter's career. Nadal was speaking at the post-match press conference after his first-round triumph against Zizou Bergs.
Murray played his last match at the Miami Open. He suffered a ligament tear in the ankle during his match against Tomas Machac in the third round of the tournament. Nearly a month later, Murray is going to make his return to the Geneva Open, where he has received a main draw wildcard.
The Spaniard was questioned about his early career matchups with Murray during the press conference. Addressing the same, Nadal revealed that the Brit had encountered some challenging times during his career when touring with the likes of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and himself.
"Yeah, Andy had an amazing career. I think in some way, I mean, I don't like to say he deserve more or less because at the end, if I say I deserve more if I don't have injuries, no? No, I don't, because I had the injuries, no?" said Nadal.
Nadal was further quoted as saying, "He had a lot of finals. He was an amazing player that probably played in a difficult moment of the history of tennis because he share the tour at the prime time of Novak, Roger and myself."
Injuries have been one of the major obstacles in the professional career of Andy Murray, who was recently diagnosed with a ruptured anterior talofibular (ATFL) and calcaneofibular (CFL). The three-time Grand Slam champion has frequently faced injuries since 2021 but has shown determination to fight those injuries and return to the ATP tour.
"Obviously he's done a lot for can I say UK tennis" - Naomi Osaka on Andy Murray
Noami Osaka recently applauded Andy Murray for his resilience despite facing numerous injuries in his career. In a post-match press conference, the Japanese also highlighted Murray's contributions to tennis, especially British tennis. [6:24 onwards]
"Yeah, it's funny, I actually asked Wim where Murray was because I haven't seen him for a couple tournaments. I didn't know that he was out. I mean, for me, Murray's such a great guy, such a tough competitor. I think it's really amazing the fact that he loves tennis so much and he keeps coming back. He's had all these injuries. He's kind of unrelentless in a way - or relentless, sorry. Just his ability to keep playing matches at a high level," Osaka said.
"For me, when I think about him, when I think about the legacy that he leaves on tennis, obviously he's done a lot for can I say UK tennis or should I say British tennis. I think as a kid watching him on TV playing these amazing battles, he's affected every tennis kid worldwide," she added.
Osaka, meanwhile, registered a convincing win in the first round of the Italian Open, where she defeated Clara Burel 7-6(2), 6-1. The Japanese then beat No. 19 seed Marta Kostyuk 6-3, 6-2. She will next play Daria Kasatkina in the third round.