Slam record subject has "changed a bit" with Rafael Nadal's RG loss, Novak Djokovic winning Calendar Slam is "possible": Toni Nadal
Earlier this month Novak Djokovic became the first player to defeat Rafael Nadal twice at Roland Garros, after getting past the Spaniard in a thrilling four-set semifinal. The Serb ended up winning the final too for his 19th Grand Slam title and second French Open crown, which made him the first men's player in the Open Era to win each Major twice.
Rafael Nadal's semifinal defeat, meanwhile, was just the third he has sustained in Paris his entire career. The Spaniard was on a 33-match winning streak before that, and was widely expected to lift the trophy and become the sole owner of the all-time Slam record.
But that didn't happen, and when Novak Djokovic won instead it led to a slew of conversations about the GOAT title and Slam race. In that context, Rafael Nadal's uncle and former coach Toni Nadal recently revealed that Djokovic's impressive showing at Roland Garros has changed his mind about who he thinks is likely to end up with the most Slams.
"The truth is that before Roland Garros I saw Rafael (winning the most Grand Slams), now the subject has changed a bit," Toni told MARCA. "The next Wimbledon and US Open will define things a bit because I understand that each year it will be more difficult to win."
Toni Nadal also talked about the youngsters on tour and the threat they possess, specifically mentioning Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev.
"Tsitsipas was already on the verge of beating Djokovic in Paris," Toni said. "Medvedev and Zverev are already there; Sinner, Musetti are coming."
Rafael Nadal's withdrawal from Wimbledon surprised me: Uncle Toni
Rafael Nadal's grueling claycourt season took a huge toll on his body, prompting him to withdraw from Wimbledon and the Tokyo Olympics. But there have also been murmurs that his loss to Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros may have played a part in the Spaniard wanting to take a break.
Toni Nadal on his part believes that Rafa should be able to bounce back from the defeat since it wasn't his first. The 60-year-old did, however, add that he was surprised at his nephew's withdrawal from Wimbledon.
"A loss at Roland Garros is always painful, especially if you have won 13 times," Toni Nadal said. "But it is not Rafael's first defeat. He has lost more difficult games in finals. It is normal that he is a little affected."
"It did surprise me (Rafael Nadal's withdrawal from Wimbledon)," Toni added. "It is true that he had a few small problems, but obviously he thought he would play."
By winning the title at both the Australian Open and Roland Garros, Novak Djokovic is now well-positioned to win all four Grand Slams this year. And Toni Nadal opined that the feat is tough, but not impossible.
"It is very difficult, but it is possible because he is World No. 1 ," Toni said.
"I did not see an incredibly good game" - Toni on Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic's Roland Garros semifinal
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal's semifinal encounter is widely regarded as one of the matches of the 2021 season so far. In fact, many experts and fans are claiming that the near 100 minute-long third set is one of the greatest in the history of the sport.
Toni Nadal, however, believes the match is not as great as it has been made out to be. The 60-year-old claimed that while Novak Djokovic played well, he was aided by the massive number of errors made by his nephew.
"I did not find it at a particularly high level," Toni said. "When you look at the last set, yes. It is true that he won very good points, but Rafael failed more than normal. He made 55 unforced errors and that made it easier for Djokovic to play better."
Toni also pointed out that his nephew's level and stats this year were not as good as they were in the 2020 edition of the tournament.
"If you look at Rafael's numbers from 2020 to 2021 there is a difference. In the end it is a scale, when one goes up the other goes down and vice versa," Rafael Nadal's uncle added. "I did not see an incredibly good game. I read that it was said that the level was very high, with superlative adjectives, and I did not see it that way."