Stan Wawrinka on Rafael Nadal's chances at French Open 2024 - "If he is healthy, he will always be one of the favorites"
Swiss tennis legend Stan Wawrinka has pegged Rafael Nadal as one of the favorites at Roland Garros 2024 if he is physically fit and ready to compete at the highest level.
Stan Wawrinka is still going strong in his 22nd year on the ATP Tour. He recently sat down with the Spanish news publication MARCA ahead of his campaign at the 2024 Rio Open. During the interview, Wawrinka was asked about the chances of Rafael Nadal winning the upcoming edition of Roland Garros despite his recent injury troubles.
Wawrinka, the winner of Roland Garros in 2015, believes that the Spaniard is and will always be one of the favorites to win in Paris, given his enormous success at the tournament. Nadal is the most successful player in Roland Garros' history, emerging victorious 14 times.
While Nadal has proven his mettle on the clay courts of Paris time and again, Stan Wawrinka opines that his health will play a significant role in his chances at Roland Garros this year.
"If he is healthy he will always be one of the favorites wherever he goes. He's missing games. He has won so many times at Roland Garros that he will always be the favorite. There is no one who knows the tournament better," the Swiss said.
Stan Wawrinka on Rafael Nadal's comeback in 2024: "If you feel that passion you want to continue"
Stan Wawrinka was asked about the driving factor behind Rafael Nadal's return to the tour at the age of 37. The Swiss said that the Spaniard has reached that juncture in his tennis career where money and titles no longer carry the same weight. He said it is the passion for the sport that drives the man from Mallorca to return to tennis even after the injuries that he has sustained.
"Rafa is a great champion and he has already been injured before and came back. It doesn't matter what you have earned or how much money you have, if you feel that passion you want to continue. In Brisbane, he was playing at a high level before getting injured again. If he is healthy he will be a danger to everyone and a candidate for big titles," Wawrinka said.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion came back to the tour after nearly a year away due to an injury at the 2024 Brisbane International in January. He defeated Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler in the first two rounds before losing to Jordan Thompson in the quarterfinals. Nadal skipped the Australian Open due to an injury sustained in Brisbane.
As for Stan Wawrinka, he lost in the opening round in Melbourne. The 38-year-old picked up his first win of the year at the Argentina Open against Pedro Cachin. He will next face Facundo Diaz Acosta in the first round of the Rio Open.