"They always surprise us without surprising us" - Stan Wawrinka comments on Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic's ultimate Grand Slam count
Swiss tennis star Stan Wawrinka recently commented on Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic's ultimate Grand Slam count.
Wawrinka recently competed in the Open 13 tournament in Marseille, reaching the quarterfinals before losing to Arthur Fils. He defeated Zizou Bergs and Richard Gasquet on his way to the last eight.
Following that, Stan Wawrinka appeared on a recent episode of the ATP Tennis Radio Podcast, where he was asked how many Grand Slam titles 22-time Major winner Novak Djokovic will end up with.
The Swiss responded that it is impossible to know the precise number until the Serb has finished playing tennis. He added that he is "excited" to see what happens at the season's next Grand Slam, the French Open.
"That's we all want to know, but we will not know until he is done. But, he has been amazing since more than 15 years. He has been there, he has been winning everything. Yeah, he is a special player," Wawrinka said.
"So tough to beat, so clean the way he plays, so physical, mentally so strong. Yeah, I am excited to see what's gonna happen with the next Grand Slam coming this year," he added.
Wawrinka then brought up Rafael Nadal, saying that both Djokovic and Nadal are doing well post the retirement of fellow Big-3 member Roger Federer. He went on to say that both the 22-time Grand Slam winners continue to "surprise us without surprising us."
"They have been doing so well. Roger [Federer] retired last year, but Rafa [Nadal] is still here. He also has 22 [Grand Slam titles], so they always surprise us without surprising us because we all know how good they are," Wawrinka said.
"I am very sad for not being able to come to Vegas and play in this amazing event with Carlos" - Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from an exhibition match in Las Vegas, indicating a possible late withdrawal from Indian Wells as well. He was scheduled to compete in the MGM Rewards The SLAM presented by Chase Sapphire, set to take place on Sunday, March 5, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, alongside Carlos Alcaraz.
On Friday, February 17, the event announced Nadal's withdrawal and added two new players to the lineup: Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe. The Spaniard's withdrawal from the match did not come as a surprise, given that he withdrew from the Dubai Tennis Championships and the Qatar Open due to a hip injury sustained during his Australian Open second-round loss against Mackenzie McDonald.
The 36-year-old issued a statement regarding his withdrawal from the event, stating that he was "very sad" not to be able to play alongside his compatriot due to the timeline of his recovery.
"I am very sad for not being able to come to Vegas and play in this amazing event with Carlos at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Unfortunately, the timing of my recovery doesn't make it possible to be there ready to play," he said.
He then thanked the organizers for their "support" and "understanding."
"I am sure that we will find another date to celebrate this event and have fun. I would like to thank the fans and event organizers who have been in contact with me all the time, showed a lot of support and have been extremely understanding," he added.
The Spaniard recently dropped out of the ATP top 7 for the first time since January 2017 and is now ranked No. 8, his lowest ranking in over six years.