Nicolas Massu: ‘Rafael Nadal has one of the best heads in the history of world sport’

Nicolas Massu, who has been coaching Dominic Thiem since early 2019, helped the Austrian to win five tournaments: Indian Wells, Barcelona, Vienna, Pekin, and Kitzbuhel. Since they started their collaboration, the actual World No. 5 also reached the final of the French Open and the ATP Finals. 

Ahead of Thiem’s clash against Rafael Nadal, in the quarter-finals of the 2020 Australian Open, Massu praised the World No. 1 in an interview to the ATP official website.

“I’ve always said it, Rafa is a role model for all the kids. Anyone who sees how he dedicates himself to the sport, the passion he puts in, his mentality... The new generations understand that tennis is not just talent, it’s also hard work. I love how great he is on court, but above all off of it,” the Chilean said.

“He’s a sportsman with a spectacular legacy. And he has one of the best heads in the history of world sport, fighting from the first point until the last and giving it everything he has. We know that we’ll have to throw everything into it, Dominic is clear on that. He is also a fighter, he always wants more, to keep pushing forward... that’s why it will be a great match,” he concluded.

Nadal and Thiem have faced each other 13 times with the Spaniard prevailing in nine occasions, including two French Open finals. The last time they met on hard-court was at the 2018 US Open with Nadal winning an epic match in the fifth-set tiebreak.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/31cydl9