Wawrinka: 'Rafael Nadal on clay is probably the toughest singles feat in tennis'

Stan Wawrinka has managed to win three Grand Slam titles in the era dominated by the Big 3 and has never hidden his admiration for Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. In a recent social live with his friend Benoit Paire, the former World number 3 spoke of how difficult is it to face these great champions on their favorite surfaces.

“Rafa on clay is probably the toughest singles feat in tennis. You cannot defeat prime Federer on grass, and you might have a chance to lose 6-4. But not 6-2 like against Rafa in the Roland Garros final. He destroyed me that day,” Stan Wawrinka told Paire. Nadal and Wawrinka have met 20 times, with Nadal leading 17–3.

Although this rivalry has less significance than rivalries with the other members of the Big Four, the pair have met in several prestigious tournaments. The rivalry saw Nadal winning the first 12 encounters, all in straight sets, including 2 finals, one of which is a Masters 1000 final at Madrid in 2013.

Earlier in a LIVE session with Chris Evert, Wawrinka stated Roger Federer to be the best player in the sport of tennis. “Roger Federer is the best player ever so far. He’s been winning everything, beating everybody. He’s better than the other players and better than me. His game is a completely different style. He puts you under pressure all the time, he’s so aggressive, changes the pace a lot,” the three-time Grand Slam champion added.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3bXbezg