Juan Carlos Ferrero: 'Rafael Nadal has no rivals at Roland Garros, he can win many..'

In the previous four seasons, Rafael Nadal was the player to beat alongside Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, battling hard in the GOAT race and adding the 20th Major to his tally at Roland Garros a few weeks ago. It was the 13th and the most challenging Parisian title for Rafa, competing in only the second tournament since February and in entirely different conditions than in May and June. Nadal had to beat the Parisian cold and rainy weather alongside seven opponents, the new Wilson balls and a roof above Court Philippe-Chatrier, passing all those obstacles to claim the title without dropping a set at 34! In his interview with the ATP, Nadal said it was the most challenging title he has ever won in Paris, experiencing harsh conditions and without matches in his legs. Rafa decided to skip Cincinnati and the US Open where he was the defending champion, working on clay and securing another title at Roland Garros to extend his dominance on the slowest surface.

Nadal's coach Carlos Moya said they had many issues after such a long break, focusing on bringing back the old Rafa who loves the competition. Gradually, they had achieved that just in time for Paris where Nadal competed on a high level, winning all matches in straight sets and defeating Novak Djokovic in the title match. It was one of the most important encounters of the 21st century and Nadal was the player to beat, outplaying Djokovic in every department to march towards the crown. Rafa toppled Novak 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 in two hours and 41 minutes, getting broken once and delivering seven breaks to control the result.

Juan Carlos Ferrero believes Rafael Nadal will pass Roger Federer in GOAT race.

Nadal stormed over Djokovic in the opening two sets, playing aggressive tennis and dominating with his groundstrokes to leave the world's leading player with no answer. In the third, they traded breaks in games five and six before Nadal grabbed another at 5-5 that secured his triumph. Former world no. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero praised his compatriot and another stellar performance at Roland Garros, saying Nadal can win many more Paris titles, having no opponents at the clay Major. 

"With Rafael Nadal, it is difficult to predict the number of Majors he will win by the end of his career. He has no rivals at Roland Garros, and as long as he remains physically at his current level, he will have chances in Paris and other tournaments. Rafa has a lot of depth, and he is very comfortable with courts like that to defend as he wants. Something very significant has been created around Rafa in Paris; obviously, he has something that makes him play well all the time. He can try to shorten the points and play more from inside the court; his serve has evolved as well," Juan Carlos Ferrero said.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2JvY6rs