'I feel like I’ve known Rafael Nadal for a long time', says WTA star

Novak Djokovic faced a particular season full of ups and downs and totally revolutionized by what happened with the Pandemic. The number one in the world got off to a great start and immediately won group tournaments for nations such as the ATP Cup and especially the Australian Open, his seventeenth Grand Slam over the course of his career. Djokovic got the better of a Roger Federer in the semifinals quite easily, who arrived there destroyed and bruised by the injury that will subsequently keep him stationary for the rest of the season. In the final, after a battle and a beautiful match, Nole got the better of a great Dominic Thiem. Novak Djokovic's season then slowed down with the stop from the Pandemic, other successes and other tournaments won but the one in Melbourne is the only Grand Slam tournament won with the failed Roland Garros and US Open goals, for a reason or for another. Novak Djokovic continues his run to the GOAT and there are many requirements to try to get this name. The Slam race sees the Serbian behind quite clearly compared to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal with these two at 20 Slams and Djokovic stopped at 17. When Rafael Nadal won the Roland Garros title for a record 13th time this year, Daria Kasatkina had tears in her eyes watching Nadal clinch the historic feat. Recently, during an interview with MARCA, the host questioned Kasatkina on what made her teary-eyed after Nadal’s victory.

Kasatkina expresses her admiration for Rafael Nadal

“When you see a 34-year-old, who has won everything and is still crying with victory, it is really inspiring, to see that he is still hungry from the first day,” said Daria Kasatkina. The 23-year-old tennis star hailed Rafael Nadal as the hallmark of a true athlete and contended she would love to emulate the 2008 Wimbledon champion. “Just hello and goodbye. The thing is, I feel like I’ve known him for a long time because I’ve followed him since I was an eight-year-old girl, when I was watching his first Roland Garros final in the tank top, those long pants and he already had those muscles. I know all your results. If I have to choose an example to follow, I choose Rafa. He has the heart of the true athlete because he always gives everything.” remarked Kasatkina. With the 2021 Australian Open scheduled to begin in February, Nadal has confirmed his participation and will aim to win a second trophy in Melbourne.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2J26kaX