22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal has mesmerized tennis enthusiasts over the last two decades. Many argue that winning so many matches and championships in an injury-prone career takes tremendous mental strength, which Nadal has reservoirs of. However, as age seems to be catching up with the former World No.1, the 37-year-old is all set to be out of action till January 2024.
While a bigger number of pundits and enthusiasts might have their share of doubts about the Spaniard regaining his past glory ever again, Argentinian player Juan Monaco isn’t one of them. Although Rafael Nadal is virtually like a bull on the court, his affable personality off it has meant that several of his ‘rivals’ are his friends on the ATP Tour. And in a recent interview with Spanish publication CLAY, Monaco was full of praise for Nadal, while also revealing many things unknown about him earlier.
Juan Monaco says Nadal has played in tremendous pain for the last 5 years
It is a well-known fact that since the age of 19, Rafael Nadal has suffered from Mueller-Weiss Syndrome, a disease that results in tremendous arch pain on the inside of the mid and the hindfoot which worsens with age. However, according to Monaco, Nadal has been agonized by it more since the last 5 years.
The Spaniard recently opted to go for a surgery to cure his psoas iliacus injury. In a big revelation though, the Argentinian confirmed that Nadal went ahead with the operation, which effectively means that the his biggest target is to reclaim the French Open title, which was won by Novak Djokovic this year. Nadal’s love for Roland Garros is natural as he won his first Grand Slam in Paris in 2005 as a 18-year-old. This extended to winning an all-time 14 Grand Slams at the same iconic clay court, giving him the moniker of ‘King of Clay’ by the tennis community.
Besides that, the Spaniard equaled Roger Federer’s record in 2020 by winning his 20th Grand Slam title there, once again when critics questioned his ability to win any tournament again, let alone on clay. In 2022, Nadal created history by becoming the first men’s singles player to win 22 Grand Slam titles, which was huge at the time since he overtook his biggest rival, Novak Djokovic who he was level with, at the count of 21.
A million-dollar question (even in a literal sense!) still remains about Nadal – ‘Would he be satisfied by ending his career at 23 or 24 Grand Slam titles seeing his competitive nature?’. Answering that, Monaco revealed that the Spaniard has long given up, trying to constantly pit himself against the likes of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, when it comes to winning the most Grand Slams in tennis history.
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer ahead of Novak Djokovic: Juan Monaco
Monaco unabashedly claimed that Nadal’s impact on the sport is far greater than Djokovic, no matter how many Grand Slams and the titles the Serbian goes on to win. The 39-year-old, who is fondly called ‘Pico’, was quoted as saying –
“He’s (Nadal) very happy with what he has. Obviously if Djokovic keeps winning trophies and Grand Slams he can be the greatest in history, but there is something undeniable which is the way Rafa and Roger changed tennis. They will always have a much bigger place reserved in the heart of the tennis fan than Djokovic. No disrespect to Djokovic, who may be the greatest in titles, but the love for Rafa and Roger is much stronger than the love that Djokovic generated.”
In what could be delightful news for his supporters, Monaco also sensationally revealed that should Nadal win Grand Slams and titles on his return in 2024, he might extend his career up to 2025. The quality which makes the Spaniard such a champion according to Monaco, is never training and being fit to make it to say the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam, but to actually win it. This is the reason why Nadal opted out at the 11th hour ahead of the 2023 French Open despite practicing at his academy ahead of the tournament.
Will the tennis community ever see the vintage Rafael Nadal again? Time will tell as it seems to be a mountainous task for a player ranked No.136 on the ATP Tour at present and aged 37.
