“A unique achievement in the entire world of sport,” Bjorn Borg praises Rafael Nadal and highlights Spaniard’s ‘incredible’ record
Bjorn Borg praised Rafael Nadal for his successful career, with the highlight being the incredible 14 French Open title.
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Bjorn Borg and Rafael Nadal (via Laver Cup, Reuters)
Bjorn Borg recalled seeing Rafael Nadal in action for the first time in Bastad about 20 years ago and said that he expected the Spaniard to do well in the sport, as many others did. However, he did not foresee how much Nadal would dominate the men’s tour over the years.
Nadal has won 92 ATP singles titles, including 36 Masters 1000s and two Olympic gold medals. He was ranked World No. 1 in singles for 209 weeks and has finished as the year-end No. 1 five times. The Spaniard has been especially dominant on the red dirt, as seen by his record for most consecutive wins (81) on a single surface (clay) in the Open Era.
The biggest achievement of his career is the incredible 14 titles he won at the French Open. Borg said that he never expected Nadal to win 22 Grand Slams, let alone dominate Roland Garros in the manner he did.
No [I did not expect him to win 22 Grand Slam titles]. I especially didn't expect him to win Roland Garros 14 times - that's incredible. It's an achievement that is unique in the entire world of sport. Rafa has a wonderful personality. He is one of my favorite players. I have been watching him for so many years and have seen so many matches.Bjorn Borg said (via tennismagazin)
Over the years, the Swede has had the opportunity to work with Nadal, thanks to his role as Team Europe’s captain at the Laver Cup. Borg said that he never had to coach the 38-year-old and would only be there to give him energy as and when he needed it.
He knows what he has to do. The boys play against each other so often and they all know what they have to do. As captain, I only have to give him energy now and then. Not that much and not all the time. But if his energy drops a little, then I have to cheer him on.Bjorn Borg added
Borg’s Team Europe has won the Laver Cup four times to date, with Nadal being a part of the team on two occasions – 2017 and 2019.
Bjorn Borg was happy to see Rafael Nadal break his French Open record
Before Rafael Nadal came along, Bjorn Borg was the “King of Roland Garros”. He won the title six times (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981) to go with his five Wimbledon titles. Nadal did not just beat that record, but put a daylight between himself and Borg.
Borg emphasized that he did not ‘suffer’ when Nadal broke his Roland Garros record, as records are meant to be broken. He praised the Spaniard and said that there will never be another player who will be as good on clay as Nadal.
No [I did not suffer], not at all. Many people said at the time that probably no one would break my record. I said: "Records are there to be broken." That is an important aspect in sport. And then Rafa comes along and wins 14 times. You will never see another player who is so good on clay.Bjorn Borg said
This year’s Laver Cup will be Bjorn Borg’s final year as Team Europe’s captain. He was set to work alongside Nadal for the last time at the event before the Mallorca native withdrew from the event. Grigor Dimitrov has since been named as Nadal’s replacement.
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Anirudh Velamuri
(58 Articles Published)