“There will be no one like Nadal,” Boris Becker praises Rafael Nadal and his unmatched legacy on clay

At Roland Garros, Nadal has lost just four times since his debut in the tournament in 2005.

“There will be no one like Nadal,” Boris Becker praises Rafael Nadal and his unmatched legacy on clay

Boris Becker, Rafael Nadal (Images via Imago)

Boris Becker doesn’t think there is any tennis player on land like Rafael Nadal or any player who can emulate what Nadal has achieved on clay. With 14 French Open titles and a win-loss record of 479–49, there’s no player who has come close to Nadal when it comes to winning on the surface in the Open Era. 

Before Nadal, no player either in the Amateur or the Open Era did what he has done on clay. At Roland Garros, he has lost just four times since his debut in the tournament in 2005, which he won at the age of 18. Becker, the 56-year-old German, who won six Grand Slam singles titles acknowledged Nadal’s legacy on clay before the start of the ATP 250 Mallorca Championships. 

YouTube video
Clearly, for me, there will be no one like Nadal. He has won 14 times at Roland Garros. We are talking clearly, at least for me, that there will never be anyone like him.
Boris Becker told Relevo 

Nadal registered his fourth loss at this year’s Roland Garros when Germany’s Alexander Zverev beat him in three sets. Zverev then reached the final and lost to Nadal’s compatriot Carlos Alcaraz after an intense five sets. 

FS Video

Uncle Toni Nadal recalls doctor’s discouraging words after Rafael Nadal’s foot injury 

Rafael Nadal is no stranger to career-threatening injuries. It was an elbow injury in 2003 that stopped him from making his debut at the French Open. Then a fracture in his ankle made him miss the next edition’s Roland Garros as well. 

Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal (Image via Imago)

After winning the 2005 French Open, a foot injury made the doctor utter those discouraging words to Nadal about his career. Nadal’s uncle Toni Nadal, who played a significant role in his nephew’s career and was with Boris Becker during the interview with Relevo, said he never thought the 38-year-old would one day lift 22 Grand Slam singles titles in his career. 

For me, it has been an unimaginable dream to win 22 Grand Slams after, in 2005, the doctors told Rafael that his career was over due to the foot problem that caused him so much pain. 
Toni Nadal said 

Nadal missed almost the entire year in 2023 due to a hip injury he suffered during that year’s Australian Open. Then, after making a comeback in the 2024 Brisbane International, the Spaniard’s abdominal injury made him remain on the sidelines. He finally made his much-awaited return to the 2024 Barcelona Open and since then, no injury hampered his progress, though he’s not in good form. 

In case you missed!