Mats Wilander claims Rafael Nadal ‘overachieved’ in his tennis career compared to Roger Federer
Mats Wilander has given a fair share of controversial takes regarding Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in his commentary career.
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Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Mats Wilander (inset) (via X)
Tennis pundit and former tennis legend Mats Wilander has claimed that Rafael Nadal “overachieved” in his tennis career compared to long-term rivals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. The Swedish legend made this statement 24 hours before the impending retirement of the 22-time Grand Slam champion.
Nadal cited injury issues as the reason behind his imminent retirement. Compared to his other two rivals, the left-hander faced many injury challenges throughout his career. Hence, Wilander believes that Nadal’s talent and passion for the game helped him maintain his competitiveness until the end.
Rafa, you could talk about overachievers. To me, he overachieved a little bit with all the injuries that he had. He’s unbelievably talented, of course, in terms of feel and understanding of the game. But in terms of technique, maybe someone like Roger Federer is more talented and, therefore, maybe, should have done better in terms of results. That’s what people think. We overlook the passion and the competitive spirit that Rafa brought every single day. So even on that day against Novak [Djokovic] at the [Paris] Olympics, he’s trying as hard as he can.
Mats Wilander said to Eurosport
Nadal’s ongoing struggle with injuries began during the 2006 Australian Open, where he sustained a foot injury. Many sources claim that the left-hander’s career has been on a cliffhanger ever since that day.
And at some point, the belief fully disappeared because of physical reasons, emotional reasons. Who knows? Age, of course, is the biggest factor. So he’s given everything. He’s overachieved. That puts him in a category, to me, on his own, because he’s overachieved more than anybody. He’s such a great competitor.
Mats Wilander added
There were even predictions that the 22-time Grand Slam champion would retire before Federer. However, Nadal’s ability to make comebacks consistently and win the biggest tournaments speaks volumes about his determination. The Spaniard will end his career at the conclusion of this year’s Davis Cup.
Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic reunite in Shanghai
Roger Federer made a return to the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Friday, playing in an exhibition doubles match. Before his match, the 20-time Grand Slam champion crossed paths with his old rival Novak Djokovic, who had just finished a tough quarter-final win against young star Jakub Mensik.
Federer, a two-time winner in Shanghai (2014, 2017), teamed up with Hong Kong singer and actor Eason Chan. They won a fun match against top Chinese tennis player Zhang Zhizhen and table tennis star Fan Zhendong, delighting fans with entertaining rallies.
Last year, Federer visited Shanghai to receive the Icon Athlete Award, recognizing his legendary career. The former player has won 103 tour-level titles throughout his career. Federer and Djokovic faced each other 50 times during their careers, with Djokovic leading their rivalry 27-23. The two played in Shanghai twice, with the Swiss Maestro winning both semifinal matches in 2010 and 2014.
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Fahad Hamid
(684 Articles Published)