Rafael Nadal will be favorite at Roland Garros even if he was playing ‘paddle tennis’ claims Tim Henman backing the Spaniard for the 2024 French Open title 

Rafael Nadal will make a comeback with the Brisbane International.

Rafael Nadal will be favorite at Roland Garros even if he was playing ‘paddle tennis’ claims Tim Henman backing the Spaniard for the 2024 French Open title 

Rafael Nadal, Tim Henman (Images via The Guardian, The Irish Sun)

Former British tennis ace Tim Henman has declared Rafael Nadal as the outright favorite for the 2024 French Open while claiming that the Spanish ace would be the favorite at Roland Garros even if he was playing paddle tennis. Henman feels that whenever there is talk about the French Open and Nadal is playing, he becomes an automatic favorite.

Henman cited Nadal’s dominant record on clay court as the premise for his reasoning. The Briton feels that Nadal is almost unbeatable on clay and in Grand Slam tournaments when there is a best of five, winning three sets against the Spaniard becomes a herculean task and hence very few players have been able to do it.

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Despite the fact that Nadal is returning after a long injury layoff, Henman is confident about the Spaniard dominating his opponents, especially on clay. Henman feels that Nadal can pull off a similar feat like Roger Federer did in 2017 and hence he labels the 22-time Grand Slam champion as a favorite for the 2024 French Open.

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I think when you put Rafa Nadal and Roland Garros in the same sentence, Rafa's just the favorite. If he was playing paddle tennis and you said, ‘Oh, where is it?’ They'd say it's at Roland Garros and you would say Rafa's favourite. You could make a case for the Grand Slams with the best of five. He's so difficult to beat on clay, first and foremost. But then when you've got to win three sets, not just two sets, so few people have been able to do it.
Tim Henman said to Eurosport.

Tim Henman backs Rafael Nadal to win both Roland Garros and Olympics

Tim Henman also talked about Rafael Nadal’s chances of winning another Olympic gold medal. As the 2024 Olympics are to be held in Paris, Rafael Nadal is expected to represent Spain along with Carlos Alcaraz. And being the ‘King of Clay’, Nadal is expected to bag his second Olympic gold in the men’s singles category.

Rafael nadal Olympics gold
Rafael Nadal after winning gold at Beijing Olympics (Image via Tennis.com)

Henman feels that the Olympics having the best-of-three format will only help Nadal’s case as it would not take much out of him. The Briton hopes that the 37-year-old not only wins a Grand Slam title on his home soil but also bags the ultimate prize for his country at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

You wonder whether in the Olympics because it's best of three, then it takes a little bit less out of him, whether that aids his recovery. But look, with his record, and I'm sure the confidence that he gains when he walks through the gates at Roland Garros, he's going to want to be at the Grand Slam and at the Olympics, and I'd love to see him win one of those or both of those. It would be an incredible story.
Tim Henman said of Rafael Nadal’s Olympics chances.

Notably, Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz have hopes to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics and even pair up for the men’s doubles event. Also, the Spaniard had said that he hopes to retire at the Olympics. So, it would be a great farewell for Nadal if he managed to clinch at least one gold medal.

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