“I am happy Rafa got to 21”- Jennifer Brady ‘delighted’ about Nadal winning 21 Grand Slams before Novak Djokovic


“I am happy Rafa got to 21”- Jennifer Brady ‘delighted’ about Nadal winning 21 Grand Slams before Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal

Former British No.1, Jennifer Brady expressed her delight that Nadal was the first person to win 21 Grand Slams because she is a huge fan of the Spaniard.

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“I know it’s hard to believe. Anybody would’ve thought that maybe Novak would be the first one to 21 but I am happy it’s Rafa, I’m a huge Rafa fan. I absolutely adore him and he’s an idol of mine. So, happy to see that he is in Acapulco, playing,” Brady said while speaking to the Tennis Channel.

Like Brady, everyone believed Djokovic would be the first one to win 21 Majors and break the three-way tie he held with Federer and Nadal, who were at 20 last year. But the Serbian dreams of winning a record 10th Australian Open crown were dashed when he was deported before the tournament even began. He was the 3-time defending champion at the Melbourne Major and would’ve been the favorite to win it had he been allowed to compete. But ultimately, the World No.1 stuck to his stern stance of not getting vaccinated and faced the consequence of his decision.

Whereas for Nadal, he couldn’t have hoped for a better start than this. After being sidelined for the majority of the year due to a foot injury, the Mallorcan made a comeback in a stellar fashion by winning the ATP Melbourne Summer Set 1 before adding a second Australian Open title to his tally. With this win, he now tops the list of most Grand Slams won in Men’s singles with 21.

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Djokovic and Nadal set to return to action next week

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal

Novak Djokovic will finally kick off his 2022 season at the Dubai Tennis Championships next week. After missing the Australian hard court season, the Serbian will play his first match of the year when he squares off against Lorenzo Musetti in the opening round in Dubai. He has won the tournament five times and will enter the draw as the top seed.

Nadal is also set to return to action and play his first match since his historic Australian Open win last month. He will play at the Mexican Open in Acapulco and will begin his campaign with an opening round clash against Riley Opelka. The Spaniard is unbeaten this year and already won two titles so far, and will be looking to add a third one but has a tough road ahead in a stacked field that features 5 of the top 10 players.

Also Read: “Rafael Nadal doesn’t care if Novak Djokovic is there or not” Alex Corretja believes ‘Rafa is the man to beat’