‘It was hard to overcome the draw,’ Rafael Nadal reflects on facing Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev enroute to his 14th French Open title
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Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal
It was a familiar sight in Paris, as Rafael Nadal claimed his 14th French Open title on Sunday. The 22-time Grandslam champion dispatched a helpless Casper Ruud in straight sets to claim his second major of the season. The Spaniard was dealing with a couple of issues prior to the French Open, and he was certainly not the top favorite for the title.
To add to Nadal’s woes, the veteran was placed in the top half of the draw which involved big guns like Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard defeated his arch rival, Novak Djokovic in a four-set quarterfinal, which really did establish him as a strong contender for the title.
In an interview post his French Open final victory, Rafael Nadal reflected on the toughest obstacle he had to face enroute to the title. The 14-time French Open winner revealed that being a part of the tough draw was certainly a tough obstacle to clear. Moreover, his lack of playing time prior to the tournament made the situation much more trickier.
“The draw was very tough. The preparation was probably the worst ever in my tennis career. We came here with a lot of problems, particularly my foot,” said Rafael Nadal.
Rafael Nadal talks about the importance of having a positive attitude
No sportsperson can scale great heights unless he or she radiates a positive energy. Rafael Nadal touched upon this subject, and stated that having a positive attitude in times of adversity is the key to success.
“If you don’t believe or you are not positive, then after everything I have been through, it’s impossible. If you don’t accept the situation, then it’s just impossible. So i just try to play with a positive spirit,” said Nadal.
Rafael Nadal will be taking a few big decisions over his chronic foot injury, and might undergo a major surgery in the coming weeks. He has not ruled out his participation at Wimbledon this year, and has stated that he will certainly be in the mix, if his body allows him to do so.
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Nirmit Mehta
(2425 Articles Published)