“It makes him feel like he’s immortal,” Stefanos Tsitsipas reveals how Rafael Nadal uses his injury to fuel fire in himself
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal has had a dream season so far. He has won the initial two majors of the season and the way in which he won both of them makes it even more special. He fought back from two sets down in the Australian Open final to beat Daniil Medvedev in five sets and then against all odds, he defeated Casper Ruud in the French Open final with an ailing foot.
Nadal’s participation at Wimbledon this year was doubtful due to his foot injury. He underwent a treatment on his foot days after winning the French Open and fortunately for him, the treatment went well and hence he will be competing at Wimbledon for the first time in 3 years.
In the pre-tournament press conference at the All England Club, Stefanos Tsitsipas spoke about Nadal’s injury and his achievements. Tsitsipas, who won his maiden grass-court title in Mallorca last week, believes that Nadal is the most dangerous when he has foot issues and he has a lot of respect for him winning the French Open in those circumstances.
“When he says he cannot play and he has foot problems, that’s where I feel like he’s the most threatening in terms of his performance. It’s actually reverse psychology in a way. I have a lot of respect for what he did at the French Open,” he said.
‘It would be uncomfortable for most players to compete under these conditions’: Stefanos Tsitsipas
Tsitsipas said that winning in pain makes Nadal feel that he is immortal. He then lauded Nadal’s ability to bring his best game when he’s uncomfortable.
“It kind of makes him feel like he’s immortal with the things he’s able to pull off. The matches, the level of intensity he’s able to reach in times where it’s very uncomfortable, it would be uncomfortable for most players to compete under these conditions,” he said.
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Lakshya Chopra
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