“The greatest single record in the history of sports,” Paul McNamee compares Rafael Nadal’s French Open titles to Michael Jordan’s three-peat
Paul McNamee puts 14 French Open Grand Slam titles by Rafa next to MJ's three-peat.
Rafael Nadal and Michael Jordan
Former doubles No.1, Paul McNamee recently stated that Rafael Nadal‘s 14 French Open titles are as good as Michael Jordan‘s three-peat, hinting that it’s arguably the greatest single record ever achieved in the history of sports.
In the Open Era of tennis, it is considered a great achievement, when you win 14 Grand Slam titles overall. However, winning 14 Roland Garros titles is never likely to happen again. Many might pick Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic ahead of Rafael Nadal in the GOAT debate, but even they will put simply put Rafa ahead of the other two in the same debate when it comes to comparing them on clay.
The former doubles No.1, Paul McNamee said, “Will he win another slam? Perhaps not at three of the four majors but, for Nadal, there’s always the French Open. His record 14 titles, including 2022, is arguably the greatest single record in the history of sports. It’s up there with Michael Jordan’s double three-peat of NBA titles.
Related: Rafael Nadal Baby: Adorable son in pictures
Challenges for Rafael Nadal in 2023
2022 has been nothing short of exceptional for this Spaniard professionally and personally. He won 2 Grand Slam titles and had a record 22-match wins on the hard court. On the other hand, he became a father for the first time. Professionally, this is indeed champion stuff from the 36-year-old, performing at this level even in his late 30s. Injuries have always been a part of his career but he came back stronger every time he left the court injured.
Though it was a good season last year overall, he ended the year with 2 successive defeats. Taylor Fritz and Felix Auger Aliassime defeated this former world No.1 in the ATP World Tour Finals. Adding to his woes, he also started this year with 2 defeats in the United Cup. This time it was Cameron Norrie and Alex de Minaur, and the worst part is he lost these after leading 1-0.
With the greats of the game, Roger Federer and Serena Williams retiring last year, all eyes are now on this 36-year-old. Questions like will he be able to win another Grand Slam title are being heard around. Along with his current fitness, the other primary concern will be the challenge of many young and talented players.
Players including the current world No.1, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Nick Kyrgios, etc. are a few of the players that can challenge him. It’s highly unlikely that he wins the upcoming Australian Open. But he is still the title favorite for the next Roland Garros.
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Anshul Singh
(239 Articles Published)