“The single best shot in the history of tennis,” Paul McNamee rates Rafael Nadal’s forehand over Roger Federer’s serve and Novak Djokovic’s backhand
Neither Roger's serve nor Novak's backhand is as good as Nadal's forehand, says former doubles world No.1 Paul McNamee
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The Big Three of Tennis
Paul McNamee recently chose Rafael Nadal‘s forehand over Roger’s serve and Novak’s backhand as the single best shot in the history of the sport. The sport of tennis is gifted with some players who hit the ball beautifully. Some of them include Roger’s or Pete’s serve, Novak’s or Wawrinka’s backhand, etc. However, according to McNamee, the 36-year-old Spaniard has the best shot over all of them.
The former doubles world No.1 picked Rafael Nadal’s forehand as the single ‘best shot’ over any other shot played by the rest. Nadal may not be the best on a hard court, but his forehand does wonders on clay. Nadal is known for his strength and toughness which is a big asset on clay courts. He is currently going through a bit of a lean patch with a mediocre start. However, Paul feels the Spaniard still has it to win the 2023 French Open.
Speaking about Nadal’s Forehand, Paul said, “The best shot wins. Well, in my opinion, the Nadal forehand is the single best shot in the history of tennis. Better than the Sampras or Federer serves, the Del Potro forehand, or the Djokovic or Rosewall backhands. It’s handy when you go into every match, on every surface, knowing you have the best shot on the court.”
There were many rallies where Nadal’s forehand proved to be effective. Some of them date back to the late 2000s between Roger and Rafa. Having said that, many opponents fear Nadal’s forehand because it is very decisive and can be very hard to return.
Can Rafael Nadal win another Grand Slam title?
Rafael Nadal is one of the favorites to win the Roland Garros. This includes his lean patch too. Clay is a type of surface where the ball comes the slowest. It comes quickest on grass. Irrespective of the speed, spin, and bounce, one can succeed if he has a good forehand. Nadal’s forehand is both powerful and accurate.
Having a single strong shot helps any player win matches irrespective of the type of court they play. Federer and Pete are the two best servers. Pete’s second serve is still the best in the sport. Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka had an amazing backhand return. They could bring the same strength of a forehand into their backhand. Federer is also good at volleys. But the one single shot according to Paul that is best of the best is Rafael Nadal‘s forehand.
Fans cannot be complacent with Nadal, as he can retire anytime. It’s better to enjoy his matches irrespective of the result. Fans would want him to win another Roland Garros title before he can retire.
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Anshul Singh
(239 Articles Published)