Toni Nadal spurs GOAT debate once again with his bold claims about Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal
The GOAT debate in tennis has once again been spurred as Toni Nadal has made some bold claims about Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
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Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Toni Nadal (Images via Tennis.com, Imago)
The GOAT debate in tennis continues despite Novak Djokovic sitting atop with the most singles Grand Slam titles. While the Serbian is given due respect for winning the most Majors, many still believe that Roger Federer left a bigger impact on the game. Meanwhile, some also back Rafael Nadal’s claim to the title. Toni Nadal, Rafael’s childhood coach and uncle, has now stated that the Spaniard would have been the best if it was not for injuries.
Spurring the GOAT debate once again, Toni has claimed that if his nephew’s career was not marred with injuries, he would have gotten more titles and would have probably ended at the top. The renowned tennis coach also said that the ultimate GOAT of men’s tennis was Federer.
While he acknowledged that Djokovic is best in terms of titles won, Federer stays ahead of the Serbian when it comes to impact
Who played better? Federer. Who is the best? Djokovic. Because Djokovic won more titles than the others. Who could be the best without injuries? My nephew. But he has injuries so at the end, the best is Djokovic. So in my opinion, from what I have seen on court, when Federer plays, no one beats him.Toni Nadal said (H/T: Tennis365)
Toni Nadal draws parallels between Roger Federer and Lionel Messi
Toni Nadal drew a parallel between tennis icon Roger Federer and soccer legend Lionel Messi. The Spaniard said that just like Messi’s achievements are second to none, Federer has also achieved similar heights in tennis.
Toni Nadal said that while natural talent is important, hard work remains mandatory and also emphasized that while there can be very good players in both sports, matching these two legends remains impossible.
You are born with a natural talent, but at the same time you need to work hard. Only with natural talent, normally it is not enough. It is very difficult to achieve the goals that Federer achieves. Or to be Messi, it is almost impossible. You can be a very good tennis player or a very good football player when you are willing to work very hard.Toni Nadal said about Roger Federer
Former British tennis star Tim Henman echoed Nadal’s sentiments and claimed that while Novak Djokovic reigns supreme in numbers, Federer remains the most loved player. He said that the Swiss maestro’s contribution to the game cannot be matched by anyone.
If you are talking about impact and popularity, it is a one-horse race and there is no doubt that Federer is the most popular player that has ever played our sport. Overall, Djokovic is the best of all time on the numbers, but many will still pick Federer because of what he contributed to the game on so many levels.Tim Henman said
The GOAT debate seems to have no end with different people expressing different choices. However, the numbers show that Djokovic is ahead of his peers with 24 Grand Slam titles to his name. Meanwhile, Federer and Rafael Nadal amassed 20 and 22 Majors, respectively. The Serbian also has the most ATP Finals titles. The only achievement that eluded Djokovic, an Olympic gold medal, was also fulfilled at the Paris Olympics this year.
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Ritesh Pathak
(2150 Articles Published)