Former world No. 4 picks Rafael Nadal as mentally strongest of the Big 3

Former French tennis player Guy Forget highlighted what for him has been Rafael Nadal's greatest virtue and what distinguishes him from the other two members of the Big-3: his mental strength. For the former world No. 4, Rafa was far superior to Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

Forget stated that he has never seen Nadal put his head down or admitted defeat underlining that his resilience is probably his best quality. In an interview with L'Equipe newspaper, the Frenchman stated the following:

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“We can say that Federer was technically the most accomplished, the most incredible when he played well,” said the Frenchman.

“We can say that Djokovic is the best returner, the player who misses the least, the most difficult to counter, but for me, the strongest mentally is Nadal. In this respect, I place him above Roger and Novak.

He continued, “When some other legends could show signs of irritation and even give up during the match, I never saw him lower his head or admit defeat. Until the last point.

“And even when you compare him to Jimmy Connors or Lleyton Hewitt — monsters of pugnacity, resilience — he was way above.

“It was probably his greatest strength, this ability, whatever his physical problem, the score, his opponent or the surface, to constantly say to himself: ‘I’m going to find the solution and I’m going to get through it’. I don’t know where he got this strength from.”

Nadal, who faced Djokovic at the Six Kings Slam this past weekend, will end his professional career after a series of difficult years. In an emotional video, the Spanish tennis player announced his retirement, acknowledging that he has not been able to compete without limitations in the last two years. This event was his last appearance on the court, as he prepares for the Davis Cup finals in November, where Spain will face the Netherlands.

This recognition comes at a pivotal moment for Nadal, who has left an indelible mark on tennis and who will be sorely missed when the time comes for him to hang up his racket.