"He’s like a wall": Novak Djokovic highlights reason behind Rafael Nadal’s success at Roland Garros

ATP
Thursday, 09 May 2024 at 13:03
DjokovicNadal_MonteCarlo2015v3
World number one Novak Djokovic has stated that Spain’s legendary tennis star Rafael Nadal is ‘like a wall’ while playing at Roland Garros.
The 37-year-old is often regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men’s tennis, having won as many as 22 Grand Slam titles. Fourteen of those titles came while playing at Roland Garros which is why he is also known as the ‘King of Clay’.
Djokovic, who is also regarded as the best player ever to grace the tennis court, having won as many as 24 Grand Slams including three French Open titles, was recently quoted in a report where he stated that facing Nadal at Roland Garros remains ‘one of the biggest challenge’ a player can have in professional tennis because the legendary Spanish star is like a ‘wall’ in that competition.
“He’s like a wall,” said Djokovic. “It’s probably one of the biggest challenges that you can have on the tennis tour, playing Rafa at Roland Garros. We know his records there. I played him probably more than any other player has played him on that court.
DjokovicNadal_MonteCarlo2015v3
Rafael Nadal has won 14 French Open titles, the most by any player in the competition's history. 
“The court is bigger. There is more space, which affects visually the play a lot and the feeling of the player on the court. He likes to stand behind quite far back on his return. You have sometimes when he’s really in the zone and in the groove, not making many errors. You feel like he’s impenetrable.
“It’s really a paramount challenge to play him in Roland Garros. He’s an incredible athlete. The tenacity and intensity he brings on the court, particularly there, is something that was very rarely seen I think in the history of this sport.
“I’m sure that it’s going to be very emotional tournament for him, as it probably was in Madrid and here. But there in particular because of the records he has.”

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