"He's the one. To see him play on clay courts, it's fantastic": Bjorn Borg praises Rafael Nadal's heroics on clay

Former world number one Sweden’s Bjorn Borg has stated that he sees a bit of himself in Spain’s Rafael Nadal with the way he played on the clay court. The 38-year-old is regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men’s tennis in the singles category in the Open era, having won as many as 22 Grand Slam titles.

Fourteen of those titles came while playing at the Roland Garros. It is because of this reason the Spaniard is also known as the ‘King of Clay’. Bjorn, who also had a fabulous career while playing on the clay court, where he lifted the titles six times, once again praised Nadal and stated that just like him, the 22-time Grand Slam winner grew up while playing on clay.

"I grew up on clay. Nadal grew up on clay. He’s the one,” he said. “To see him play on clay courts, it’s so fantastic . He’s unbelievable . I can relate to how he knows how to move players around the court.”

Nadal has struggled with fitness concerns in the recent past. It was because of this reason the 38-year-old ended up missing three out of four Grand Slams in 2023. During that time, Nadal announced that he would retire from the sport at the end of the 2024 season. The former world number one returned to the court earlier this year but has struggled physically and found it hard to deliver positive results consistently.

Even this year, Nadal has missed three out of the four Grand Slams, including the recently concluded US Open. His only appearance in a major event was at the French Open, where he was knocked out after losing in the first round to current world number two Germany’s Alexander Zverev in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 7-6, 6-3. Nadal’s last appearance was at the Paris Olympics, where he participated in the singles and doubles category.