"It's a package": Jean-René Lisnard reveals what makes Rafael Nadal special

Former French tennis player Jean-René Lisnard has highlighted what makes Spain’s Rafael Nadal a special player. The 37-year-old is often 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 Slams in his illustrious career.

Lisnard was recently quoted in a report explaining what makes Nadal a special player for others to follow. The 44-year-old believes that the former world champion is a ‘full package,’ which makes him admirable to younger players.

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"It's a package,” he said. “There is his game, of course, which radiates a lot of energy, but also, at the start of his career, his look with his long hair, his capri pants. And then he's a winner and we obviously like this idea more than that of the loser.”

Nadal is known as a ‘King of Clay’ after winning 14 French Open titles. It is also a record in the competition’s history. The former world number one has struggled with fitness concerns in the recent past which si why he missed three out of four Grand Slams in 2023.

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Last year, Nadal, who was on the sidelines to recover from a knee injury, announced that the 2024 season would be his last at the highest level. The 22-time Grand Slam winner returned to the court earlier this season but once again suffered an injury during the Brisbane International, which ruled him out of action for more than two months.

Nadal finally returned to the court before the start of the Barcelona Open, but since then, his results have not gone as well as he would’ve expected. Recently, the former world number one took part in the French Open, where he was knocked out after losing in the round of 128 to the current world number four, Germany’s Alexander Zverev, in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 7-6, 6-3.