"Nadal is not Australian Open favourite" believes Andy Roddick

With possibly no Novak Djokovic the Spaniard might have a decent chance of getting the trophy considering that he tends to play rather well there. Andy Roddick does not agree with that and the American feels that even if there is Novak Djokovic in Melbourne, Nadal is still not considered one of the favorites for the event.

Speaking on it he said:

"This new wrinkle where Rafa comes in and the route to the Australian Open title doesn't have to go through Novak... Listen I don't think Rafa is the favorite regardless if Novak is there or not."

Read also

Five ATP events will take place before the Australian Open

It's an interesting take by Roddick about Nadal who admittedly only won the Australian Open once and that was way back in 2009. It's the worst result for Nadal at Grand Slams but even despite that Nadal has many times played in the semifinals or better but never quite cracked the code. With the emergence of Medvedev and Zverev recently it's hard to see Nadal as the sole favorite especially after not playing for half a year.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Unlock your ultimate tennis experience—subscribe today for exclusive access to top stories.

Subscribe