"Should never be underestimated": Former Wimbledon doubles champion predicts 'fairy tale' ending for Rafael Nadal at French Open

Former Wimbledon doubles champion Frederik Lochte Nielsen has backed Spain’s legendary tennis star Rafael Nadal to have a fairytale ending at the French Open. The 37-year-old is often regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men’s tennis in the Open era, having won as many as 22 Grand Slam titles.

Nadal has struggled with fitness concerns over the last few years and it was because of this reason, he ended up missing three out of the four Grand Slams in 2023. That led the former world number one to announce that the 2024 season will be his last at the highest level. Nielsen was recently quoted in a report where he backed the legendary tennis star to have a ‘fairytale' ending at the French Open.

“I have some irrational feeling that there will be some kind of fairytale at the French Open,” he said. “These extraordinary players should never be underestimated until they are no longer there. We’ve seen it so many times – with Djokovic, Sampras, Federer, and now also Nadal. Of course, it’s possible that his body might fail him, but I believe he has his sights set on the French Open. He has withdrawn from some tournaments – even in the USA, where he perhaps could have played, but I don’t know for sure.”