‘Rafael Nadal has the right to choose’, says former star
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After suffering a knee injury in 2009, Rafael Nadal made a perfect comeback a year later. The Spaniard won three Majors and three Masters 1000s in 2010 to regain the ATP throne. Novak Djokovic became Davis Cup champion for Serbia at the end of the season and overcame his health problems to become Nadal’s biggest rival in 2011, winning no fewer than six finals!
Entering the season with seven wins over Rafa, Novak switched gears and toppled the Spaniard in four Masters 1000 finals and at the Wimbledon and US Open Majors, becoming the world No. 1 and declaring his dominance at the next decade.
Djokovic floored Nadal in title matches in Indian Wells and Miami, and Rafa hoped to regain his composure on his beloved clay court, winning Monte Carlo and Barcelona. Still, the Serb was an unsolved conundrum for the Spaniard that year, beating him in straight sets in the Madrid and Rome finals to the clay king’s obvious frustration.
Nadal went into Roland Garros with no room for error and survived a nightmare against John Isner in the first round, prevailing in five sets and finding at least some kind of rhythm in subsequent meetings to reach the quarters.
He outplayed Robin Soderling and Andy Murray to advance to the sixth title match in Paris. Rafa was prepared for another tough encounter against Novak, but that was not the case for the Serb that year at Roland Garros, suffering his first defeat of the season in the semi-final against Roger Federer.
Correct as always, Nadal admitted that it would have been difficult to beat Novak in a potential title match. Instead, he took on Federer and won in four sets after more than three and a half hours of grueling tennis.
Rafa will miss the Davis Cup Finals
Sergi Bruguera confirmed the quartet that will represent Spain in the 2022 Davis Cup Finals.
The presence of Alcaraz, number one in the world, and two great lieutenants such as Pablo Carreño and Roberto Bautista ensure a fully guaranteed squad, although many longed for a Rafael…
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Source : tennisworldusa
