Rafael Nadal is one of the biggest warriors in the history of tennis, and the 14-time Grand Slam champion, Pete Sampras, praised his mental strength ahead of the last Grand Slam of the season.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal, is one of the favorites at the 2022 US Open, and he will try to extend his winning streak at Grand Slam tournaments this year. The Spaniard is second-seeded and will face Rinky Hijikata in the first round of the tournament.
To start the year, he managed to win both the Australian Open and Roland Garros before being forced to withdraw from his semifinal clash against Nick Kyrgios at the Wimbledon Championship.
Now, ahead of the last major of the season, the Spaniard targets his 23rd Grand Slam title, and he was praised by former ATP great, Pete Sampras, who talked to L'Equipe ahead of the tournament.
The former American player sees Nadal's metal strength as something exception, even calling it "the best" he has seen.
"Everything that (Nadal) does is exceptional. Roger (Federer) and I had a period of dominance on grass, but winning the same big 14 times is incredible. And mentally, what a player! Surely the best I've seen."
Sampras didn't forget to praise also Nadal's main rival, Novak Djokovic. Along with the Spaniard, and Roger Federer, the Serbian has been one of the most successful tennis players ever, and he is in a fight to push that mark even further.
However, unlike Nadal, Djokovic won't be able to compete at the 2022 US Open, as he's unable to enter the country due to his unvaccinated status.
"Novak has done incredible things in the last ten years, he has good numbers against most players, he is the one with the record of being number 1. He has won everywhere. He has all the records except for the Grand Slam."
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