The Swiss star had a tough outing in New York in his opening-round match against Corentin Moutet. He was down 6-4, 7-6(7) before he retired from the contest on Court 5.
Speaking at his post-match press conference, Wawrinka was asked if Nadal’s achievements over the years were inspirational to him, given that the Spaniard has also struggled with multiple injuries recently. He stated that the 36-year-old is in a league of his own and there’s nothing he can personally take from him as a player.
Wawrinka also touched upon his compatriot and friend Roger Federer’s comeback, which is expected to happen at the Laver Cup later this year.
“Surely the best I’ve seen” - Pete Sampras praises Rafael Nadal
Pete Sampras also spoke highly of Rafael Nadal recently, calling him the ‘mentally strongest’ player in the history of the sport.
Speaking to L’Equipe, the seven-time Wimbledon champion Sampras was in awe of Nadal’s dominance at Roland Garros, which he admits is beyond his and Roger Federer’s dominance at Wimbledon.
The American retired with the record for most Grand Slam singles titles won by a player in men’s tennis history. Nadal, who won his first Major title almost three years after Sampras’ 14th, now has eight more titles than Sampras and holds the all-time record following his Australian Open and Roland Garros triumphs this year.
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