Former world No. 17 Bernard Tomic backed Rafael Nadal to achieve GOAT status, saying he will retire with the most Grand Slams to his name.
Nadal made history at the Australian Open by winning his 21st Grand Slam. He beat a stubborn and resilient Daniil Medvedev by coming back from two sets down to take the final.
The win meant he leapfrogged Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer to become the most successful player in tennis history. It was another big milestone for the Spaniard, who has taken a big step towards the all-timer debate.
Tomic backed Nadal to achieve GOAT status, saying he is tipping him to retire the most successful tennis player of all time.
“After this whole situation with Novak, I believe that Rafael Nadal go down as the GOAT,” he said, as quoted by Tennis World USA.
“He will be difficult to stop this year. I feel that in the end he will have the most Grand Slams. Nadal will most likely win Roland Garros as well because he is the best on the clay.
“I love all three of them, Nole and Rafa and Roger, but I think Nadal will go down in history as the best ever. It’s also because I can’t win 25 Grand Slams,” he said with a smile.
Comeback loading
“I felt bad the day before my match, something was wrong,” Tomic continued. “I didn’t feel good on the court either. I was preparing for the Australian Open, I was looking forward to that competition, I trained well, but unfortunately, I got infected with the virus.
“I am fine now and I am one hundred percent healthy. Each country has its own COVID-19 protocols and each fights the virus in its own way, but I think Australia could have dealt with it much better. I guess it’s hard to try to keep everyone happy.
“I plan to play 25 tournaments this season. Last year, I played only eight tournaments because I was injured, I just want to play well, stay healthy and be in the top 100 at the end of the year.”
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