In defense of Rafa Nadal – Tennis Column #62

If you ask a random tennis fan question, “Who is the best tennis player?” more than three-quarters of respondents answer Djokovic or Federer. Our poll is not the exception, and I feel that is not fair. It must be stopped. Rafael Nadal deserves to be mentioned too.

In defense of Rafa Nadal

Check the numbers below before reading further.

Rafael NadalRoger FedererNovak Djokovic
Grand Slam Titles202018
ATP Tournament Wins8710382
ATP 1000 Tournament Wins352836
Year-End Finishes as No. 1556
Weeks as No. 1196310311
Racket: BABOLAT Play AeroPro Drive



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Dress: Nike

Shoes: Nike Zoom Vapor Cage 4



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Racket: WILSON Pro Staff RF97 Autograph



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Dress: Uniqlo

Shoes: The Roger Pro (On Running)
Racket: HEAD Graphene 360 Speed



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Dress: Lacoste

Shoes: Asics Court FF2



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as of 04/29/2021

Now you see it too. Rafael Nadal is as good a tennis player as Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic.

We are maybe just weeks from his 21st Grand Slam title that would make him the best in this category in history (and better than Roger Federer). He has more ATP Tournament wins than Novak Djokovic and more ATP 1000 titles than Federer.

However, that still is not enough for many to mention him in one sentence with Roger and Novak. And that is wrong.

I know that many will argue that he had 13 out of 20 Grand Slam Titles from French Open. But is that making him less good?

All arguments that he is just the best on clay are false.

He won 4 US Open and 1 Australian Open on hard courts too. Two Wimbledon trophies show he can play on grass too.

Yes, he is the best clay tennis player, but he is not much weaker on hard and grass than Djokovic and Federer. He can win trophies there too.

Turn it around, Djokovic and Federer are fine at the hard, but they are pretty lame at clay comparing to Rafa. Would that make them worse players? Of course not.

I think it is time to put all three players on the same line. Just 22% percent for Nadal is a disgrace. Let’s change it now.

If you did not vote yet, it is time.

Who is the best tennis player?

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Posted in BLOG, Tennis Column and tagged .

Tennis Pro Guru

Simon is the leading editor of TennisProGuru.com from 2015. He is an avid tennis player from age of 5, however, he never reached the pro level. Still, he likes playing tennis on different courts, with different rackets, and against different opponents. In his free time, you can find him watching all possible tennis matches he can find on the web or tv. Challenger or Grand Slam? It does not matter, just tennis matters.

He currently plays with:
Racket: Wilson Shift 99 V1
Strings: Babolat RPM Blast
Grip: Head Xtreme Soft
Shoes: Asics Gel Dedicate 7 (for hard outdoor and indoor courts) & Asics Gel-Game 5 Clay (for clay courts),
Balls: Dunlop Fort All Courts and Head Championship
Bag: Axiom Backpack

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