Rafael Nadal served up humble pie for ‘too ambitious’ Goran Ivanisevic – Novak Djokovic’s coach—with his ruthless 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 victory in the final of the French Open on Sunday.
Before the match, Ivanisevic, a former Wimbledon champion, had said that Nadal would have no chance against the World No 1 in the altered conditions at Roland Garros.
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The clay-court Grand Slam was shifted from its usual May-June spot to a September start due to the Coronavirus pandemic, rendering the conditions heavier than usual.
Before the match, Ivanisevic, a former Wimbledon champion, had said that Nadal would have no chance against the World No 1 in the altered conditions at Roland Garros. The clay-court Grand Slam was shifted from its usual May-June spot to a September start due to the Coronavirus pandemic, rendering the conditions heavier than usual.
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“I was really certain of Novak’s victory in Paris,” Ivanisevic said in an interview with Tennis Majors. “I was a bit too ambitious when I said that Nadal does not have a chance, but I sincerely felt that Novak was the favorite.”
The Spaniard delivered a clinical, near-perfect performance against an unusually shaky Djokovic, who was undone by 52 unforced errors in the match. Nadal required less than three hours to clinch his 13th French Open title on Sunday.
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“I know that Chatrier is Rafa’s living room and that he can win there even when he is playing badly, but again, I was convinced that this was Novak’s year in Paris,” he added.
“But Novak did not play up to his usual standards and Rafa played perfectly. Unfortunately, Novak managed to find his shots at 2-0 and a break down and by that point it was too late.”
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But the 49-year-old Croat believes that Djokovic, the youngest of the Big 3 at 33, may still end up with the most Grand Slam titles. The Serb is currently at 17, three behind both Roger Federer and Nadal.
“Who really is the GOAT will be a matter of preference, personal taste, and it will go on forever,” said Ivanisevic.
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“For me that person is Novak Djokovic, for others Federer or Nadal. It will be very difficult to reach a consensus there. But in the case that Novak manages to win more Grand Slam titles than Nadal and Federer, there will simply be no room for any dilemma.”
Is that another ambitious Goran Ivanisevic prediction? Or will Djokovic topple the top 2 in the race for the most number of majors in men’s tennis?
