‘Jimmy Connors Tried Hard’- John McEnroe Observes Stark Similarity Between Rafael Nadal’s Fighting Spirit to That of His Legendary Opponent

Rafael Nadal, undoubtedly, has established himself not only as the best player in the tennis realm but also as the most resilient one. The Spaniard has increased his count of grand slam titles to 22 and his comeback at the US Open seems like a good possibility now.

Former world no. 1 and American tennis icon, John McEnroe is all praises for the Spanish player and is astounded by his unwavering resilience.

John McEnroe showers praise on Rafael Nadal for his tenacity

Ahead of the US Open, John McEnroe praises Rafa’s strong will and passion. He said, “I’ve never seen anyone like him”. He compared the player with the legendary tennis player Jimmy Connors. McEnroe said, “I thought Jimmy Connors tried hard until I saw Rafael Nadal, this is insane.” Jimmy Connors won eight grand slam titles and is a former world no. 1 player and a stark opponent of McEnroe.

Furthermore, he commended Rafa’s efforts and said, “That’s the greatest quality he has, by far.” He acknowledged the talent of the player but is astounded more by his efforts. He said, “The guy’s an unbelievable player, we all know that.”

How resilient has Rafa been in 2022?

Rafael Nadal kick-started his 2022 season on a high-note; winning his 21st grand slam title at the Australian Open, followed by Mexican Open, and finally the 22nd Grand slam at the French Open 2022. And hence, breaking the tie between the two of his arch-rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

READ MORE: ‘I Incessantly Cried’ – Rafael Nadal After Roger Federer ‘Utterly Destroying’ Him at Wimbledon

Moving on, he withdrew from the Wimbledon ahead of his semi-finals against Nick Kyrgios. However, there seems like a good chance that the Spanish player will make his comeback during the hard-court season; to try to clinch his 23rd grand slam title.

His tenacity was put into words by McEnroe who said, “The fact that he can go out there and give that type of effort. You know, match in and match out, game in and game out, is something that people aspire to, but it’s very difficult to do.”

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The player is gearing up for his comeback during the hard-court season. It will not be a surprise if his tenacity and resilience help him in claiming the 23rd grand slam title.