For years, Rafael Nadal has been one of the most prominent players in the sport. In a career spanning two decades, the Spaniard has reached heights of the game that remain untouched by a majority of players. Looking at his career, the former World No. 1 is known for his never give up attitude. An example of this attitude was seen at the start of the 2022 season. When he won the Australian Open amongst other titles.
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The result? Nadal on 23rd May, made an entry into the Times 100 Most Influential People of 2022. Looking at the majestic feat, Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback, Tom Brady recently went all praise for the Spanish sensation.
Tom Brady goes all praise for Rafael Nadal
Born in California, the 44-year-old quarterback kicked off his career in 2001 with the New England Patriots. He made his first shift in 2020, joining Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With a number of awards and records to his name; Tom Brady today is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
However, even after being one of the greatest players of his sport, Tom doesn’t shy away from calling Nadal his inspiration. Impressed by Nadal’s pushing limits, Tom said, “I admire athletes who push themselves to the limit, and I’m absolutely inspired every time Rafa takes the court.”
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Some of Nadal’s best matches are those that have gone neck to neck to the final set. In the words of tennis experts, those are the moments where Nadal tells the world why he is one of the best. However, on the contrary Nadal also has the same kind of attitude during slightly easier matches.
Taking it as a lesson to learn, Brady further added, “There’s something to be learned from watching his determination, his strategy, everything that it takes for him to never take any moment for granted. He’s forever going to be remembered as one of the very best athletes in all of sports.”
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Nadal chasing his 22nd Grand Slam
Nadal went ahead of his counterparts Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic by winning his 21 Grand Slam in Melbourne. In the urge to take his lead further, Nadal is currently in Paris competing at 2022 Roland Garros. Known as the King of Clay, Nadal has won a record 13 titles on the clay courts of Stade Roland Garros. Carrying forward the legacy, he is still the hot favorite for the title this year.
However, going by the stats, Nadal might have to pull his socks to win the title this year. Coming back from injury, it is only the second time that Nadal has entered Roland Garros without a tour clay-court title. Also, this year, bets are high on a number of young players as well. However, even after having odds against him, Nadal looks in strong shape as of now. After kicking off his campaign with a win over Jordan Thompson; he is next set to face wildcard Corentin Moutet in the second round.
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