Rafael Nadal Snubbed Ahead of His Comeback as Novak Djokovic Takes the Hot Seat Alongside Rising ATP Star in Grand Slam Race

It is surprising how the season 2023 alone changed the entire perspective of the tennis world. Rafael Nadal, who kept himself out of the tours throughout the season, faced a severe drop in rankings. While the tennis star is all set to make a comeback, the whole tennis community is eager to witness him in action again.

Some of the ones who see Rafa as a major contender for the Grand Slam contests in the upcoming season still carry a different perspective. As former tennis star Tim Henman shared his thoughts about players likely to perform well, he missed the name that the world currently cheers.

Tim Henman snubs Rafael Nadal as he predicts names for the upcoming season

In a recent prediction about the next year’s top contenders, former tennis star Tim Henman mentioned names that the fans could only imagine. Based on this year’s stats, Henman confidently named Djokovic above all. He said, “I would put Djokovic as the clear favorite; there’s no doubt in my mind.”

Moving ahead with his forecast, Henman placed Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in the second spot on his favorites list. Even after Alcaraz has the experience of making it to the Grand Slam titles, Henman announced his decision based on Sinner’s recent form. “He played at a different level, a new level for him,” Henman stated, highlighting his boost in confidence after Sinner’s multiple victories over the Top 10.

“Look, there’s only four majors next year. I wouldn’t be surprised if Djokovic won a couple and Alcaraz and Sinner won each. So only time will tell,” the 49-year-old added. While the fans noticed him swiftly missing the name of the season’s highlight, Rafa, Henman’s prediction, indirectly acted as a snub to the tennis legend with 22 Grand Slam titles in his bucket.

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Henman speaks highly of Nadal’s Roland Garros feat

While Tim distributed all four Grand Slam titles among Djokovic, Alcaraz, and Sinner, Henman confused fans by connecting Rafael Nadal with Roland Garros. “I think when you put Rafa Nadal and Roland Garros in the same sentence, Rafa’s just the favorite. If he was playing paddle tennis and you said, ‘Oh, where is it?’ They’d say it’s at Roland Garros, and you would say Rafa’s the favorite,” Henman noted, considering Rafa’s stronghold on the clay tour.

While the stage is set in Brisbane to arrange all these stars in action, it remains to be seen if the Spaniard proves Henman’s predictions wrong or lives up to them. What are your thoughts on this?

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