“Good Chance Of Getting The 15th”: Former French Open Champion Predicts Future Of Rafael Nadal

Former French Open champion, Gustavo Kuerten had an engaging session with Flavio Saretta. The discussion between the two Brazilians gradually gravitated towards the recently concluded French Open 2020. Undoubtedly, Rafael Nadal popped up in the discussion. The 13 times Roland Garros winner has been a hot topic since he captured his 13th title last week.

Winner of three French Open, Gustavo was full of praise for the Spaniard. Nadal completed a massive feat of winning 13 titles in the Roland Garros. However, Gustavo feels Nadal can go beyond his 13th mark.

“Fantastic, more and more admirable, beyond the impossible. It looks like the 14th is coming and he has a good chance of getting the 15th,” Gustavo declared. “He wins by playing anyway, especially in the final stretch. This minimizes the way he gets to the tournament, he grows a lot in the last rounds ”

The former world number 1 dissected the philosophy of the Spaniard. Even though it appeared to be simple in a normal conversation, it’s pretty difficult to convert it into action. Nadal has been doing it for 13 seasons, which is indeed a matter of pride.

“Nadal starts from a basic principle, which is how geniuses do it, he simplifies the process based on the trilogy: I want, I can, I do. If he plays the Rio Open today, the mind is already thinking about Roland Garros. But, winning 13 times goes beyond the mental, goes in lines that at the time we played we didn’t know.”

Bout with Rafael Nadal

Gustavo suffered a lot early in the year 2000 with his injuries. He underwent a hip operation after injuries had sidelined him. The Brazilian was back in action after a couple of years. However, in 2004, his hip began troubling him once again. Therefore, he was forced to take an indefinite time off the court.

Gustavo returned to action in 2006, but was far from his usual form. He failed to make an impact for the next couple of years. As a result, he decided to retire in 2008.

While he was struggling with his injuries, Rafael Nadal was making his advances in the world of tennis. Nadal won his 4th French Open title in Paris in 2008, the same year Gustavo retired.

Naturally, Kuerten rues the fact that his injuries prevented him from having a chance to battle the King of Clay.