Ivan Lendl Admits Rafael Nadal Will Be the Most ‘Difficult’ to Face Amongst ‘Big 3’

Rafael Nadal, who made light work at the French Open Finals 2020 against Novak Djokovic has gone on to say that he would not consider himself as the best ever yet. And that the next few years will dictate who ends at the top.

Meanwhile, Czech-American Ivan Lendl, former world No. 1 with 96 singles titles to his name, has gone on record saying that Rafa would be the most difficult opponent if he were to face anyone out of the ‘Big Three’

“The most difficult for me would be Rafa,” Ivan said.

Why Rafael Nadal Is Most Difficult To Face For Ivan?

Ivan Lendl has mentioned that as a kid, he never got a lot of practice against left-handers and they are someone that really causes problems to him. “I never got to practice against left-handers,” he said.

“We had no left-handers in our club so to see left-handed serves just in the matches made it very very difficult,” he further added.

Rafael Nadal is the only left-handed player in the Top 10 currently and Ivan feels that the Spaniard will have the better of him.

Ivan also went on to mention that to make changes to the problems he had with left-hand players back then, he hired Tony Roche. “I hired Tony Roche in 1984 when I decided to make changes because he was a lefty,” he said.

“And he was also going to be able to tell me what left-handers like and don’t like,” he further added. It is from Tony he got to know that the left-handers don’t like it on the edge court if the return is cut across them.

Ivan Lendl On G.O.A.T. Debate

The Czech-American feels that with the ‘Big Three” the story is still being written. He feels that Novak is probably the best physically and the youngest with 17 titles. He, nonetheless, is excited about what happens in the future.

“It will be fascinating to watch,” he concluded

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