McEnroe Tips Rafa for Slam
Tennis legend, John McEnroe, has tipped Rafael Nadal to win all four Grand Slam tournaments in the same year at some point during the course of his career.
McEnroe says that Nadal is one of the leading figures in a gifted generation of sportsmen that has seen the standards in tennis raised to new heights. Nadal is about to embark upon a quest to win the US Open to go with his French Open and Wimbledon titles.
The American says it is really not beyond the realm of possibility that Nadal will win all four events during a single season at some stage during his career. This is something that has eluded some very good players in the past and is something that only the fittest and most agile professionals can complete.
Nadal has a lot going for him if this is something that he is going to do during his career. However, there are many reasons for pessimism, which could crop up at some point and halt Nadal in his quest to complete the Grand Slam.
Style and Form
McEnroe has always been an admirer of the way that Nadal plays. He argues that Nadal has one of the best techniques in tennis, which makes him difficult to play against. His style allows him to put whip and dip on the ball, which wins him a lot of points that he could rightly be considered out of.
He's never been in better form throughout his career. He is fit, playing well and very agile. This allows him to go from Slam to Slam carrying the same energy and enthusiasm, which is created by wins and confidence.
Nadal will now have the belief that he can win all four tournaments in a single season. He has still to win the US Open for the first time but he looks like the best player around at the moment by an absolute mile and this will give him confidence within himself if there are any small doubts.
Reasons for Pessimism
Nadal has been in very good form and fitness before but his knees have always been a part of his body that have gone wrong at the worst time. His knees will be really tested on the hard courts of the US Open and this is something he will have to keep an eye on.
Although there is a very good chance that Nadal could complete a full Grand Slam, it's very important to remember that he is playing in one of the best generations in tennis history. This makes it very difficult for any player to win more than maybe two events in a row because there are so many players who can win.
Some would also argue whether Nadal has the consistency to win four Grand Slam events back to back. You have to remember that other players are always going to raise their game when they play him and this is what nearly tripped him up at Wimbledon. He has to keep performance levels high.
Nadal is as capable as anyone else who has completed a Grand Slam of tennis wins in the past. He has the technique, the confidence and the fitness. The real test will be when he faces someone who wants it just as badly as he does.
If you can get good odds on this eventuality then it is worth a little bet but you have to consider how difficult a Grand Slam would be for someone playing professional tennis at this moment in time because it would take a real majestic run of form and wins.
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