Rafael Nadal’s warrior-like mentality was praised by fellow tennis icon Chris Evert, who thinks his perspective has changed since becoming a father.
Throughout his illustrious career, the Spaniard has defied the odds by winning matches from losing positions and returning from career threatening injuries to rule the tennis world. He is currently faced with a similar task as the 36-year-old continues to recover from a hip injury sustained at the Australian Open.
He has withdrawn from the Indian Wells and Miami Masters 1000 events this month and bids to return for the clay court season, starting with Monte Carlo Masters in April. As she discussed Nadal’s challenge to get back up to speed for the French Open, Evert believes that since becoming a father for the first time, his thought process has now shifted.
"I think now that he is a father, he has a different perspective and he has something to go to after tennis,” the 18-time Grand Slam winner told Eurosport's Arnold Montgault. "His body has so much wear and tear that now a simple injury is not going to be simple anymore and they are going to come at a faster rate.
"I think you can safely say in the next few years, he will probably be winding down. I don't want to retire anybody, but in the next few years, I think just because of the injuries and having a family, it would not surprise me if he started to wind down. The injuries have come in the last few years at a higher rate. So that is sort of a tell-tale sign that his body may be more fragile, maybe breaking down a little bit.
"It is totally understandable with his style of play, and I don't mean that in any kind of negative way, but the truth is in the pudding. I mean, he has been injured. So again, I don't think he needs to guard against the mental or emotional part of his game. I think it is more just keeping his body as healthy as he can be.
"The French Open again, clay, longer rallies, longer matches, a target on his back. That is going to be a real challenge for him." Nadal has defended his French Open crown numerous times, but this year's edition of the clay-court Grand Slam is arguably his most significant.
The world number nine and top ranked Novak Djokovic will enter the Grand Slam locked on 22 majors each, and both will be keen to set a new record.
"I think motivation is big: to have that motivation year in and year out, to be the best you can be, win as many tournaments as you can, to have that motivation and not any dips in that, in your desire to compete," the American added.
"18 years in the top 10! To have that motivation and to never wane in your desire and dedication to the sport, to be in the top 10 when there is so much depth, I think that just says a lot about what is happening in his head."
