Google News 'That’s where he thinks Rafael Nadal can get...', says former ATP ace
by SIMONE BRUGNOLI | VIEW 4350
Nominees for the 2021 ATP Awards have been announced in all categories voted by players - Comeback of the Year, Most Improved Player of the Year, Breakthrough of the Year, Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award - and Coach of the Year.
Casper Ruud and his coach, his father Christian Ruud, have received a total of three nominations after a season in which the Norwegian has won five ATP Tour titles and broke into the Top 10 of the FedEx ATP Rankings. Casper, 22, is nominated for Most Improved Player of the Year and the Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship Award, while Christian is one of five nominees for Coach of the Year.
Carlos Alcaraz, Aslan Karatsev and Cameron Norrie complete the roster of aspiring Most Improved Player of the Year, while Felix Auger-Aliassime, Rafael Nadal and Frances Tiafoe compete alongside Ruud for the Sportsmanship award.
Nadal has been voted by his teammates as the winner of the award for three consecutive years. The ATP Award winners, including the Fan Favorite, will be announced during the month of December. Fans can vote for their favorite singles and doubles pairs until Tuesday, December 7.
See the full list of nominees for the 2021 ATP Awards: Voted by Players Comeback of the Year: The player who has overcome a serious injury to re-establish himself as one of the best players on the ATP Tour.
Rusedski talks about Rafa Nadal
Former World No.
4 Greg Rusedski believes Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will have a tough time when they return to the tour due to the rise of young players like Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev. "You’re talking about the younger generation, they’re here now," Rusedski told the Daily Express.
"I mean, out of the big three it’s really the big one left which is Novak who doesn’t seem to be going anywhere quite yet. It’s harder for Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal now because Medvedev, Zverev, Tsitsipas, those guys are starting to believe.
They’ve come very, very close," he said. Rusedski also pointed out that with Novak Djokovic dominating hardcourts, the French Open would be the main focus for Nadal. "For Rafa it’s the French Open. That’s where he thinks he can get number 21 because Djokovic is really the supreme player on hard courts," Rusedski asserted.
Spanish legend Rafael Nadal has picked Novak Djokovic as his favorite to win the Grand Slam race. Often called the Big Three, Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic have won 20 Grand Slam titles each. The GOAT debate amongst the three is the most hotly contested discussion in tennis.
