'Rafael Nadal is happy with what he has', says former ATP ace

• Tennis News
• Rafael Nadal

While everyone gave up on Rafael Nadal due to his precarious physical condition and the few games played to come back from the foot injury, he slowly worked his way up the Australian Open draw until propelling himself to victory.

with a masterful feat. With dedication, tenacity and spirit of sacrifice, the Spaniard made his way between current and future tennis champions like Matteo Berrettini or Daniil Medvedev, fighting with all his might even when the latter seemed to fail.

The Mallorcan may have benefited from the absence of Novak Djokovic in particular (since Roger Federer has been out for a while), but winning the 21st Grand Slam of his career in a precarious physical and sporting state is only bread for the champions.

Success, that of the Australian Open, which also allowed Nadal to become, along with the Serbian, the only player in the Open Era to win all the Grand Slams more than once and great results like this continue to come even as the game progresses and of time.

"It is important to have true inner humility, not false humility, to accept that it is not always good, bad times are better tolerated. One of the keys for me to continue playing tennis today is that I have tolerated success and the failure.

Nothing is too big and nothing is too bad; there are good times and bad times. Emotionally, you have to maintain a middle line," Nadal said.

Moya praises Rafa Nadal

In a recent interview with Punto de Break, Rafael Nadal's coach Carlos Moya claimed the Spaniard would be "happy" with 21 Majors even if he is overtaken by Novak Djokovic in the Grand Slam race.

"Rafa is happy with what he has, he will be just as happy if he finishes with 21 and Djokovic with 25. It's not good to obsess; yes get motivated. Obviously, he is not going to give up the 22, if the opportunity arises he will fight for it, but it is a debate that, with all of them still active, does not make much sense," said Moya.

Moya compared Nadal's competitiveness to that of basketball legend Michael Jordan, golf great Tiger Woods and World No. 1 Novak Djokovic, and pointed out that the Spaniard has the ability to extricate himself from the tightest situations.

“On the fingers of one hand you can count the athletes who in history have been able to experience situations similar to Rafa's and have been able to slip out. A Michael Jordan, a Tiger Woods in his best moments, even a Novak Djokovic in tennis. That gene, that competitiveness, that way of turning around everything that is coming is impressive," said the coach.