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John McEnroe says Rafael Nadal reminds him of LeBron James and noted he can definitely envision the Spaniard winning the 2024 French Open in his final year on the Tour. Nadal, who is set to turn 37 in early June, announced last week his plans to retire in 2024.
James, who is 38, averaged nearly 30 points per game during the 2022/23 season and proved that he is still among the best in the league. In the playoffs, James led the Los Angeles Lakers to the Western Conference Finals before they were swept by the Denver Nuggets.
Against the Nuggets, James did well but he wasn't outstanding and that left many wondering if Father Time was finally catching up to James. McEnroe suggests Nadal is probably still among the best tennis-wise but Father Time might be finally catching up to the Spaniard.
McEnroe compares Nadal to James
“I would never say that he couldn't win at Roland-Garros. Anyone that's done what he's done, as long as he stepped foot on a court would have a great chance. He reminds me a lot of Lebron James.
LeBron James is a little bit older and is part of a team, but I think he proved he was still a fantastic player. But you know, maybe at the end of those [season-end] games he got a little tired because too much was expected from him.
And at some point, that's what's gonna happen to Rafa, it happens to everybody, you're going to be asking too much. So it's hard to know, at this point. By the time he [Nadal] plays next year, if he plays, he'd be 38 years old during the tournament," McEnroe told Eurosport.
In his presser from last week, Nadal announced he would also miss Wimbledon. Right now, Nadal's main priority is to be back to being healthy and able to compete in his favorite tournaments in 2024.
