Rafael Nadal needed to work harder than Roger Federer says Davis Cup captain

James Richardson 26 Dec 2023 7:31 PM

Rafael Nadal in action

Netherlands Davis Cup skipper Paul Haarhuis has praised the career and consistency of former world number one Rafael Nadal, drawing comparisons between the Spaniard and Roger Federer.

Former World No. 18 Haarhuis claimed that Federer’s on-court technique was “flawless,” something he believed Nadal hadn’t demonstrated.

According to the Dutchman, the Spaniard, who is renowned for his intense physicality and mental toughness, has had to put in more effort to succeed.

Haarhuis was in awe of the grind shown by Nadal across his career including that incredible run in 2022.

“If you compare it to Federer, who is so flawless and so easy, how he can hit those strokes. And Rafael Nadal had to work so much harder for it,” Haarhuis was heard saying on the ATP Tennis Radio podcast.

The 57-year-old praised the 22-time Grand Slam champion for his consistency throughout the years, citing his tough style of play to maintain over time.

His toughness is so legendary that Nadal is almost a bad example to players because of how he has pushed himself beyond his limit.

Haarhuis believes that Nadal’s efforts have bought him the great success he has enjoyed across a record-breaking career.

“It’s so unbelievably nice to see that somebody who has to, in my opinion, work harder for it, does it all the time. And all those years,” Haarhuis said.

He points to Nadal’s impressive spell of 912 consecutive weeks (which equals around 17 and a half years) inside the world’s Top 10 as one of the great indicators of the Spaniard’s consistency.

“I mean, it’s mind-boggling how many years was this guy top ten before he fell out? Some players hope to once get, in the lifetime, a week in the top ten. And I think he did it 15 years in a row or even longer. 15 years in a row without being out of the top ten. That’s just mind-blowing,” Haarhuis added.

Following a year-long tennis break, Rafael Nadal will shortly make his competitive return. The Spaniard, who has stated that the 2024 season would most likely be his last, has already headed to Australia. He has picked the ATP 250 Brisbane International as his debut competition, which will take place from 31 December to 7 January 2024.

The World No 670 will compete against a tough field, including Holger Rune, Ben Shelton, Grigor Dimitrov, and Sebastian Korda, who are all set to begin their 2024 campaigns in Brisbane.

Nadal is set to head to Melbourne for the Australian Open following the Brisbane stop.