Juan Carlos Ferrero praises ‘beast’ Rafael Nadal’s ‘strong motivation’

Tennis News

Tennis365
December 9, 2018

Juan Carlos Ferrero has expressed his admiration for Rafael Nadal’s “strong motivation”, saying the 17-time Grand Slam winner can compete for another “two or three years”.

Despite spending several months on the sidelines due to various injuries, Nadal enjoyed another successful year as he won his 11th title at Roland Garros and was atop the world rankings for several for the majority of the year.

However, he lost out on the year-end No 1 title to Novak Djokovic as he missed the final few months of the season due to injury.

Although injuries have started to take its toll on the 32-year-old Spaniard in the last few years, Ferrero believes his fellow Spaniard still have a few years left at the top.

“I have been talking to my closest friend. I am seeing him competing two or three years more. If he is fit enough, his tennis is great,” he told Omnisport.

“What impresses me more is how he is able to keep that strong motivation. The hardest point is to compete at this high-level motivation.

“Anyway, if you compete each time for winning a Grand Slam, it is easier to keep it. However, it is always tough to keep that motivation the whole year.

“Fortunately, he is able to keep it and hopefully the injuries will not be an issue – that’s something [that is] tougher every year because you are getting older.

“Each time I watch him [when he is] fit, he is a beast. He takes care of himself and if [Roger] Federer says he will play until 40, Rafa is 32, so he still has long way to go.”