'Amazing if he can keep this up' - Mats Wilander stunned by Rafael Nadal career resurgence ahead of French Open

Published 08/03/2022 at 13:18 GMT

"Obviously, he is turning 36 during the French Open, and it would be amazing if he can keep this up when we really thought last year that this was very close to being the end of Rafa's career," Mats Wilander, who is amazed by Nadal's comeback so far this year, told Eurosport. "No, not in a million years would I have thought that Rafael Nadal could do that, not this part of the year."

'Amazing if he can keep this up' - Wilander stunned by Nadal career resurgence

Eurosport expert Mats Wilander has been left stunned by Rafael Nadal's career resurgence so far this season ahead of the French Open.

The 35-year-old has the chance to post one of the best-ever starts to a tennis season at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells after having already made a staggeringly strong start to the year.

Nadal, remarkably, is 15-0 for the year after winning the Melbourne Summer Set, Australian Open and Mexican Open, and he has the opportunity to win a further six matches at Indian Wells, which is the first Masters 1000 event of the season and starts on Thursday, March 10.

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Just three more victories would see him move up into third place for the longest unbeaten start to a season in the Open era. Only Novak Djokovic has enjoyed better starts to a season after going 26-0 in 2020 and 41-0 in 2011, and Wilander cannot believe what he has seen from the Spaniard.

"Obviously, he is turning 36 during the French Open, and it would be amazing if he can keep this up when we really thought last year that this was very close to being the end of Rafa's career," Wilander told Eurosport.

"He thought himself it could be close to the end of his career. I would never imagine that he would be able to do what he is doing, even though he would always be playing physically. No, not in a million years would I have thought that Rafael Nadal could do that, not this part of the year.

"Now we are back to Rafael Nadal, the ageless clay court king. I mean, he is closer to 16 years old than he is 36 years old emotionally, and that is where he separates himself from the others in the 'big three', I have to say.

"I'm sure there are some professors out there or scientists that never, ever get bored of challenging themselves and finding the result of the next problem. For Nadal, that is the same thing.

"So no, I don't think there has ever been a professional tennis player that finds it more enjoyable to feel fear, to be afraid of the outcome, to be nervous, to not really know what is going to happen at the end of a match.

"He is so in love with the problem-solving part of his profession that he is willing to feel that pain and to feel that anxiety just to find out what is around the next corner. Rafael Nadal is willing to take that chance."

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Nadal himself has said this week: "The way I’ve started the season is a dream.

"We believed that my career was not going to be that long and it is true that I have had physical problems. It is incredible that in 2022, I continue to compete as I am doing. I am enjoying myself to the fullest and let’s see how long it lasts."

Nadal’s start to the season is made even more impressive as there were doubts over his fitness coming into the year. He missed the last six months of 2021 with a foot injury and also tested positive for Covid-19 before travelling to Australia.

He has won Indian Wells three times previously in 2007, 2009 and 2013, and has an 84 per cent winning record at the tournament, which is better than he has produced at any other hard-court Masters event.