Nadal is the biggest loser — Becker

LONDON. — While beating the coronavirus pandemic is the global priority, the absence of sport is being particularly keenly felt.

Next week the French Open tennis tournament should have been taking place at Roland Garros, but it has been postponed to a later date.

And according to tennis legend and Laureus Academy member Boris Becker, the biggest loser from that could be Rafael Nadal in the race to become the winner of most career Grand Slam titles.

Currently Roger Federer has 20, Nadal has 19 and Novak Djokovic has 17, and, in an interview with Laureus.com, Becker says “The jury is out on which of the top tennis stars will suffer most from what could become a lost year.

“Nadal has won the French 12 times. He had a chance to equal Roger Federer there and that’s something everybody probably thought would be possible, but now that’s not happening.

“Equally, just by pressure logic, the older players will suffer because they have a lost year. We know Roger Federer defies the odds, but he will be reaching 40 next year and he won’t get any younger.”

With the current continuing uncertainty about how long coronavirus restrictions will last around the world, Becker wonders whether it could be that the Australian Open in January might end up becoming the next Grand Slam actually to be played.

“If it is, then maybe 2021 will see the breakthrough of the young guns because they will be a year more experienced, and the older players are another year older,” he says.

“The big three (Federer, Nadal and Djokovic) have won everything multiple times. I think it’s for the younger generation to step up. The best one of the rest for the last two years has been Dominic Thiem. He’s made three major finals and played beautifully against Novak, losing in five sets in Melbourne.

“I would like to see the top three still at their best, and being beaten. I don’t want the young generation to take over when the top three won’t play anymore or are actually too old,” says Becker. “I want to see a final between a 22-year-old and a 33-year-old. That would be the best thing in tennis. So guys, step up to the plate.”

Interestingly, if there is one of the old guard for whom Becker thinks this closedown has come at the right time, it’s Scotland’s Andy Murray. — AFP.