My rivals have faced fewer injuries than I have had to face: Nadal

Madrid, July 9 (IANS) Tennis superstar Rafael Nadal has revealed a lesser number of injuries would have helped his already illustrious career further, saying that is the only thing he envies about his rivals.

The world number two, who won his fourth US Open and 19th Grand Slam at last year’s event, said in an interview with CBS that the one thing he envied about his rivals was the lesser number of times they got injured.

“Yes. Sometimes I do. It’s true that my rivals have faced fewer injuries than I have had to face,” he said when asked the question.

Is it because of the high intensity the Spaniard plays with that takes a toll on his body?

“No, or I don’t know. I was told that for many years, I was told that because of the way I play, I would never have a very long career. But, hey, I’m still here…,” he replied as quoted by cbsnews.com.

Nadal had said last month that tennis “cannot resume until the situation is completely safe”, adding that he would not take part in the US Open if the Grand Slam tournament was being played this week.

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic said recently that he is still not sure of participating in the US Open and that there is a “witch-hunt” against him after the events of his ill-fated Adria Tour.

Djokovic had recently tested negative in his second test for coronavirus after the first test returned positive.

“I can only see criticism lately and much of it is malicious,” Djokovic told Wednesday’s issue of Serbian daily Sportski Zurnal.

“It’s obviously more than just criticism, it’s like an agenda and a witch-hunt are on. Someone has to take the fall, a big name,” he said.

The Adria Tour was a series of tournaments across the Baltic countries that had eased social-distancing norms.

–IANS

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