March 9, 2015 - Indian Wells, California, United States of America - MARTINA NAVRATILOVA observes AGNIESZKA RADWANSKA practicing in preparation for the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Gardens in Indian Wells California on Monday 9 March 2015. Tennis 2015 - BNP Paribas Open - Qualifying Day 1 - ZUMAl132
Tennis Legend Martina Navratilova was in awe of Rafael Nadal
Rafael Nadal never fails to impress – on or off the court. After his marathon 3-hour match against Nick Kyrgios at the Indian Wells, Nadal still had time and the will to address the requests of fans present in the stadium. Speaking on the gesture, Tennis legend Martina Navratilova who was present on the court, narrated her personal experience with Nadal.
“He gives you all the time. I remember when I was in the gym and we both were on a stationary bike, I asked him for a signature and he says of course and signs it off. If it were me I would have totally told the other person off. He just doesn’t say ‘no’ to anybody. I applaud his patience, I applaud his perseverance, I applaud his excellence. If I had a hat on, I would take it off”, narrated an over-whelmed Navratilova.
Nadal has since then gone on to win his next match – the semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz and is all set to take on Taylor Fritz in the final.
Rafael Nadal is unbeaten with a 20-0 win record in 2022
Rafael Nadal has made his best-ever start to the season winning 20 out of 20 matches so far. Nadal is now the only player in the Open Era to have won at least 450 matches on both hard court and clay surfaces. The 21-time Grand Slam Champion is in amazing form since the start of the season. Nadal will look to carry forward the momentum to the final of the Indian Wells Masters and clinch the title.
Meanwhile, Nadal has withdrawn from the next tournament – the Miami Open and opted for a break to prepare for the clay-court season. He would look to make the most of the break after the Indian Wells to give himself the best opportunity to go for a record 14th French Open title. The Roland Garros will be played in May on the clay courts of Paris. Nadal has made the tournament his own, winning the singles title a record 13 times. He is definitely the fan favourite in Paris and will go into the French Open aiming to win a record 22nd Grand Slam title.
More Tennis news
Follow our dedicated Tennis page for instant Tennis news and updates