‘You can never bet against him’ – Boris Becker lauds veteran star ahead of 2023 Australian Open

With the 2023 Australian Open about to get underway in Melbourne from Monday, January 16th, Tennis veteran Boris Becker lauded the 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal saying he would never bet against the Spaniard. Talking highly of Nadal, who won the Hardcourt event Down Under last year, Becker said Rafa, as many of Nadal’s fans call him, was never in reckoning before the start of the tournament and yet went on to claim the top prize a couple of weeks later. 

While talking with Eurosport, Becker said, “As long as this guy is around, I would never bet against him. Let’s remember last year, he actually had no chance, arrived in Australia and played a Challenger competition to prepare. Nobody took that seriously, many even smiled. Two weeks later, Nadal won the Australian Open.”

Further showering praises on the 36-year-old, Boris added that Nadal is a fierce competitor, and that his duel with yet another superstar Novak Djokovic is fantastic to watch. With both vying for the Australian Open crown, it would be interesting to see who comes on top.

“He is an incredible competitor, and if he didn’t have a chance, he wouldn’t play. On top of that, he can see Djokovic rushing in with one eye. Maybe Rafa thought he had him beat in Grand Slams, but then Novak won at Wimbledon. Fabulous, that duel,” six-time Grand Slam winner added.

Putting him second on the list for the race for the AO title this time, Becker added he is a big fan of Nadal and that the Spaniard is a role model for millions of people across the world.

“I am a big Nadal fan. He is an absolute role model for young players and exemplifies what can be achieved with attitude, discipline and pure will. In my ranking of the favourites for Melbourne, he comes in second,” Boris reckoned.

Shedding some light on Nadal’s rival, Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, Becker opined that he is a formidable opponent and that despite having a relatively weaker second half of 2022, Medvedev should never be underestimated. 

“Daniil Medvedev is flying under the radar, but for me he is the third favourite. He had a somewhat weaker second half of 2022 by his standards, but he should never be underestimated. He is not called the chess player of the tennis scene for nothing and is a formidable opponent,” the veteran concluded.