McEnroe Backs Nadal To Complete Grand Slam Set

Seven-time Grand Slam winner John McEnroe has tipped newly crowned Wimbledon Champion Rafael Nadal to complete a career Grand Slam later this year by lifting his first ever US Open title. (Photo credit: Matt Dunn).

McEnroe, who himself won two Wimbledon titles and five US Open titles throughout his illustrious career, believes that the sky is the limit for Nadal now that the Spaniard is fully fit and hungrier than ever to win the one Grand Slam title currently missing from his collection of eight.

“Nadal wants to win the US Open so badly,” said McEnroe. “It’d be hard not to pick him at this time even though he’s never won it."

“The guy’s just an animal; he’s mentally and physically incredible and he can definitely do it if he’s in this shape. The conditions in New York don’t suit Nadal so well and he needs to make his body hold up. So I think after Wimbledon he is going to take some time off and get his knees recovered and then maybe not play too many matches before the Open.”

McEnroe, who is currently in fifth place in the South African Airways Rankings on the ATP Champions Tour and planning to return to action himself later this year, has also tipped Wimbledon semi finalist Andy Murray for an impressive run at Flushing Meadows in September.

“I thought it was a little soon for Murray at Wimbledon because he hasn’t been playing with much confidence for a lot of this year, but he likes the hard courts a lot better so he’ll be playing well at the US Open,” he said.

McEnroe also warned that Murray should not be too downcast by his straight sets defeat by eventual winner Nadal in this year’s Wimbledon semi finals, and that patience will be the key for the 24 year-old if he is to register his first Grand Slam victory.

“Murray played well at Wimbledon,” he said. “ I feel like he did a lot of good things in his match against Nadal and it’s just a couple of points here and there, like the one at 6-5 in the tie break.”

“If I were Murray I would continue on the same path,” he said. “If he sticks with it and perseveres I think at some point he’ll get some luck and be able to pull a Grand Slam out of the bag. He just has to keep strong mentally and realise that his time will come. ”

On the subject of Roger Federer, who suffered a surprise quarter final defeat to Thomas Berdych at SW19, McEnroe says that fans of the Swiss maestro have no reason to panic.

“Federer’s done so amazingly well that anything but a win is almost considered a bad tournament,” he said. “But he’s won the Australian Open and been in two other quarters at Majors this year, and almost any other player would love that.”

“It’s inevitable at some stage, when you’ve won 16 and you’ve broken every record that maybe you lose that will at certain times,” McEnroe continued. “I think Federer is going to win a couple more Majors but you won’t see him dominate the way he has before. He’s a great enough talent and he has enough pride that he’ll figure out a way to get a couple more Slams.”