Rafael Nadal is superior to the likes of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andre Agassi.
That's according to former World No. 84 and ex-coach of Daniil Medvedev, Jean-Rene Lisnard who had the pleasure of playing and losing to all four men.
However, when it all comes down to who the best player is, the Frenchman feels Rafael Nadal is the best due to his many qualities and how he makes opponents suffer.
“I played Federer, Djokovic, Agassi. The best is Nadal,” Lisnard told L'Equipe (via Tennis365). “Every (point) stitch is hell. He has monstrous punching quality. Against anyone, you lead 40-0, you tell yourself that the game is almost won. Not against [Nadal].
“He never lets go and you can feel it. When he takes control with his forehand, it’s only a matter of time before you lose the point. He eats you.”
Lisnard also revealed he tells junior players to watch Nadal in training as an example to strive by.
“When I do Roland [Garros] with juniors, I show them [Nadal] in training. It’s two against one. And he puts maximum intensity on every strike,” Lisnard added.
“I tell the kids: ‘Look, he’s got 500 million in his [bank] account, more than 20 Grand Slams, but he’s still on top of everything, all the time.”
Unfortunately, Nadal is not in action at Roland Garros this year as he had to withdraw due to an ongoing hip problem.
However, he successfully underwent surgery on Friday with a recovery timeline of five months which should have him ready for what could be his last season on the ATP Tour in 2024.