“If Nadal plays Djokovic in Australia, I wouldn't bet on him”

Paul Annacone, who was the coach of tennis figures like Roger Federer, Pete Sampras and Sloane Stephens, went through The Tennis Channel to give their expectations about the next Australian Open, which will be held from February 8 to 21 in Melbourne.

The legendary coach sees Djokovic as a great favorite for the title in Australia ahead of Nadal. “I think it is very simple. Rafa Nadal is a little worse on hard court than Novak Djokovic in particular and Roger Federer on faster hard tracks. Except for them, I put NadaL ahead of the rest. But if Nadal plays the final of the tournament against Djokovic, I would not bet on him. I think the most important thing for Nadal is to get through the first week without rushing. “

Annacone believes that Nadal needs a bit more match intensity before playing in Australia and wanted to compare this to the hard court at the US Open, where Nadal has performed better. “When the year begins in Australia, Nadal is coming off a long break, having played a few games in the ATP Cup for example. But when he comes to the US Open, he does so after a short break after Wimbledon. He has already played three Grand Grand Prix. Slam before, and that benefits him. “