Boris Becker "sincerely hoping" Rafael Nadal's final tournament isn't French Open 2023

Boris Becker, like most Rafael Nadal fans, is worried about the Spaniard's chances at the upcoming French Open.

With the defending champion not having played any competitive tennis since the Australian Open, where he picked up a hip injury in the second round, Becker is not happy with the level of match practice Nadal has had in the lead-up to Roland Garros.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Eurosport, the former World No. 1 insisted that for the Mallorcan to miss so many of his favorite tournaments on clay, something "really bad" must have happened.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion was initially set to return to action at the Monte-Carlo Masters at the start of the clay swing, but he eventually withdrew, followed by similar withdrawals from the Barcelona Open, the Madrid Open, and most recently, the Italian Open.

Becker said:

"All Nadal fans, and I'm one of them, are worried. It happens that he is injured. After his injury in Melbourne, it was said that he would be fit again for the clay-court season. That was not the case. If he cancels the clay-court tournaments in preparation for Roland-Garros, something really bad must have happened."

The German went on to state that it would be nice to see the southpaw at least compete in Paris, adding that he was "sincerely hoping" that this wasn't the end of the road for the 36-year-old:

“I really hope he can at least compete in Paris. That would at least be good news. A player always has to decide for himself which is his last tournament - and I sincerely hope that for Rafa, it won't be the Roland-Garros tournament this year."

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"No one has ever played tennis like Rafael Nadal" - Boris Becker

Western & Southern Open - Day 5

Boris Becker lavished further praise on Rafael Nadal, calling him an icon who "significantly" changed the landscape of tennis. Declaring that no one has ever played the sport like the Spaniard, Becker praised the 22-time Grand Slam champion as one of the "fairest" players and "greatest fighters" the world has ever seen.

Here's what he said about Nadal's impact on the sport:

"Rafa is not a sports hero, but an icon. He has changed the sport of tennis significantly. No one has ever played tennis like Rafael Nadal - let alone been so successful. This is also evident in his attitude. He is one of the fairest players in the world, one of the greatest fighters we have ever seen."