"Nadal's forehand and Djokovic's return stand out" - Paul McNamee picks his favorite skills from ATP players list

Novak Djokovic (L), Paul McNamee (C), and Rafael Nadal
Novak Djokovic (L), Paul McNamee (C), and Rafael Nadal

Over the last two decades, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have proved to be two of the best tennis players in the history of the sport.

Having faced each other 59 times on the tour, the two players share the biggest rivalry among the men. The head-to-head record stands incredibly close, with the Serb winning 30 matches and Nadal 29.

When a social media post yesterday asked the tennis world to choose a skill from a list of top ATP players' strengths, fans and experts in huge numbers participated.

Former doubles World No. 1 player and administrator Paul McNamee of Australia also let fans know what his favorite skills are and of which players.

Although the 67-year-old thought that the entire list was great, he was absolutely clear in picking the Spaniard's forehand and the Serb's return as skills he would love to possess.

"All great, but there are two, and only two imo, that truly stand out, head and shoulders above anyone else’s…. the Nadal forehand, and the Djokovic return," McNamee tweeted.

Earlier this year, when World No. 3 Casper Ruud was asked to choose between Nadal's forehand and Roger Federer's volley, he went with the former, stating that the Spaniard's forehand might have won him more titles than the Swiss legend's volley.

"I think Rafa's forehand has been maybe giving him more titles than Roger's volley. So, I would maybe say Rafa's forehand even though Roger's volley is so perfect in a way," Ruud said.

"I'm sure that Nadal will try to dethrone him at the end of this year" - Novak Djokovic on Carlos Alcaraz

Novak Djokovic (L) and Carlos Alcaraz
Novak Djokovic (L) and Carlos Alcaraz

The world of tennis is gearing up for two of the biggest tournaments of the season — the Paris Masters and the Nitto ATP Finals. Among the top players to grace the two events will be Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz.

Speaking to Sportal recently, the Serb praised Alcaraz for his achievements in 2022, saying that he deserved to be the No. 1 player. The 35-year-old also stated that Nadal would also be gunning to take the top spot from Alcaraz by the end of the year.

"Alcaraz is the first in the world and he is the best. He absolutely deserves to be where he is. I congratulate him on all his successes. I think it's great for tennis that such a young guy records such historic results because it attracts a lot of new attention and fresh blood to tennis, so we all benefit from that," Djokovic said, adding, "I'm sure that Nadal will also try to dethrone him at the end of this year because he has the only chance to do it."

What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here

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