Rafael Nadal will not have "many chances" in the future to win a Grand Slam unlike Novak Djokovic, believes Mats Wilander

Tennis great Mats Wilander believes Rafael Nadal will not have as many chances to win a Grand Slam title in the coming years compared to his arch-rival Novak Djokovic.

Nadal and Djokovic have been dominating the sport for over a decade. The duo have 43 Grand Slam singles titles between them, with the Spaniard leading the race with 22 Majors.

They will both look forward to the 2023 Australian Open to add another Major to their records, with Djokovic aiming to tie the Spaniard's record and Nadal seeking to gain more advantage in the GOAT debate.

In light of this, former World No. 1 Mats Wilander said in an interview with Eurosport that he wants Rafael Nadal to win the Major at Melbourne Park. He believes the 36-year-old will not have many chances to do so in the next two to three years.

"If Rafa wins, that will be big as he then goes into his favourite tournament. If Djokovic wins, they’re both on 22 and the race is back on, 100%. So, it's obviously very important for Novak to win this tournament, but it's most probably more important for me if Rafa wins because Rafa is not going to have that many chances in the next two, three years," Wilander said.

Wilander also claimed that, unlike the Spaniard, Novak Djokovic will have several chances to win every Grand Slam title over the next two to three years. He added that the Serb can win six or seven more Majors, whilst the Mallorcan can only win two or three.

"I think Novak has a chance in every Grand Slam every year for the next two or three years. I think Novak can win one more, or he can win six or seven more, and I don't think Rafa can win six or seven more. I think he can win two, maybe three," Wilander said.

"I think that the race is just open right now and that to me it's very important for the history of the sport," he added.

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"His form is a huge handicap in the first few rounds" - Mats Wilander on Rafael Nadal ahead of the Australian Open 2023

Rafael Nadal pictured at the 2023 Australian Open practice session.

In the same interview, Mats Wilander discussed Rafael Nadal's chances at the 2023 Australian Open, saying that the Spaniard's form will be a huge setback for him, but if he gets through the first few rounds and gains confidence, nothing will stand between him and the trophy.

"His form is a huge handicap in the first few rounds, because when you have lost six out of seven, and then you start thinking, ‘wow, I haven't won two matches in a row since the US Open’, that is not good for your confidence, and it's great for the confidence of the rest of the players," Wilander said.

"But if he starts winning the first few rounds and he's being tested, then I think that once you get to a quarter-finals, it doesn't matter if you won six out of seven because now you're talking about the 22 Grand Slam champion and last year's defending champion," he added.