Nadal has age on his side, says Wilander

Bengaluru, September 11: Former US Open champion Mats Wilander believes Rafael Nadal has it in him to surpass Roger Federer's Open era record of 19 Grand Slam victories.

Following his third US Open triumph at the Arthhur Ashe Stadium where he beat Kevin Anderson 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in the final on Sunday, Nadal has now 16 Grand Slams and is just three short of equalling the Swiss Master.

An absolutely IMPECCABLE, IMPERIOUS performance by #Rafa, who improves to 16-7 lifetime in major finals. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/s8OVS5MVq1
— TennisNow (@Tennis_Now) September 10, 2017

Wilander, who won the US Open in 1988 and was at the Flushing Meadows as a television pundit for Eurosport channel opined that Nadal is far more hungrier than Federer.

"We've never had a hungrier player than Federer and Nadal and I would say that Nadal is probably much hungrier than Federer," the Swede said on his daily column for Reuters news agency.

"I think that Nadal has a very good chance to catch Roger because he's gonna win the French Open again at least once or twice and suddenly you're one or two away," added Wilander.

Both Federer and Nadal won two Grand Slams each in 2017 and with his stellar performance at the US Open, Nadal is destined for greater things, added Wilander.

"Somebody's gotta be the best player in the world and Rafael Nadal is the best player in the world. There's nothing you can do to hurt him when they play on slow hard courts.

"Maybe you'd have to go to someone like Novak Djokovic to maybe beat him."

The winner of seven Grand Slam titles also opined that Nadal is getting close to his best.

"Nadal's playing better than he ever has. He's made changes to the serve, he's been varying more and he's also taken the backhand much earlier as he doesn't play as far from the baseline when the rally is in play.

"I think the lesson he's that he's always learning and he's always gonna be changing things because he has that hunger to play the perfect tennis match."