Andy Murray ‘the only one at the same level’ as the big three claims Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal has claimed that Andy Murray was the only one who was at the same level as the big three. Murray is a three-time Grand Slam champion and also won the Gold medal at the London Olympics. 

However, Murray suffered a horrific hip injury, which kept him on the sidelines for a couple of years. Murray is currently playing with a metal hip and he is still giving his best at the fag end of his career.

Furthermore, Murray suffered an ankle injury in the Miami Open in March and hasn’t played on the tour since then.

Nadal praised Murray for his achievements over the years, when speaking to the press in Rome, “I don’t like to say he deserved more or less, because at the end it’s just like, if I say I deserve more, if I didn’t have injuries. No, I don’t, because I had the injuries.”

The Spaniard continued, “He had a lot of finals. He was an amazing player who probably played in a difficult moment in the history of tennis, because, he shared the tour at the prime time of Novak, Roger, and myself. And he was, in my feeling, the one that he was at the same level than us, in general terms.

“Then, in terms of victories, it’s true that he achieved less, but in terms of level of tennis, in terms of holding mentally, the winning spirit week after week… He was the only one that was very close to, to be at the same level as us.”

Meanwhile, Nadal had a 17-7 H2H record against Murray. The Scot had an 11-14 win-loss record against Roger Federer whereas he had an 11-25 record against Novak Djokovic.

Murray will begin clay court season at the Bordeaux Challenger event next week, after receiving a wildcard for the tournament.