Marcos Giron reveals he thought Rafael Nadal was “full of it” however that modified the second he met the Spaniard in individual for the primary time.
All through his profession, the Spanish tennis icon was thought to be one of many fiercest opponents on the court docket but additionally loved an excellent fame within the locker room.
Off the court docket, the document 14-time French Open champion was often described as somebody who was very humble and sort to everybody, from fellow gamers to ball children, personnel, and so on.
Giron, who’s 31 years outdated, had a tough time believing Nadal was genuinely so humble and sort.
However after crossing paths with the 38-year-old, he realized that every part that was stated about him was true.
Giron: Nadal is only a real, good dude
Showing on ESPN’s Russo & Rizzo, the American was requested if he was a fan of the previous 20-time Grand Slam winner.
“Hard not to be a fan of Federer, Del Potro, Novak. Rafa, I feel like, I wasn’t a fan until I played him when I really got to appreciate him – he’s a helluva player,” he responded.
“Yeah, yeah, I kind of thought he was always full of it, like, ‘Oh no, I respect every guy’ but he is like that, he’s just a genuine, nice dude.
“However he is a killer on court docket. He is an excellent dude, and I respect the hell out of him, and all of them.”
— ESPN WEST PALM (106.3 FM) (@ESPNWestPalm) February 11, 2025
Meanwhile, Giron played once against Nadal and suffered a loss as the Spaniard won their 2022 Australian Open first-round meeting with a 6-1 6-4 6-2 scoreline.
Marcos Giron and Rafael Nadal© Australian Open/YouTube
After that match, the former world No. 1 went on to win his second Australian Open title and the first one since 2009.
Shortly after winning the Australian Open and French Open in 2022, the Spaniard started to deal with constant injury setbacks, which ultimately led to his retirement last year.
