Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.

Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten has put the hard word on Rafael Nadal, predicting that Spain’s king of clay has finished his run as a grand slam event champion. Kuerten, who lifted three Roland Garros titles, now serves as a hallowed tennis figurehead in his native country, trotted out on occasion to make pronouncements.

The seventh-ranked Nadal won his 14th slam event at Roland Garros last season and did not go past the quarter-finals at a major in 2015. “It’s unlikely enough to see Rafa being world No 1 again,” Kuerten told Brazilian media.

“The chances to see him win another Roland Garros title are less. It’s rather unlikely for him to win another grand slam title, due to his tennis level against the other guys. If his level is not at 100 per cent,  there is nothing he can do”.

Kuerten, who underwent hip surgery before ending his career, says he can see similarities between himself and the 29-year-old Spaniard: “I compare his situation to mine. After the first surgery, I didn’t feel pain but I didn’t run well and this was a problem. If I couldn’t support well the foot, my chance decreased of about 15 or 20 per cent. His obstacle is Djokovic and he has to beat him in the Slam tournaments, where Nole is the favorite”.

But Guga admits that his predictions have not always panned out. “In 2013 I didn’t think Nadal could come back the way he did. He has to give himself a little hope. The guy is from another planet. You can’t say that he’s finished because he wins only 2-3 titles, but sometimes you’re almost finished when you see the results you achieve in the grand slams”.

Copyright © 2015. No duplication is permitted without permission from Bob Larson Tennis.