"Age factor" will be the biggest challenge for World no.1 & 2 as it gets harder and harder as you get older, Tim Henman reveals.
Rafael Nadal & Roger Federer started their 2017 with the rankings of 9th & 17th respectively but to the end the year as World no.1 & 2 is quite "Phenomenal", according to former World No. 4 and Wimbledon semifinalist Tim Henman.
In an interview with Express Sport, he said, 'I think if you are surprised by Federer and Nadal, I think you are naive. Because now they are two of the greatest athletes in any sport of all time.
They don’t go by normal rules.' 'I think what Federer and Nadal achieved this year was absolutely incredible and I would not be the slightest bit surprised if they did it all again next year. That’s how good they are.
The biggest challenge for both them is making sure they stay healthy. As we all know, that gets harder and harder as you get older. But the way they played this year, head and shoulders above the rest as number one and two in the world.
And they go into the Australian Open as the favourites if they are 100 per cent healthy', Tim Henman reveals.
Roger Federer is all set to kick off his campaign at Hopman Cup which starts from 30th December.
Excited for his 2018 season, he said, 'Coming off the back of this season is already so exciting, I just can't wait to come back to all the tournaments I played so well this year, you know. This year was so surprising in so many ways that I Just Hope I can play well again in Australia, do well again at Wimbledon.
'So we'll see what happens, but I am just so happy and healthy and still enjoying myself'.
Hopman Cup schedule for Roger Federer :
Switzerland's Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic will play in the evening session: on December 30 against Japan's Yuichi Sugita and Naomi Osaka, on January 2 against Khachanov and Pavlyuchenkova, on January 4 against Sock and Vandeweghe.