"The thing that’s so impressive, it’s not the body or the injuries or the fitness level, to me it’s the hunger" - Chris Evert on Rafael Nadal

Former World No.1 Chris Evert feels that Rafael Nadal's hunger to win in any situation makes him the legendary player he is.

Evert, who has been surprised by his longevity, expected the 36-year-old to have a 15-year career. However, he is still going strong after making his professional debut in 2001.

The 18-time Grand Slam champion, speaking to the media before the start of the 2022 US Open, believes that the Spaniard stands out from other players as he gives his 120% even in practice sessions and that he practices like he is playing a match.

"I think we all thought the guy, the way he trained, the way he practiced like he was playing matches. Physically, his game, he stands so far back. So, he had to take more steps than everybody else. He’s such a physical player. We all thought he’s going to have like a 15-year career. And he surpassed that now," Evert said, via ESPN.

In his formative days, Nadal was taught by his uncle and former coach Toni Nadal to never throw in the towel. The Mallorcan has stuck to that advice and has an insatiable hunger to always give his best, which has helped him reap rewards. Evert stated that his hunger to achieve more is the reason why he has not dropped his levels.

"And the thing with Rafa that’s so impressive, it’s not the body or the injuries or the fitness level. To me it’s the hunger. The second he loses that hunger, that’s a huge part of his game. And that’s 25 percent of his game is going to drop off because that hunger has won him a lot of matches and gotten him out of a lot of tight spots. And that hunger has kept him going. It’s been just what’s kept him going in life is being a tennis professional," she added.

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Rafael Nadal eyes fifth US Open title

Rafael Nadal is a four-time US Open champion.

Rafael Nadal will have his eyes set on a fifth US Open title when he takes to the courts in New York next week. He has won the Flushing Meadows Major four times to date, in 2010, 2013, 2017 and 2019. Seeded second, he will begin his campaign against Australia's Rinky Hijikata on Monday.

The Spaniard enters the Grand Slam on the back of a defeat to Borna Coric in the second round of the Cincinnati Masters, which was his first match since pulling out of the Wimbledon Championships with an abdominal tear.