"He's the one who understands tennis the best, he's able to make matches turn"- Richard Gasquet on Rafael Nadal

In a recent interview with We Are Tennis, Richard Gasquet showered praise on Rafael Nadal, describing the Spaniard as the "GOAT of tactics." Gasquet pointed out that Nadal knows exactly where to position himself on the court at all times.

Nadal lifted a record-breaking 21st Grand Slam title at the Australian Open after defeating Daniil Medvedev in the final. The Spaniard clawed his way back from a two-set deficit to complete a 2-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 win in a match that lasted more than five hours.

What was impressive about the Spaniard's win against Medvedev was his ability to change tactics when he was losing. Nadal became a lot more aggressive with his backhand after going two sets down, and also used the slice well to turn the match in his favour.

Gasquet is fully aware of how tough it is to face Nadal, having lost all 17 of his meetings with the Spaniard. The Frenchman lauded the 21-time Slam champion for his match-turning capabilities.

"Nadal [on who is the GOAT of tactics]. He's the one who understands tennis the best. He's able to make matches turn. He knows when to move forward, backward, where to be best placed on the court. It's really impressive," said Gasquet.

In the same interview, Gasquet also claimed former World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka has the "best one-handed backhand" in the history of tennis.

"I think he [Wawrinka] has the best one-handed backhand in the history of the sport. It's tough for me to say to myself. With regards to my forehand, I am probably not on the top 200. With backhands, Wawrinka and I are the two bests. He has an amazing backhand," added the French player.

Gasquet then took the name of Novak Djokovic when it came to a player that never disconnected from tennis.

"All the best players never really disconnect. The higher you are ranked, the more you are connected. I don't know Djokovic personally, but to be at this level, it's tough to do many more things on the side," mentioned the former World No. 7.

Rafael Nadal on Acupulco and Indian Wells entry list

Rafael Nadal with the Australian Open 2022 title

After making history at the Australian Open, Rafael Nadal will shift his focus to the the Acupulco Open. The Spaniard is on the entry list for the ATP 500 tournament that begins on February 21.

Apart from Nadal, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev, Matteo Berrettini, and Alexander Zverev are also expected to compete in the tournament.

Nadal is also expected to compete at the Indian Wells Masters next month.