Former Indian pro turned tennis commentator and host Vijay Amritraj believes that Rafael Nadal is still one of the best tennis players in the world today and that the former World No. 1 will definitely return to top form in the next ATP season.

"Actually, nothing much has happened to Nadal. He made the world finals in London, which means he is the world's best player. As long as he is healthy, he will play unbelievable tennis. He will bounce back extremely strongly next year, I think. He will bounce back," Amritra said to The Telegraph India.

"I don't think you can pick anything from him. He is a great champion. He has won 14 Grand Slams. He is ranked among the top 5 in the world, nothing has happened to him. He is truly greatest of the current generation.”

The statement of the 61-year-old former pro is expected to stir some controversy, considering that other top players and Nadal’s rivals, Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Roger Federer of Switzerland, have been more successful and consistent in the past couple of years. Federer holds the all-time record of 17 Grand Slam titles, while Nadal and Djokovic has 14 and 10 major championships, respectively.

Amritraj had a career that spanned from 1970 to 1993, and the Indian pro had a win-loss record of 390-302 in the men’s singles tour, where he won 16 ATP titles. He never won a Grand Slam title but made the quarterfinals of the Wimbledon Championships (1973 and 1981) and US Open (1973 and 1974) multiple times.

Meanwhile, Nadal’s on-court struggles in the last two ATP seasons have been well-documented, with the Spanish pro admitting that much of it has come mentally and from lack of confidence. Nadal declared in multiple interviews recently that he has recovered, both on the physical and mental aspect of the game, and is ready to play at a high level for the next ATP season.

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