At 44 years old, Nicolás Escude is one of the best known faces on the Eurosport platform. In all the broadcasts related to the Slam tournaments, the Frenchman distills his experience as a former high-level player (he played on the professional circuit from 1995 to 2004) and as a coach.
The former world number 17 has become the protagonist of a very solid career thanks to a semi-final at the 1998 Australian Open, two Grand Slam quarter-finals (at Wimbledon 1999 and at the US Open 2001), four titles in hard court, one of which against Roger Federer in the 2001 Rotterdam final.
During a lengthy interview with ‘GQ Magazine’, Escude recounted some of his most memorable moments as a commentator. The memory was especially the famous final of the Australian Open 2017 between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, won by the Swiss in five sets at the end of an exceptional battle.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion had been on hold for six months due to a series of back and knee problems.
Escude: Federer did something amazing
“Two experiences come to mind above all others: the 2008 Australian Open semi-final between Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Rafael Nadal and the final between Roger Federer and Nadal in 2017.
Federer was amazing, he came back from a six-month hiatus and managed to express absolutely stratospheric tennis. That success was beyond any human understanding.
Rafa also did some crazy things that day. I also enjoyed the final act of the US Open last year. Although there was no audience in the stands, Dominic Thiem and Alexander Zverev were playing the first Slam of their career, it was a five-set battle with many turns, many errors at the end, but what a show.
It is very interesting to comment on these types of matches, ”said Escude. Roger Federer’s latest Grand Slam triumph dates back to the 2018 Australian Open (in the final against Marin Cilic).
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