Rafael Nadal salvaged his 2015 season with a couple of nice wins at the end of the year.
That may be just a precursor to what could be a 2016 of Serena Williams-ian proportions.
Rafael Nadal Says He Feels 'Totally Free' Heading Into 2016
Nadal's uncle and coach, Toni Nadal, said he believes the current No. 5 player in the world can resume winning Grand Slam events, ESPN reported.
Three of them, as a matter of fact -- the same three that women's No. 1 Serena Williams won in 2015.
Rafael Nadal Doesn't Want To Be Compared To Roger Federer
When asked whether Rafa can hoist a Grand Slam trophy in 2016, Toni Nadal said: "Yes. I couldn't do this work if I thought that he couldn't win more Grand Slams. No, no, no, I think that he can win more Grand Slams. He can win the Australian Open in January. And he can win Wimbledon, too. The last few years, Rafael arrives at Wimbledon and he loses early, and very fast. And, in Roland Garros, for sure, Rafael can win. In tennis, you need confidence to do things. It's impossible to do anything without confidence. You can't win any good tournaments if you think you cannot and you don't believe."
Nadal failed to win a Grand Slam event in 2015 for the first time since 2004. He had won nine of 10 French Opens prior to last May. The only year during that span he lost -- 2009, to Roger Federer -- Rafa made up for it with an Australian Open title.
If Nadal were to somehow win the three Slams, he would tie Federer for the most major victories on the men's side (17) and would have a strong argument as the greatest tennis player ever. But when asked about matching and passing Federer, Toni Nadal backtracked somewhat.
"I don't know. I will wait until 2016 starts before I think about that, but I know that Rafael can improve and that he can play well and play to a high level."
With Novak Djokovic standing in the way, Toni Nadal is wise to temper his expectations.
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