On the eve of his defence of his French Open title, 16-time Grand Slam winner Rafa Nadal has offered a unique insight into what he considers to be the most important attributes for success in the sport - and has praised some of his chief rivals in the process.

Per tennisworldusa.org, Nadal was asked by Le Figaro newspaper to describe his ideal tennis player, Nadal singled out the talents of several whom he has played many times as being highly desirable.

"Karlovic's serve, Roger's forehand shots, Novak's backhand and return, and Gael Monfils's speed on the court. For the mental strength, I choose me, Roger and Novak," explained Nadal.

Two of his biggest challengers throughout his career, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, have demonstrated talent, skill, and resilience that few can match, so Nadal's praise for the pair is wholly warranted.

In the 13 years that have followed Nadal's first French Open championship win in 2005, Federer and Djokovic are two of only three men who have managed to lift the trophy aside from Nadal.

Indeed, Djokovic defeated Nadal on route to his 2016 triumph, making him one of just two men ever to defeat the Spaniard at the event.

The inclusion of Ivo Karlovic also comes as little surprise.

The Croatian holds the world record for the number of aces served in the history of the sport - having served in excess of over 12,500 in his career, whist Frenchman Monfils is universally recognised as one of the fastest players in the modern era game.

As he aims to claim an 11th championship at Roland Garros, Nadal also spoke about the ingredients behind his remarkable longevity in sport.

"I think it takes a lot of things: a good mentality, passion for what you do, love for the sport, a little bit of luck and finally a permanent desire to improve to have that spirit present every day."

Whilst Rafa Nadal has given his own opinion on the make-up of the "perfect" player, there are sure to be many tennis fans hailing Nadal himself as being flawless should he continue his remarkable dominance of the French Open over the next two weeks.

Injuries aside, Nadal has proven to be barely playable at the French showpiece over the years and fans will be hoping he can make history once again.

One thing that shouldn't go unnoticed, though, is the fact Nadal didn't mention anything about a certain Andy Murray - Britain's most successful male tennis player. Very interesting.