Novak Djokovic Superfan Slammed For Needlessly Targeting Rafael Nadal Over Latest ‘Injury-Free’ Comments

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic’s camaraderie at the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia was something not seen as much when their rivalry was at its peak. On returning home, Nadal gave an interview in which he reiterated that Djokovic is indeed the best tennis player of all time and deserves to be considered that because of his ability to be fitter than all his rivals.

“The numbers show he’s the best, which means his tennis has also been the best. And he’s been the most injury-free, which allowed him to maintain his physical, mental, and tennis levels longer than anyone. That’s why he’s the best, and he’s earned it,” Nadal recently told AS.

Although many fans appreciated Nadal’s modest reaction, some eagle-eyed critics were not particularly pleased with the phrase “most injury-free” used in his remarks. Among them was Pavvy G, a Djokovic superfan, who took a subtle dig at Rafa.

This was in reference to Rafa’s uncle Toni Nadal’s recent claim that his nephew would have been the best in the world if not for his injuries.

“When people ask me who is the best in history, I say, ‘The best in history is Djokovic because of everything he accomplished, and the one who played the best tennis is Federer’. But I think my nephew would be the best in history if he didn’t have so many injuries,” Toni said.

Pavvy G believes Nadal’s team is once again playing the “injury card” to explain the difference in both players’ achievements. However, his comments were not well received, and many users criticized the Djokovic superfan for needlessly targeting the retiring legend.

Pavvy G has grown into one of Novak Djokovic’s biggest superfans. So much so that the Serb recognized him at Wimbledon 2024. This must make someone like Pavvy try to post more positive things on his idol, rather than something negative about his rivals.

What would the end of the Djokovic-Nadal rivalry mean for superfans like Pavvy G?

Interestingly, when injuries are spoken about, many forget that Djokovic was often injured between 2006 and 2010. It did not allow him to win more than one Grand Slam and beat the likes of Nadal and Roger Federer more often than he would have liked.

Apart from that, the Serb’s 2017 season ended midway due to an aggravated elbow injury which he sustained towards the end of 2016. At that time, he had only won twelve Grand Slams. But Djokovic recovered from the setback in style to claim 12 more Majors over the following 7 years.

So even if Uncle Toni might have been derogatory towards Djokovic, Rafa Nadal wasn’t. And that makes some superfans’ judgments come under scrutiny, which could also exist due to past bias.

Fan wars on social media have thrived due to player rivalries. To maintain their online presence, superfans often deliberately post comments like these to elicit responses from passionate supporters.

This is why the likes of Pavvy G have been involved in a number of controversies till now. They would need something new to run their pages or rather turn something positive into an eye-grabbing post, which could put down a rival easily.

Djokovic is a champion in his own right, who does not need to be compared anymore. So highlighting his achievements and sharing news updates in his praise would go a long way in making social media worthy for tennis fans to log into and engage with. It would also help in improving the former World No.1’s image of having reasonable superfans out there and not just overly passionate ones.