Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are admired not only for their intense rivalry but also for the cordial bond they share. Despite never giving up on the court and giving their all till the end, the two share a mutual respect for each other. However, their relationship has seen its ups and downs over their two-decade-long careers.
Let’s dive into the major highlights of the Djokovic-Nadal relationship and the key incidents that shaped one of tennis’s greatest rivalries:
2007-09
The relationship between both tennis legends was quite cordial at the start of their careers. Both their on-court and off-court actions suggested they enjoyed each other’s company. Djokovic even imitated the Spaniard several times on the court, which Nadal always took on a light note by laughing it off. They were also seen together off the court multiple times, including a visit to a casino in Monte Carlo in 2008 to take some time off tennis.
2011
During this period, their relationship began to turn sour as Djokovic steadily climbed the tennis ranks. By the end of 2011, the Serb had become a four-time Grand Slam champion, securing two Australian Open titles, and one US Open and Wimbledon title respectively. That year also saw the Serb turn the tables in his rivalry with Nadal, winning all their finals.
In an ESPN interview with former American legend John McEnroe last year, Djokovic revealed that once he began beating Nadal regularly, the Spaniard no longer found his impersonations amusing and was more hostile towards him.
2013
Before the start of the Rogers Cup in 2013, Novak’s father, Srdjan Djokovic, also accused Rafa of ruining his friendship with Nole because he couldn’t handle the losses. However, Nadal responded to those criticisms when asked about it in an interview the same year. He asserted that his friendship with Djokovic was still as good as earlier and rather harshly asked Srdjan to talk to his son directly before making such statements in public.
2014
In 2014, after losing the Miami Open final to Djokovic, Rafa was asked if he was pleased about Djokovic being on the tour since he liked challenges. The Spaniard jokingly admitted that he wasn’t happy, saying, “I like challenges, but I am not stupid.”
However, in the same interview, Rafa praised Djokovic for his performance, acknowledging that the Serb was the better player on the court that day.
2020
Rafa stepped up to help his countrymen fight the global virus when COVID-19 hit the world. He set up a charity project, Nuestra Mejor Victoria, with fellow Spaniard and NBA star Pau Gasol to raise funds to combat the virus. They set a target of $12.3 million.
To support his arch-rival in this noble cause, Djokovic stepped forward and donated to Rafa’s campaign. The Spaniard expressed his gratitude towards the Serb for this ‘class act’ and shared a thank-you message along with an image of both of them on his official social media account.
A huge thanks to @djokernole for the contribution to the #nuestramejorvictoria campaign helping those in need in the fight against Corona Virus.
Class act Hvala Nole! pic.twitter.com/ypnRPHIZAd— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) April 3, 2020
It seemed that their equation had become better around that time. But Djokovic forming the PTPA in the second half of 2020 again divided them as Nadal was not in favor of a ‘rebel organization’ against the ATP. In fact, the Spaniard led the opposition against the PTPA on social media, which was supported by Roger Federer too.
2021
Following his defeat to Alexander Zverev at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Djokovic let his rage get the better of him as he smashed his racket against the net post and threw it into the stands. A similar incident occurred when he accidentally hit a line judge with the ball in anger at the 2020 US Open and was defaulted.
At the Citi Open pre-tournament press conference, Rafa was asked about Djokovic’s repeated episodes of rage. The Spaniard openly condemned Djokovic for his behavior on the court and advised him to avoid such actions, reminding him that he’s an inspiration for many kids out there.
“It’s strange that someone who has had so much success should react that way from time to time, but at the end of the day, he’s very competitive and reacts like that. It’s not the best image,” added Rafa in his statement.
2022
In 2022, Djokovic was not allowed to play at the Australian Open due to his decision to not take the COVID-19 vaccine. When Rafa was asked about it, the Spaniard decided to side with the organizers and stated that getting vaccinated was important.
“I think if he wanted, he would be playing here in Australia without a problem. He made his own decisions, and everybody is free to take their own decisions, but then there are some consequences. Of course, I don’t like the situation that is happening,” said Rafa.
2023
In his conversation with Movistar+, Nadal admitted that he wasn’t frustrated about not having the most Grand Slam titles. However, he added that Djokovic would have felt differently if he hadn’t won more titles than every other tennis player.
“I think Novak feels more intensely [about] this than I do. Had he not achieved it, it may have been a bigger frustration for him. Maybe that is why he did it. I think he has had the ability to take ambition to the maximum,” said Rafa.
However, the Serb responded to the statement during his interview with Sportal and claimed that he didn’t agree with Rafa.
“That’s Rafa’s opinion and I, of course, don’t agree. I have my opinion, but I won’t share it as I don’t want us to go deeper into that,” said Novak.
Djokovic responds to Rafa Nadal saying Novak would’ve been more frustrated if he hadn’t won more Slams than him:
“I’ve seen that his comments went viral, that many people spoke about it. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, how he interprets someone else in a certain… pic.twitter.com/IcKXr0ZelM
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 10, 2023
2024
In a conversation with the Italian publication Corriere Della Sera, Djokovic admitted that he wasn’t friends with Nadal. The Serb claimed that since they were rivals, friendship was impossible.
“Nadal is a part of my life. In the last fifteen years I’ve seen more of him than my mum! We have never been friends. Between rivals, it is not possible, but we have never been enemies,” the Serb added.
It didn’t help that Nadal’s uncle and former coach, Toni again put down Djokovic in an interview like he did in 2023. But when Nadal played his last game against Djokovic on Saturday at the Six Kings Slam, the 24-time Grand Slam champion was gracious in praising the Spaniard’s family members and team for the ‘sacrifices they made’ for Nadal to be so successful in the sport.
Djokovic was surprisingly emotional and even requested the Spaniard to stay with the sport for a little bit longer.
