Rafael Nadal returning to professional tennis after almost 12 months has filled many fans with excitement. The Spaniard was recently seen in Brisbane training hard as well as catching up with his fans Down Under. Among the list of people who have commented on the Spaniard and his comeback recently, is Novak Djokovic who has made a fascinating comment on him, revealing what makes them similar in one big way.
Although Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are not the best of friends off court, the mutual respect they have for each other as rivals on court and on the ATP Tour as colleagues, is admirable. Calling Nadal a legend, Djokovic believes that Nadal has the hunger to always fight to being the best in the world and prioritizes Grand Slam victories. Additionally, the World No.1 took a dig at their combined critics.
Novak Djokovic said that many people in the past had written off him and Rafael Nadal when things were not going well for them. And this has happened multiple times. However, as the Serbian rightly pointed out, both of them managed to answer them back in style and prove them wrong with their performances. Nadal’s ability to comeback from setbacks is what makes him great as per Djokovic.
This is what sets Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal apart from their peers on the ATP Tour, as tennis especially in singles is one of the high-profile, demanding sports in the world due to the mental and physical strain it takes on players. Djokovic was quoted as saying in an interview recently –
“He wants to win titles, he wants to be the best, that’s why he is what he is: a legend of our sport.
“I always expect him (Rafael Nadal) to give the best of himself. Some have often stated that he has been close to the end, as they have done for me. But we proved them wrong. He is not the type to come back to the circuit just to play, let’s say, at an average level, to play a few games. I am sure that his training and preparations are done with the intention of winning a Grand Slam.”
Novak Djokovic expects Rafael Nadal to challenge for Grand Slam titles
Novak Djokovic won three Grand Slam titles in 2023. The Serbian moved to 24 Grand Slam titles to move two clear of Rafael Nadal, who is at 22. However, Djokovic now expects Nadal to compete for Grand Slam titles again. The Serbian believes that the Spaniard will be back with the intention to win titles and not just play a few matches. According to Djokovic, Nadal will be preparing and training with only one thing in his mind, to win a Grand Slam titles.
Novak Djokovic leads the head-to-head against Rafael Nadal by 30-29. The tennis community will hope to see these two superstars of the game compete once again against each other. Djokovic will be the favorite to add to him Grand Slam titles, but one can never discard Rafael Nadal.
