As Rafael Nadal’s illustrious tennis career comes to an end in November, he has been reflecting on his 20-plus year career.
When asked by Spanish magazine AS who his toughest rival has been, he wavered between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, which are the other two players included in the “Big Three.”
However, Nadal seemed to settle on Djokovic being a tough competitor because of his ability to stay healthy and remain on top of the competition in nearly every year of his career. And, of course, Djokovic holds the Open Era record of 24 major titles, surpassing Nadal’s 22.
“In the end, he is a player who has managed to maintain a very high level of play and improve every year,” Nadal said, via English translation. “The numbers say that he is the best, so his tennis level has also been the best and, in addition, he is the one who has managed to stay the furthest away from injuries.
“When you have no limitations or major injuries that last for a long time, it not only affects you physically and gives you options to win, but it also generates a lack of fear on a mental level, neither of getting injured, nor of slipping when you reach a ball on a hard court. Djokovic runs on a hard court and slides here, slides there, just like Carlos does today. Because they are not afraid to do it yet and they can.
“I did it at the beginning of my career, but of course, when things happen, you just can’t do it, so these are limitations that appear along the way and you have to look for shortcuts to continue being competitive in other ways. That has allowed Novak to maintain his physical, tennis and mental level for longer. It is not an excuse, thanks to that he is the best and he has really earned it.”
It’s safe to say that Nadal highly respects his longtime rival Djokovic. Their competition is seemingly over after Djokovic beat Nadal 6–2, 7–6(5) in the Six Kings Slam on Saturday.
Nadal is set to retire after the Davis Cup in Malaga, Spain from Nov. 19-21.
