Novak Djokovic has stated that despite not being close friends with Rafael Nadal, there is no animosity between them. The two tennis players, along with Roger Federer, have been dominant in the sport for over 20 years, claiming the majority of Grand Slam titles and being at the top of the ATP rankings for multiple years.
In an interview with Graham Bensinger in 2020, Djokovic said that although he is not close with the 14-time Roland Garros champion, there is a healthy rivalry and mutual respect between them.
#OnThisDay in 2012 Class of Titans
The longest Final in Grandslams in Open era.
A Jaw-dropping match & One of the best.
It’s @DjokerNole vs @RafaelNadal@DjokerNole won 3rd Aus OpenCan @DjokerNole win 10th @AustralianOpen & 22th today vs @steftsitsipas ?#AusOpen2023 pic.twitter.com/y6r5LJXPp1
— alekhaNikun (@nikun28) January 29, 2023
He also noted that they both understand their responsibility as role models for the younger generation, which further strengthens their respect for each other. Djokovic and Nadal are widely regarded as two of the greatest tennis players of all time and their rivalry is often compared to other legendary sports rivalries such as Ronaldo vs Messi or Frazier vs Ali.
Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal head to head- who has won more matches?
Throughout their careers, the two have faced each other a total of 59 times with Djokovic holding the lead at 30 wins and Nadal trailing with 29 wins. Although Djokovic has won more finals, Nadal holds the advantage in their Grand Slam meetings, having won 11 out of 18. Their most recent encounter took place at the 2022 French Open quarter-finals where Nadal emerged victorious after a nail-biting match with a score of 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(4).
Rafael Nadal is a renowned tennis player with a list of impressive accomplishments in his career. He has captured a total of 22 Grand Slam singles championships, including 14 French Open titles, 4 US Open titles, 2 Wimbledon titles, and 2 Australian Open titles. He is the only player in the Open Era to win the French Open 14 times and holds the record for the most titles at a single Grand Slam event.
Serbia’s Novak Djokovic wins 10th Australian Open vs Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece 6-3, 7-6, 7-6, equals Rafael Nadal’s Grand Slam singles titles record at 22. Details https://t.co/8NHRiH9yTN .#Tennis #Grand Slam #Novac #Djoko #News1st #lka #SriLanka pic.twitter.com/hQjWn2g6gI
— Newsfirst.lk Sri Lanka (@NewsfirstSL) January 29, 2023
Nadal has competed in 34 Grand Slam finals, with 9 of them ending as runner-up. He held the world’s number-one ranked player title for 209 weeks, and has won 35 ATP Tour Masters 1000 titles and 35 ATP Tour 500 titles. Additionally, he has won the ATP Tour Finals twice and the ATP Tour Year-End Championship once. In 2008, 2009, and 2011, he also took home the Davis Cup title and won all 9 ATP Tour Masters 1000 events on clay.
Novak Djokovic boasts a remarkable list of accomplishments in his tennis career. He has won 10 Australian Open, 7 Wimbledon, 4 US Open, and 1 French Open Grand Slam singles titles, bringing his total to 22.
He has made a record-breaking 33 appearances in Grand Slam finals, 13 of which were consecutive, and spent 223 consecutive weeks as the world’s top-ranked player. He also holds the title of the second player in history to have spent over 300 weeks at the top of the ATP rankings.
