Rafael Nadal, who will be retiring after next month’s Davis Cup finals, recently lost 6-2 7-6(5) to Novak Djokovic in the third-place match, at the Six Kings Slam exhibition event in Saudi Arabia. It was the last time Nadal faced the Serbian ace, and it ended their legendary rivalry.
In an interview with AS, the Spaniard decided to end the GOAT debate among the Big Three which consists of himself, Djokovic and Roger Federer.
“The numbers say that Djokovic is the best ever, so his level has also been the best. He is also the one who has managed to stay away from injuries the longest. It is not an excuse, also thanks to this he is the best and deserves this title. I think it is human that Novak, even if in excellent condition, once Federer has retired and I am about to do so, will have a small breakdown and decide to leave. It happens to everyone. If in good health, he can still be competitive at the highest levels and aim to win the biggest tournaments,” he said.
“If at a certain point, all the sacrifices he makes are not repaid, I think he will choose to step aside. Djokovic is the player I have faced the most in my career, but my greatest rival was Federer. Roger was the first one I had to beat when I arrived on the ATP Tour. They have marked you particularly for years and Roger was always there. My rivalry with both of them was more intense than the one they had, I don’t know why,” he added.
Before the exhibition event, Nadal faced Djokovic in Paris 2024, where the Serbian bagged a win and ended up getting gold later. Speaking on his defeat in Saudi Arabia, Nadal said, “It was a battle, obviously very different from the ones we had on tour, but it was fun especially in the second set. I didn’t play well enough in the first set, because I haven’t played almost anyone since the Olympics. It took me a while to find my rhythm. Playing against Nole is always exciting because we have an incredibly long history. I was very lucky, I always had the feeling that they loved me so much in all the tournaments I played in during my career.”
“It’s hard to describe, but the energy and the personal satisfaction you feel when you feel the support of people is something very special, I can’t thank everyone enough. It will be a big change in my life. I need time to decide what I want to do in the future, since I was a child I lived as a professional athlete. Now I’m focusing on preparing for the Davis Cup and enjoying these last months as a professional. I don’t want to put pressure on myself, I’ll just need time to reflect.”
Djokovic and Nadal have met 60 times, more than any other pair in the Open Era. Nadal leads 11-7 at Grand Slam events, but trails 29-31 overall. Nadal leads on clay 20-9, Djokovic leads on hard courts (20-7), and they are tied 2-2 on grass.
