RAFAEL NADAL HAS hailed longtime rival Novak Djokovic as the best player in the history of the sport.
“The numbers say he is. Of course he is,” Nadal said in an interview with El Objective de La Sexta when asked if Djokovic was the best to ever do it.
“For me, yes. Of what I’ve seen, that is.”
When asked to clarify that he was ranking Djokovic ahead of both himself and Roger Federer, Nadal replied: “Yes. I don’t have a problem. I’ve never had such an ego that I would say things I don’t feel.
“I think that… In the end, one could say, ‘Yes, I’ve been injured in so many Grand Slams and he hasn’t.’ But he has had a better body than mine, you know? And that also counts.”
Djokovic has 24 Grand Slam titles having surpassed Nadal’s 22 when he captured last year’s French Open.
Despite that success, the controversial world number one from Serbia still struggles to translate his on-court triumphs into off-court popularity.
“The image he projects is worse than he really is. I think he’s a good person,” added Nadal.
“The frustration lasts the moment he’s breaking the racquet. After that, he’s prepared to compete 100% — and that’s why he’s the one who has achieved the most in the history of our sport.”
Forging one of the greatest tennis rivalries of all time, Nadal and Djokovic contested at least one professional match every year from 2006 to 2022.
From their 59 matches, Djokovic leads 30–29 overall, while Nadal boasts an 11-7 advantage in the majors — including a 5-4 record in Grand Slam finals.
Djokovic is the only player to have beaten Nadal in all four majors.
Nadal, 37, has been battling injury and missed virtually all of 2023. He was hurt again last month before sitting out the Australian Open.
With his career winding down, Nadal hailed compatriot and heir Carlos Alcaraz who is already a two-time major winner at the age of 20.
“Carlos has an incredible level of tennis, he is a super complete player in every sense,” said Nadal.
“I don’t see weaknesses in him like the ones I had at his age. He has all the ingredients to have an incredible career.”
