In a sport where rivalries often define careers, Novak Djokovic’s relationship with Rafael Nadal remains a complicated one. Following his dominant 6-1, 6-4 victory over Nadal in the second round of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Djokovic addressed their intricate dynamic in a press conference with Serbian media.
“There is no brotherhood at all. We are more rivals and colleagues,” Djokovic stated, emphasizing the competitive nature of their relationship. “In our situation, it’s hard to be close. There’s a lot of classified information; at this level, you can’t get too close to your rival.”
Their latest match marked the 60th encounter between the two tennis legends, a record in men’s tennis. Djokovic currently holds a narrow 31-29 lead in their head-to-head battles, which have spanned an 18-year period from 2006 to 2024. Both players boast the most men’s Grand Slam titles in tennis history, with Djokovic securing his 24th Slam at the 2023 US Open and Nadal winning his 22nd at the 2022 French Open.
Reflecting on their long-standing rivalry, Djokovic expressed a desire for a more amicable relationship in the future. “We have been sharing a part of our lives for a long time. The truth is that I would like our relationship to improve in the future. We are both very family-oriented and our life will change; maybe we can share more things.”
Despite the fierce competition, Djokovic wished Nadal well, acknowledging the historic nature of their matches. “Epic duels, the longest Grand Slam finals in history, we mostly play from the baseline. I wanted to be aggressive in this match, to make him move as much as possible, the challenge is big, confidence is necessary. I wish him all the best.”
As Djokovic continues his quest for a maiden Olympic gold medal, he prepares to face Dominik Koepfer in the third round on Wednesday. The Serbian remains focused on his ultimate goal, navigating the complex relationships that come with being at the pinnacle of his sport.
Rafael Nadal in 2024
Now ranked no.161, the Spaniard played his last match on the 29th of July when he was defeated by world no.2 Novak Djokovic 6-1 6-4 in the 2nd round in Paris (draw).
Currently, during this year the Spaniard has achieved a 12-7 record. Rafael Nadal’s best achievement of the present season was reaching the final in Bastad.
Nadal is scheduled to compete next at the U.S. Open (U.S. Open)
. He will start the tournament from the main draw that will commence on the 26th of August.Djokovic in Paris, ranking, and results in 2024
Ranked no.2, Novak achieved a composed 26-7 record in 2024. Novak is currently competing in Paris where he managed to beat Matthew Ebden 6-0 6-1, the world no.161 Rafael Nadal 6-1 6-4 and the world no.70 Dominik Koepfer 7-5 6-3.
Novak Djokovic will face the world no.11 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter on Thursday at 4:00 pm on Court Philippe Chatrier. Their head to head is 11-2 for Djokovic.
Novak got to the final in Wimbledon.
Novak won 98 titles in his career: 52 on hard courts, 19 on clay courts, 19 on indoor courts and 8 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Djokovic has scheduled to compete next in Montreal (National Bank Open). He will start the tournament from the main draw that will commence on the 5th of August.
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic fought against each other 60 times. Their record is 31-29 for Djokovic. Previously, the last time they locked horns, Novak Djokovic won 6-1 6-4 in the 2nd round in Paris (Olympics) on the 29th of July 2024.
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic |
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