Rafael Nadal believes that when all is said and done, everyone will agree that he, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic shared a very beautiful story. In an interview with Marca, Nadal was asked if he feels he is the cornerstone of the Big Three.
Federer’s biggest rival was Nadal, while Djokovic considers Nadal his biggest rival. «It is true that I was the first great rival of Federer, so I understand that he sees it that way. Then, when Novak arrived, it is true that Federer was still better than me, but in the following years I won more than Roger, so I also have coincided more times with Djokovic on the court.
That is to say, I have been more his great rival than Roger. In the end I see it as something positive because it is true that between the three of us we have won a lot but I don’t think any of them could have won more than Roger,» Nadal told Marca.
Nadal, Federer and Djokovic left a big mark on tennis
In 2003, Federer became a Grand Slam champion after beating Mark Philippoussis in the Wimbledon final. Two years later, the 18-year-old Nadal went all the way in his French Open debut.
At the start of the 2008 season, the 21-year-old Djokovic won his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open. Just before Djokovic hit the big scene, Nadal and Federer created the biggest rivalry in the men’s game.
So, Djokovic created great rivalries with Nadal and Federer. The rest is history as everyone knows what those three have been able to accomplish in the game. Against Federer, Nadal finished with a positive record of 24-16. When it comes to Nadal’s rivalry with Djokovic, it’s a much closer race as the Serb leads head-to-head against the Spaniard 30-29. If nothing unexpected happens, we will surely see more great matches between Nadal and Djokovic in 2023.
