The Serbian talked with the Serbian media about his personal rivalry relationship with Nadal and what he expects from it in the near future.
Novak Djokovic always shows clarity about his feelings towards his great rivals and has often spoken about how important Rafael Nadal has been and continues to be to him. During a press conference at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Serbian media asked him about the personal relationship they maintain, and his response was curious.
When two people build their professional success on a common stage and share battles as fierce as those fought by Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, it may be challenging for a good relationship to emerge, let alone a friendship. If tennis is characterized by anything, it is the curious and hardly explainable relationship that arises between great rivals, and the Serbian shed light on his feelings toward the Balearic tennis player after playing 60 matches against each other, in an interview with Sportklub.
– Djokovic acknowledges that he would like to improve his personal relationship with Nadal once they retire from tennis
Asked whether he sees Rafa as a kind of brother, the Balkan player was firm. “No, there is no brotherhood. We are rivals and colleagues. In our situation, it has always been difficult to be close to each other because at this level, you can give a lot of information that might turn against you on the court. We have been sharing a part of our lives for a long time, and I would like our relationship to improve in the future. Both of us are very family-oriented, and our lives will change. Maybe we can share more things,” he stated.
It will be very interesting to see how one of the greatest rivalries in the history of sports ages outside of competition. Moreover, Novak Djokovic mentioned the possibility that this might have been the last time they competed against each other. “I don’t know how he feels or what plans he has, but I wish him all the best. Maybe this won’t be the last time we face each other on the court,” assured a man who is a strong candidate for gold at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
