He is definitely the biggest rival in my career – Novak Djokovic on Rafael Nadal

The World No.1 Novak Djokovic admitted that Rafael Nadal has been the biggest rival in his career. Djokovic and Nadal have shared the same stage for more than a decade now and they have given some epic battles to tennis fans.

The two have faced each other 59 times, including in all four major finals, with Djokovic leading 30–29 overall. Djokovic leads 15–13 in finals of all levels, while Nadal leads 11–7 at the majors, including 5–4 in major finals.

The last time these two had met on the tour was in the quarterfinals of the Roland Garros 2022, in which Nadal had won.

“Roland Garros finals!,” Djokovic said, when asked where he would like his 60th meeting with the Spaniard to be.

“I think we would both agree. He is definitely the biggest rival in my career, we are generationally close as well, although he started to achieve more success on a professional level earlier than me.”

Djokovic feels Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal helped him shape his career and push the limits to be the player he is today.

“Federer and Nadal shaped me as a player,” he said. “I had to solve the puzzle they were to me from 2008 to 2011.

“While we are active, we don’t allow ourselves to reflect, we don’t have time to do it. But after all is said and done, I hope that we can chat about it privately, talk about the memories. For now, we are grandpas that are preventing these young players from winning slams.”

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic has revealed that he has fully recovered from his hamstring injury and he will be playing in Dubai Duty-Free Championships.

“I have made a decision to go to Dubai, I travel tomorrow,” he said. “I am close to 100 percent intensity, the injury is good.”

Djokovic also completed 377 weeks as the World No.1 to equal Steff Graf’s long-standing ranking record.