Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have shared a fierce rivalry on the ATP Tour for close to two decades. But, both on and off the court, they have developed a deep friendship and mutual respect. Their rivalry has been one of the most intense and endearing in the history of tennis. Nadal once shared about his close relationship with Federer during an interview in 2009 but stayed more reserved when asked about Novak Djokovic.

While Nadal has enjoyed a friendly rivalry with Roger Federer, his relationship with Novak Djokovic has been strictly professional. The two players have faced each other numerous times on the court, and tensions have occasionally boiled over.

Nadal once shared his emotional attachment towards Roger Federer over Novak Djokovic

Nadal and Federer have faced each other 40 times, with Nadal leading the head-to-head 24-16. They have played in some of the biggest matches in tennis history, including the iconic 2008 Wimbledon Championships final. In an interview with the Spanish daily El Pais, Nadal admitted that he cried when Federer won the French Open title in 2009. It was the only time in the past decade that the ‘King of Clay’ himself hadn’t won the title. Nadal added that Federer “deserved to win all four slams.”

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However, Nadal’s comments about Djokovic are more ambiguous. When asked if he would cry if Djokovic won the French Open for his Career Slam, Nadal hedged. He shared, “I don’t know whether I will be moved to tears by Djokovic.” He added that it will depend on the situation, the feelings, and the emotions of the moment. The 14-time French Open champion also said, “That kind of thing cannot be predicted. Either it happens or it doesn’t.”

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Nadal’s guarded response suggested that he was not sure how he would react to such a scenario. Nadal and Djokovic have always shown each other the utmost respect on the court. They have played some of the most thrilling matches in recent memory and have elevated each other’s games to new heights.

Kobe Bryant once picked his favorite tennis player, and it wasn’t Nadal or Federer

Kobe Bryant, the late LA Lakers legend, once named Novak Djokovic as his favorite over both Federer and Nadal. The legendary NBA player passed away tragically in a helicopter crash a few years ago. While many people typically choose Federer or Nadal as the greatest of all time, Bryant picked Djokovic during a live show on ESPN. He had shared, “Novak’s my guy” in one short sentence.

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Bryant further mentioned that he and Djokovic were long-time friends. He added, “We’ve had a relationship for a long time.” After Bryant’s passing, Djokovic paid tribute to his friend by wearing a jacket with the initials “KB” and the jersey numbers 8 and 24, which were Bryant’s numbers during his career with the Los Angeles Lakers. During a courtside interview, Djokovic spoke about the personal relationship he had with Bryant over the last ten years and how deeply he was affected by his friend’s passing.