Over the years, the rivalry between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic has been one of the most intense the sport has ever seen. We witnessed the latest edition of this famed rivalry in the quarterfinals of the French Open 2022. While Nadal raised his game, it was Djokovic who unfortunately succumbed to the pressure amidst heavy support for the Spaniard inside the court Philippe-Chatrier.

During the match, Djokovic struggled to gain momentum and eventually lost the match in four sets. Although his fans will be surely devastated by the loss, someone who was affected even more by the loss was Djokovic’s coach, Goran Ivanisevic.

Loss of Novak Djokovic, giving sleepless nights to Goran Ivanisevic

While the defending champion, Novak Djokovic, has been knocked out of the French Open, his coach, Goran Ivanisevic, is still competing in the Men’s Legends Over 45 event.

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Recently, following the loss of Djokovic, Goran interacted with media. He opened up about his take on the Serbian’s loss.

“…we have not spoken yet. That is why I am so troubled by this match, I can’t sleep,” he said.

During the match, the defending champion had several chances to make his mark in the game. However, his attempts at countering the aggressive style of Nadal failed to materialize. In the words of Goran, these opportunities remain nothing but ‘what ifs’.

He said, “What would happen had he won the fourth set, nobody knows, but that is just good old ‘what if’. He had two set points: the first one was an easy backhand unforced error, on the second he approached the net with the ball in the middle of the court, so Rafa passed him.”

Nadal deserved to win, according to Ivanisevic

Over the years, Nadal is famous for his perseverance on the court. Another often overlooked aspect of Nadal’s game has been his consistent in-game shot-making.

Same was the case in his 2022 French Open clash against Djokovic. While the World No. 1 suffered a sudden change in his rhythm, Nadal was consistent throughout the match. Considering this, Djokovic’s coach said,

“Maybe it would have been different, maybe it would not, but I still do not understand the body language and the lack of energy. Novak had too many ups and downs, while Rafa was consistent and he absolutely deserved to win that match.”

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Nadal is currently on his way towards his 22nd grand slam title, and will face Casper Ruud in the final. The Spaniard is the overwhelming favorite to lift the Musketeers’ cup for a record 14th time.