Reuters
Tennis – ATP Masters 1000 – Italian Open – Foro Italico, Rome, Italy – May 16, 2021 Spain’s Rafael Nadal shakes hands with Serbia’s Novak Djokovic after winning the final REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
Reuters
Tennis – ATP Masters 1000 – Italian Open – Foro Italico, Rome, Italy – May 16, 2021 Spain’s Rafael Nadal shakes hands with Serbia’s Novak Djokovic after winning the final REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
Spanish legend Rafael Nadal has picked Novak Djokovic as his favorite to win the Grand Slam race. Often called the Big Three, Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic have won 20 Grand Slam titles each. The GOAT debate amongst the three is the most hotly contested discussion in tennis.
However, for Nadal, the race has a clear winner, and it is none other than Djokovic.
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Nadal calls Novak Djokovic healthier than himself and Roger
In a recent interview, the King of Clay revealed how he feels about the Grand Slam race. For Nadal, Djokovic is the best-placed player to take home the most number of majors.
Reuters
Tennis – French Open – Roland Garros, Paris, France – June 11, 2021 Serbia’s Novak Djokovic shakes hands with Spain’s Rafael Nadal after winning their semi-final match REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
Additionally, the Mallorcan also pointed out how his and long-time rival and friend Roger Federer‘s health might be a hindrance to their performances.
“Right now the best placed player to finish with the most Grand Slam titles is Novak Djokovic. You just have to see where Roger is and where I am, while he is competing and in great shape. This is the reality from now on. We’ll see what happens in a few months, but right now if there is clearly a favorite, it’s him,” Nadal stated.ALSO READ: Rafael Nadal Applauds Compatriot Feliciano Lopez’s Epic Win Over Andrey Rublev at Davis Cup 2021
Nadal : “Djokovic est clairement le favori pour remporter le plus de titres en Grand Chelem” We Love Tennis – https://t.co/kfG0e3owq6 pic.twitter.com/cGcMJkYl6M
— We Love Tennis (@Welovetennis) December 2, 2021
Nadal has even previously called Novak Djokovic the ‘toughest opponent possible’, ahead of their matchup at the 2020 French Open. After the exceptional 2021 season that Nole had, most tennis fans have accepted that the Serbian would retire with the most Grand Slam titles, a reality which Nadal, too, acknowledged.
Djokovic’s might not compete at the Australian Open
Novak Djokovic seems healthy and ready to win many more Grand Slam titles in the coming few years. However, January’s Australian Open might make the list.The Serbian is the defending champion in Melbourne and has won the cup a record nine times. Yet, he might be skipping the first Grand Slam of 2022.
Even though Djokovic has not made a clear statement about his presence in Australia, the travel restrictions on athletes Down Under might mean that he will skip the ‘Happy Slam’.
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Tennis – Australian Open – Men’s Singles Final – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, February 21, 2021 Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates with the trophy after winning his final match against Russia’s Daniil Medvedev REUTERS/Loren Elliott
Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are both set to play sometime in the next year. The Spaniard will be present in Abu Dhabi this week. However, Federer is still recovering from his recent knee surgery and his return will not be until after the French Open next year.
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