Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic, the three names that were nothing less than attention magnets in the world of tennis, kept the competitive standards high for more than two decades. While it was quite frequent to see the big three compete against each other in major tours, Rafael Nadal had his own plan for them down.

In the pages of the Spaniard’s book ‘Rafa: My Story’, the timeless chapters contain an unforgettable segment where he describes a difference between Nole and the Swiss Maestro.

How did Rafael Nadal prepare to face Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer?

The Big Three of the sport would engage in an intense tactical battle to get the better of the other. But how do they differ from each other in terms of playing style and strategy?

The perfect answer to this question could only be attained from the legends themselves. 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal captured the important landmarks in his professional journey via the autobiography titled “RAFA: MY STORY”, co-written by John Carlin in 2012. In it, he mentioned, “With Federer, the rule is always to keep patiently plugging away, knowing you’ll force him sooner or later to make mistakes.”

While the Spaniard seemed to feel quite confident about overcoming Federer, he also penned down the approach while facing the Serbinator. He wrote, “With Djokovic, there is no clear tactical plan. It is simply a question of playing at your very best, with maximum intensity and aggression, seeking to retain control of the point, because the moment you let him get the upper hand, he is unstoppable.”

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Nadal acknowledged Djokovic was a more tough opponent than Federer, with no obvious weaknesses and a superior return of serve. After all, Novak Djokovic is the player who has beaten Rafael Nadal the most in ATP Tour competition. But it wasn’t just the ‘King of Clay’ who was aware of the strengths and weaknesses of his rivals. Federer had also once spoken highly of his greatest rival.

Roger Federer acknowledges the energy Rafa carries

Recently, Roger Federer expressed his admiration and respect for his long-time rival, who is currently recovering from a hip injury. Federer said that he misses playing against Nadal every weekend, as they used to do in the past. “We started respecting the rivalry. We almost miss it, playing each other every weekend,” Federer said.

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Although the verdict in Rafa’s book was penned down a long time back, it sure reminds fans of a timeless on-court rivalry that the tennis world was lucky enough to experience. Although the rivalry met an end after Roger Federer’s farewell from his professional career, the two legends still remain good friends off the court. Do you think we will see ‘Fedal’ take to the court anytime in the future?

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