After winning the Australian Open on Sunday, Rafael Nadal became the first man to win 21 Grand Slam titles in history. The Spaniard surpassed Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, who are still on 20 Grand Slam titles each. Many fellow tennis stars congratulated Rafa on achieving this milestone.

Rafa’s long-time rival and great friend, Roger Federer, also wished the 21-time Grand Slam winner in his own way. After the Grand Slam win, Roger posted a story on Instagram congratulating Rafa for an incredible comeback win against Daniil Medvedev. Recently, Rafa responded to Roger’s message in an interview. 

Rafael Nadal responds to Roger Federer

After going 2-sets down, Rafa’s phenomenal comeback against Daniil Medvedev will always be in the history books. Many would have given up, but Rafa did not. Roger praised that aspect of Rafa, as the Swiss Maestro said, “Your incredible work ethic, dedication and fighting spirit are an inspiration to me and countless others around the world.”

When asked about this, Rafa said, “I think we’ve always respected each other greatly. We’ve achieved a lot of positive things. So beyond who gets more Grand Slams or who’s the best or not, we’ve achieved something more important, handling a sports rivalry in a healthy way, positive, I think life is better when you live these things in the right way.”  

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What does the future hold for the Big 3?

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, both are younger than Roger Federer. Roger is 40 years old and Rafa and Novak are 35 and 34, respectively. In that case, Rafa and Novak definitely have an edge over Roger in terms of who will win most Grand Slam titles. 

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At the same time, we should not forget about the Nextgen players like Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, and many more. They are gradually making their way into the top to challenge the Big three for Grand Slam titles.

Can the Nextgen stop the Big Three in Grand Slam tournaments? Let us know in the comments.

Read More: ‘I’ve Got Too Many Children’- Roger Federer Details How He Watched Rafael Nadal’s Match