The 2011 tennis season turned out to be quite a challenging one for Rafael Nadal. While the tennis ace beat rival Rodger Federer in the Roland Garros final, there were bitter moments like his defeat to Novak Djokovic elsewhere. In the line of rivalry between the Big Threes of ATP, Djokovic marked a surprising situation by speaking highly of Rafa.

In a memorable moment from 2011, Novak Djokovic, who has always been known for his rivalry mindset on the court, took a break to acknowledge the potential of Rafael Nadal. While the tennis world recently emerged from the shadows of the COVID-19 pandemic, the incident marked a lighthearted moment for the fans.

During the Indian Wells 2011, Djokovic expressed his admiration for Nadal, referring to him as the best. He stated, “Its always a pleasure playing against you, you’re a big champion. For me you’re the greatest player ever and a good friend so I wish you luck!”

At a time when Nadal was world #1, it took Djokovic everything to come from a set down to win 4-6 6-3 6-2.

While the declaration was filled with mutual respect between competitors, it went beyond the boundaries of competition for a while. As Djokovic extended his wishes of luck to Nadal it somehow acted as a snub against Federer but surely created a moment of respect for Nadal.

Rafa pays back the respect to Djokovic

It isn’t just Novak Djokovic who spoke highly of Rafael Nadal. While the world is already aware of the friendship that they have carried out for such a long time, the Spaniard recently paid back the debt by marking his competitor as the best in history.

Read More: Gael Monfils or Novak Djokovic: Who Is Jakub Mensik’s Childhood Idol?

He mentioned, “At the level of numbers, Djokovic is the best in history, there is no doubt about that. I think to say who is the best is something that goes beyond the numbers. All three are there and for me, all three are the best.”

Although Rafa regarded him as the best player in the tennis scenario, his response was totally based on the great numbers and achievements that the Serb has earned throughout his journey.