According to Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal is the only reason he doesn’t have many Roland Garros wins on his record. Nadal holds a record 14 French Open titles, earning him the moniker “King of Clay,” whereas the Serb only has three.
One of the best rivalries in tennis history was thought to exist between Djokovic and Nadal. From 2006 to 2024, the two played at least one professional match a year, with the exception of 2023. After 60 matches, Djokovic and the Spaniard have proven their mettle on clay courts (20-9), where they lead, and on hard courts (27-7).
The holder of 24 Major singles titles leads 15–13 in all level finals, but at Roland Garros, he consistently suffered a crushing loss to his fiercest opponent. Djokovic stated that Nadal’s dominance on clay courts was the reason he only won three French Open titles in a recent interview with RTS Sport.
“Iga Swiatek is not as consistent as Aryna Sabalenka.” – Jimmy Connors and son Brett laud the ‘likable’ Belarusian following their victory at the US Open 2024.
“You’re asking a question & then answering it, who are you to say my confidence is low?” – During an interview, Anna Kournikova threatened to leave
“He is the favorite every time you walk onto that court with him. Even if I was in better shape and he had injury issues during the Olympics, it is still the highest mountain to climb. He is the best, which may be the only explanation for my lack of more Roland Garros victories. The Serb admitted, “Every victory over him there is worth twice as much. (According to Punto de Break)
Djokovic is leading Nadal 2-1 at Wimbledon and 2-0 at the Australian Open, while the Spaniard is leading the Spaniard 2-1 at the US Open and 8-2 at the French Open.
When the two faced off in the quarterfinals of the 2006 French Open, the Serb lost in a third set and Nadal moved on to the next round. They competed in their first finals at the Indian Wells Masters in 2007.
According to Nadal, Djokovic would have been irritated if he hadn’t won record singles titles.
“There’s no easy reason why I’m frustrated. I think I’ve done all within my power to make sure everything goes as well as possible for me,” he stated (via Forbes).
Nadal continued, “Novak may get frustrated because he experiences everything more fully and that’s why he’s the best.”
Djokovic was vying for his 25th Grand Slam title in the US Open, having just won the Olympics. However, Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam winner, opted not to compete because he was not “hundred percent.”
