Rafael Nadal, one of the tennis world’s greatest legends, has gracefully conceded that Novak Djokovic is the best player in the history of the sport. This acknowledgment comes as Djokovic recently surpassed Nadal’s impressive record of Grand Slam titles in men’s tennis.
Nadal’s last Grand Slam victory occurred at the French Open in 2022, while Djokovic clinched his 24th Grand Slam title by triumphing at the U.S. Open, marking his third major victory this year and positioning him two titles ahead of Nadal.
In an interview with AS, Nadal candidly stated, “I believe that numbers are numbers and statistics are statistics. In that sense, I think he (Djokovic) has better numbers than mine, and that is indisputable. This is the truth.”
While recognizing Djokovic’s statistical superiority, Nadal also acknowledged that personal preferences and opinions play a role in one’s admiration for a particular player: “The rest are tastes, inspiration, sensations that one or the other may transmit to you, that you may like one or the other more.”
Nadal went on to emphasize his belief in Djokovic’s status as the greatest in tennis history: “I think that with respect to titles, Djokovic is the best in history, and there is nothing to discuss about that.”
Despite battling injuries in recent years, Nadal refuses to use this as an excuse for his achievements. He expressed that injuries are part and parcel of the sport and did not attribute his performance to luck or misfortune.
Nadal also offered praise to Carlos Alcaraz, a rising star in the tennis world and a fellow Spaniard who claimed victory at this year’s Wimbledon. Nadal sees Alcaraz as a formidable talent and a potential rival for Djokovic in the future.
As Nadal gracefully acknowledges Djokovic’s ascendancy in the record books, he remains content with his own storied career. He stressed, “I am not going to be the one who tries, through a personal struggle, to want to be what I am not. What is, is, and what is not, is not. I say this, I am very satisfied with everything that I have done.”
