By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Thursday, January 9, 2025
Photo credit: Corleve/Mark Peterson
Legendary Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic has faced numerous challenges throughout his illustrious career.
Yet, few experiences have rattled the Serbian superstar’s competitive edge like the powerful presence of his greatest rival echoing in the locker room.
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In a captivating GQ cover story Q&A, Djokovic candidly shares that there’s one individual who stands out as his most formidable opponent.
Rafael Nadal.
With an astounding 24 Grand Slam titles, Djokovic describes Nadal as a player whose fierce presence is felt long before the match even starts.
“Nadal was the most intimidating, without a doubt,” Djokovic remarked to GQ’s Daniel Riley. “Roger had a tremendous aura, too, but it came with a touch of elegance, I suppose.”
“With Nadal, we all share the same locker room, and you can see the players warming up. Before facing him, you can already sense his readiness to impose himself. You know that you’re in for a physical test.”
Together, Djokovic and Nadal forged one of the most remarkable rivalries in ATP history, competing against each other 60 times. Djokovic leads their head-to-head battle with 31 wins to Nadal’s 29, but he acknowledges that Nadal’s intensity was a pre-match psychological challenge each time.
“Nadal’s presence clearly signals, ‘I’m ready for a fight,'” Djokovic explained. “He establishes his physical dominance from the very start, and his grunting can be quite daunting for many competitors.”
With 99 career titles in his collection, Djokovic excelled in their hard-court duels, famously winning nine consecutive matches and dominating a streak of 19 straight sets against Nadal since their 2013 US Open encounter.
Reflecting on his experiences with fellow tennis legends, Djokovic, now 37 years old, mentioned feeling initially sidelined by Federer and Nadal due to his unfiltered ambitions for Grand Slam victories.
Admitting that his rapport with the iconic Big 3 has had its ups and downs, Djokovic, currently coached by former rival Andy Murray, expressed a desire for a future gathering with Nadal and Federer over drinks, where they could candidly discuss their rivalries.
“My relationship with them has had its phases, honestly. I always strive to maintain respect and friendship off the court,” Djokovic shared with GQ. “However, initially, I sensed a lack of acceptance because I was openly confident about my ambitions. They might not have appreciated that at first.”
“I would love to sit down and share a few drinks with them, discussing openly what irritates them about me or what I think about them. Understanding their perspectives on how they managed intense situations on the court and navigated the pressures while they were at the pinnacle would be invaluable.”
