Nadal says Djokovic is ‘best player in history’
MADRID: Rafael Nadal on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) hailed longtime rival Novak Djokovic as the best player in the history of the sport.
“The numbers say yes, for me yes (he is the best in history),” Nadal said in an interview with El Objective de La Sexta when asked “who is the best?”
Djokovic has 24 Grand Slam titles, having surpassed Nadal’s 22 when he captured last year’s French Open.
Despite that success, the controversial world number one from Serbia still struggles to translate his on-court triumphs into off-court popularity.
“The image he projects is worse than he really is; I think he’s a good person,” added Nadal.
“There are moments of frustration. Novak breaks his racquet, but the next point he is ready to play at 100 percent again and it is the best I have ever seen.”
Nadal, 37, has been battling injury and missed virtually all of 2023. He was hurt again last month before sitting out the Australian Open.
With his career winding down, Nadal hailed compatriot and heir Carlos Alcaraz who is already a two-time major winner at the age of 20.
“Carlos has an incredible level of tennis, he is a super complete player in every sense,” said Nadal.
“I don’t see weaknesses in him like the ones I had at his age. He has all the ingredients to have an incredible career.”
The 37-year-old missed most of last year with a hip injury sustained at the Australian Open before making his comeback at last month’s Brisbane International.
However, a small muscle tear then forced the 37-year-old to pull out of this season’s first Grand Slam in Melbourne.
The 22-time Grand Slam title winner now hopes to return to the tour at the Indian Wells Masters in California from March 6-17.
“I would have loved to play in Doha, where the tournament team, as well as the amazing Qatar fans have always supported me greatly,” Nadal said in a statement on X.
“Unfortunately I am not ready to compete and I won’t be able to come to Doha where I really wanted to be and play again.
“I will focus on keep working to be ready for the amazing Indian Wells tournament.”
Nadal was named on the entry list last month for the Qatar Open, to be held February 19-24, and where he was champion in 2014.
Meanwhile, Nadal defended his decision to work as an ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation, claiming the Gulf kingdom is “a country with great potential.”
“I don’t think Saudi Arabia needs me to wash any image; it’s a country that has opened up to the world and is a country with great potential,” said Nadal in response to claims that the Saudis use massive investment in sport to soften its controversial human rights record, a practice known as “sports washing.”