Rafael Nadal has unsurprisingly offered up Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer as the two toughest adversaries he faced during his glittering career.
According to Express, the ‘Big Three’ ruled the modern tennis world for years, and now when Federer and Nadal have hung up their rackets and Djokovic is now the last standing, the Spanish legend has finally revealed his toughest rival.
The 22-time Grand Slam winner who named Djokovic and Federer as his most formidable opponents back in February has now named the former Swiss player as his greatest opponent.
He told AS, “Djokovic is the player I’ve faced the most, but for me, my greatest rival has been Federer. When I arrived on the circuit, it was Federer who was there first. During the years when I was at my best in every sense, it was Roger and Novak. But in the early years, which shaped you in a special way, Roger was always there.”
“With Roger, it’s clear – it was because of the sharp contrast in styles and the way we approached the game and the sport. With Novak, it’s been an incredible challenge. He’s a player who has maintained a very high level and improved every year,” he explained.
Nadal on Alcaraz and Sinner
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are the two that many tennis players and legends believe will dominate the game in the future, as both of the players have shown some phenomenal performances in the past few years.
Speaking about Alcaraz and Sinner, Nadal said, “They’re both above the rest. I don’t see any rival who can consistently challenge them. On any given day, of course, there are many great players. But in the medium term, there’s no one who can truly compete with them.”
Notably, despite the three-month ban, Sinner is still the world No. 1 tennis player in the world, while Alcaraz is also standing firm in his third position.
