Rafael Nadal opens up on ‘special’ bond with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic – ‘Relationships go beyond’

Former world No. 1 and tennis great Rafael Nadal has lifted the lid on his rivalry and relationships with fellow stars Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. The 38-year-old will call time on his career at the end of the season and has opened up on his links with the iconic pair after sharing a dominant period in the sport. “Tennis is only a game, relationships go beyond that,” he said.

Rafael Nadal has discussed his relationship with fellow greats Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic outside of tennis.
Last week, the 22-time Grand Slam champion, 38, announced his intention to retire at the end of the season, with November’s Davis Cup Finals set to be his final appearance.
Nadal shared much of his time on the court with both Federer and Djokovic and the superstar trio have claimed an astonishing 66 major titles between them, winning 62 of the 75 on offer between 2005 and 2023 in a dominant period.

With his time in the sport coming to an end, Nadal said that the relationships he held with his rivals and colleagues “go beyond” tennis. “With Roger, I have a special relationship, but with Novak too I have a good relationship,” Nadal told DAZN. “It’s the way you approach the sport because in the end, we understand, that’s all it is, a match. In life, we have more important things outside of tennis.

“At the end of the day, if you have a good relationship with your colleagues, those around you, with people in general, undoubtedly the experience will be happier. In the end, tennis is only a game, relationships go beyond that. “That is the beautiful thing about sports. You always need to have a clear goal and determination to be better and better and better. “Having big opponents in front gives you a clearer perspective on what things you need to keep doing.”

From the 18 Grand Slam finals in which Nadal has faced Djokovic, the Spaniard has come out on top 11 times. He credited both players for pushing him “to the highest level”.

“Playing against Novak has always been a big challenge, [he is] a great rival. He is a player who has always pushed me to the highest level, taken me to the limit. “I think we both have that same feeling, with Roger too, we push ourselves to the next level because the opponent has always been very strong, and we need to be improving all the time to be able to keep competing at the highest level.”