“Djokovic is the player I have faced the most, but for me, my biggest rival was Federer“: that’s how sincere he was Rafa Nadal during an interview on ‘As’ when talking about what his rivalry with the other two members of the ‘Big Three’ has been like.
The man from Manaco underlines how much the Swiss had an impact on him in the first years of his career: “When I arrived on the circuit, it was Federer who was there and he was the first. In the years when I was the best of my career in every way, it was Roger and Novak But in the first, who. They are the ones who mark you in a special way, Roger was always there“.
In fact, Nadal considers that he is the one who left the biggest mark on both of them: “I think, and I don’t know why, that My rivalry with both of them was more intense than the rivalry they had with each other. “I don’t know what the exact reason is, but I feel like that’s how the world perceives it.”
“With Roger, I am clear that it is because there was a very marked contrast in the styles and ways of seeing and approaching the sport. And with Novak, of course, it was an incredible challenge” , he explained.
Of course, even though he declares that Federer was his greatest rival, Rafa claims that “Nole” is the best in history: “The numbers say it’s the bestthat is why his level of tennis was also the best and, in addition, he was the one who managed to be further from injury“.
“This allowed him to maintain his physical, tennis and mental level for longer. This is not an excuse, thanks to this he is the best and I really deserved it“, settled.
