Both Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are the biggest names in the world of tennis. These two players have rewritten the history books multiple times alongside Roger Federer. The dominance displayed by the ‘Big Three’ has been unparalleled. But what keeps them going after over a decade of dominance?
Djokovic, the youngest of the ‘Big Three’, trails both Nadal and Federer in Grand Slam titles, with 18 compared to their hauls of 20. While Nadal claimed he still wants to win more slams, he is not “obsessed” with it like Djokovic.
When asked about his opinion of Nadal’s comments, the Serb replied “Personally, I do not feel that I am obsessed with anything in life; what I feel is passion and huge desire. I am going towards achieving my goals and I have never had a problem verbalising it.”
“Ever since I was a young player, I did not fear voicing my goals: I wanted to be number one and to win Slams. Of course, those goals are growing – when you fulfil one, another one appears. It is my path, and it is unique, just like Rafa’s.”
Can Novak Djokovic overtake Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer’s Grand Slam tally?
Rafael Nadal (left), Roger Federer (middle), and Novak Djokovic (right) have dominated the sport for the major part of two decades
Age is definitely on his side. Federer at 39, has only a couple of years left, while, injuries have always stopped Nadal more often than not. As long as the world no. 1 stays injury-free, he is most likely to end his career with the greatest record of Grand Slams.
Even though they maintain a good relationship off the court, Nadal and Djokovic have not been afraid to voice their opinions about each other in the past. While Djokovic may be more obsessed with the numbers and Nadal is someone who prefers to enjoy his tennis, both of them still have the motivation and hunger to win the big tournaments and stay at the top till today. So as long as they stay healthy, the fans will continue to cherish their great rivalry.
