Roger Federer was not the greatest opponent Rafael Nadal faced during his career – according to the man who coached the Spaniard for 27 years. The iconic duo went head-to-head on 40 occasions, with Nadal leading 24-16 in terms of wins.
He also had the advantage over their 24 tournament final clashes, 14 times beating the Swiss maestro when there was silverware on the line.
But while Nadal’s tally of 22 Grand Slam crowns is also two more than what his great friend managed, it’s also two less than the current marker of Novak Djokovic.
And another ex-professional player in Andrea Petkovic has now claimed that it is the Serbian who Toni Nadal, Rafa’s uncle and former mentor, rates as his nephew’s most formidable rival. They faced off 60 times, with Djokovic narrowly leading 31-29 in terms of victories.
“It is interesting because I talked to Toni Nadal and he said Novak is the greatest player Nadal faced,” Petkovic told Rennae Stubbs on the Tennis 365 podcast. “And he said the reason for that is Novak sees the ball like nobody else. He is the only one who attacked Rafa’s forehand.”
The two family members started working together in 1990, when Nadal Jnr was just four-years-old. Toni coached him through until 2017, overseeing 16 of his Grand Slam wins, and Petkovic also explained how the 63-year-old justified his theory.
“He gave an example,” the German player explained. “He said the first few times Novak tried to take Rafa’s forehand on the rise with his backhand and mistimed it a few times and was late on it. Then in the third match he had perfect timing every time. He said he had the best eyes in tennis.”
‘The King of Clay’ retired from the sport last month following Spain’s defeat at the Davis Cup Finals. With Andy Murray having also bowed out this summer, two years after Federer ended his own time in professional tennis, Djokovic is now the only member of the ‘big four’ still actively playing.
And before his final match, Nadal paid tribute to his rival, describing him as the “best” in terms of statistics. He cited Djokovic’s physical fitness as a key reason for him staying at the top level for so long.
“He’s been the most injury-free, which allowed him to maintain his physical, mental, and tennis levels longer than anyone,” said Nadal. “That’s why he’s the best, and he’s earned it.”
Djokovic himself has frequently insisted he has no immediate plans to retire. He’s still chasing one more Slam title to become the most successful ever player in major events, with his current haul of 24 wins putting him level with Margaret Court.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk