Rafael Nadal has shared how he really felt about Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer during his playing days.
The former world No. 1 gave a telling insight into how he approached his rivalries as he wrote an open letter reflecting on his career.
Nadal revealed that he had a “golden rule” enforced by his parents which he took into every match, even the contests against his greatest competitors.
Djokovic and Federer both appeared on the screen. The Serb thanked Nadal for making him a better player, while Federer said it was a “privilege” to face off on the court.
While there’s now a lot of love between the trio, they spent years locked in fierce, intense battles, fighting to make history in the sport. Djokovic has even admitted that they were never “friends”.
But Nadal has now shared his approach to their iconic rivalry, explaining that he never “hated” any of his challengers “I hope that my legacy is that I always tried to treat others with deep respect,” the Spaniard wrote for The Players’ Tribune.
“This was the golden rule of my parents. When I was a kid, my father would always tell me, ‘Inventing is hard. Copying is much easier.’ He wasn’t talking about tennis. It was about life.
“Look around you and notice the people you admire. How they treat people. What you love about them. Act like them, and you will probably live a happy life.”
It was a philosophy that Nadal applied every time he stepped on the court and it shaped his attitude towards the likes of Djokovic and Federer. He added: “I carried that lesson with me into every match I ever played.
“I was not fueled by hatred of my rivals, but a deep respect and admiration. I simply tried to wake up every morning and get a little bit better, so I could keep up with them. It didn’t always work! But I tried…. I always tried.”
The respect between Nadal and Djokovic was evident when they got to play one final match at the Six Kings Slam exhibition in October after the Spaniard had already announced his plans to retire at the Davis Cup Finals.
The multi-Grand Slam champions faced off in a third-place playoff, which Djokovic won 6-2 7-6(5) after he saw off a late fightback from Nadal in the second set. Afterwards, the current world No. 7 told Nadal: “I have the utmost respect for you.
“Incredible athlete, incredible person. You know, the rivalry has been incredible, really, and has been very intense.
“So I hope that we’ll have a chance to maybe sit on the beach somewhere and have a little drink, reflecting on life, talking about something else, you know.”
The 22-time Major winner replied: “Novak, you helped me go over my limits for 15 years. I will probably not be the player I am [without you]. I wish you the best of luck for the future.”
Content Source: www.express.co.uk