Novak Djokovic has singled out winning Roland Garros as 'the highest mountain to climb' in tennis because of Rafael Nadal's greatness.
For the entirety of his career, Djokovic has had to battle Nadal on a tennis court. He considers the Spaniard his greatest rival, and the number of legendary matches they played is large.
The Spaniard is the best clay player ever, and beating him on the surface is nearly impossible. Djokovic knows how tough it is to beat him on clay because he beat him on clay multiple times, but also in Paris, where Nadal won 14 titles.
It didn't often happen precisely because it was nearly impossible, and that's also why Roland Garros was the highest mountain Djokovic climbed during his career.
None of the other events were as tough to win as the French Open because he had to go through Nadal, who was, at his peak, unplayable on the surface.
"l've said it many times. He has been the greatest rival that I ever had. Matches against him on clay have frustrated me so much in my career (smiling), but they also made me a better player, made me understand what it takes, you know, really, to try to surpass him, try to win at least once or twice on Roland Garros."
Djokovic is trying to climb that mountain once more, and while Nadal is not here, it's still not easy. Others have stepped into the Spaniard's shoes. They might not be as iconic on the surface, but they're pretty good at it. It's not the highest mountain anymore, but it's a mountain nonetheless.
"I said it on the court the other day. It's the highest mountain to climb, really, always for me to win Roland Garros, particularly because of Nadal, because I always have to win against him in order to get to the title. So, yeah, we had some really fantastic matches here."