Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are two of the greatest champions in the history of tennis, yet, they don't always agree on everything.
It's natural that as people, the two ATP legends don't have to agree on everything. They have fought in multiple battles on the tennis court, and they naturally have a great respect for each other, yet, some claims and words may be perceived differently by the two.
Recently, Nadal talked about Djokovic, saying that the Serb would be more frustrated if he didn't win the 'GOAT Race.' In the same interview, the Spaniard said that Djokovic managed to win more titles since his body allowed him to do it.
Possibly, Nadal was only reflecting on how things looked from his point of view, but also at the time of the interview, many said that the 22-time Grand Slam champion's competitive spirit has always been clear, and that his claims may not align with what he said in the past.
As his biggest rival, Djokovic obviously saw the interview and the quotes, and he didn't really like them. Feeling like the Spaniard may have attempted to lighten his achievements, the 24-time Grand Slam champion shared his point of view in an interview with Sportal.
"I’ve seen that his comments went viral, that many people spoke about it. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, how he interprets someone else in a certain context etc. That’s all I can say."
The Serbian showed respect to his rival, saying that Nadal is a great champion, and that it was also thanks to him that he was able to accomplish what he has accomplished in his very successful and long career.
"Rafa is a great champion and I respect and appreciate him as such – as a great champion, my biggest rival and as a player who contributed to shaping my game and to results I’ve accomplished."
Yet, Djokovic said that he doesn't want to talk negatively about Nadal, or another rival, Roger Federer, suggesting that he perceived the Spaniard's comments as negative.
The Serbian reiterated that while he respect's Nadal's opinion, he doesn't agree with it, and has his own opinion. Yet, he didn't want to go deeply into that, keeping it to himself.
"I have no intention of speaking in a negative light about him or Roger Federer – my respect towards them supersedes some negative opinions I might have. Again, that’s Rafa’s opinion and I, of course, don’t agree. I have my opinion, but I won’t share it as I don’t want us to go deeper into that. There is no need for that."
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