Rafael Nadal's uncle and former coach, Toni Nadal, believes his nephew and Roger Federer have attracted more respect because of how they won. Those words seemed to be taking a dig at Novak Djokovic.
Nadal retired at the Davis Cup Finals on Tuesday. The 14-time French Open champion lost his singles match against Botic van de Zandschulp, and Carlos Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers' loss in the doubles confirmed Spain's elimination and the end of Nadal's career.
Team Spain's loss led to Nadal giving an emotional speech to the crowd afterward. In it, he told those watching that he hoped to be remembered more for being a good person than for his titles and records.
That moment means two of the so-called " Big Three," Roger Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, have now retired. Those three players are considered by most to be the greatest in tennis history.
Federer memorably retired at the 2022 Laver Cup. At the team event, he played a doubles match with his great rival and friend Nadal before making an emotional speech to the crowd afterward.
The rivalries Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic had with each other were incredible. That trio competing against each other near their primes was probably the most memorable era in the sport.
Each man had a different personality, adding to the stunning tennis played. Federer was the calmest on the court. Although he cared deeply, his body language looked the calmest of the three.
Nadal is famous worldwide for his energy and intensity, while Djokovic has always been the fieriest of the three. He is willing to confront the crowd or umpires during a match to engage himself.
In an interview with El Mundo, Toni Nadal said he does not like players cupping their ears to the crowd after great points, something done by both Djokovic and Alcaraz. He prefers Federer and Nadal's more low-key approach.
After making that point, Rafael's uncle Toni acknowledged how good Djokovic is based on sporting merit but argued that Federer and Nadal have earned a higher level of respect because of how they won.
"When Federer made a great point, he would raise his thumb, stretching out his arm and lowering his head. He never looked at the audience. Rafael made the gesture of passion, of strength. Personally, I don’t like demonstrations of the kind you mention, but they have become fashionable and many people do them."
"There are players whose sporting merits go beyond their specific sport, like Djokovic. But there are others whose way of winning goes beyond sport. That’s what happens with Federer and Rafael, because life is not just about winning but how you win. Both have earned a higher level of respect."
Djokovic might be disappointed by Toni's comments. After their last professional match at the Six Kings Slam, he paid a heartfelt tribute to Nadal, calling him an incredible person.
The Serbian may feel somewhat disrespected by Toni's remarks, but Nadal's uncle has never been a man to mince his words.