Even if they respect each other, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have never been close friends.
And in recent months in the anxiety-provoking context of the pandemic, there is frying on the line between these two giants of the little yellow ball.
And the "politically correct" Nadal no longer hesitates to scratch his Serbian rival, so divisive.
This time the race for Grand Slam title records is the subject of controversy between the Serbian and the Spaniard.
As part of the promotion of an alcohol-free beer, Djokovic has also toasted.
Nadal confident Monday in the British daily
Metro:
“I want to win more Grand Slams, yes.
No doubt about it.
But Novak (Djokovic) is more obsessed with it, more focused.
Not in a negative way.
No, he's more focused just on those things and that means a lot to him.
As he says and always talks about these records ... And well done to him, but this is not my approach to my career. "
"I continue to open my only path, Rafa has his, and I do not interfere."
Novak Djokovic
With twenty Grand Slam titles to his name, the Spaniard, soon to be 35, is ahead of Novak Djokovic, 33 (18) and speaks of “healthy ambition”. "Of course I am ambitious, otherwise I would never be in the position I am in today but I probably have a different kind of ambition than him, for example." During a press conference at the Belgrade tournament of which he is the ambassador and the attraction, the world number 1 replied to the Mallorcan with sobriety. “It's all about the perception and interpretation of what we say. I respect Rafa, probably more than any other player in the world. But I continue to open my only path, Rafa has his, and I do not interfere. His motivation is his motivation, I don't fit into that. Personally,i don't feel obsessed with anything in life. What I feel is passion. I have never had a problem verbalizing my goals. I've never had a hard time saying, "I want to beat this record or reach a certain goal". I don't know why that would be a bad thing, not just about the records, but for anything like politics in tennis. ”
Topics of tension between the two champions
Last August, Novak Djokovic had announced the creation of a new association bringing together only players (PTPA), Rafael Nadal, as well as Roger Federer had opposed it, calling for "working together". During the last Australian Open, Novak Djokovic sent a letter to Australian Open director Craig Tiley at the start of his quarantine, in which he proposed to improve conditions for the players. A letter which had been made public but which had not been unanimously approved. “Some people need to publicize everything they do to help others. Others do it more privately, without having to publish or make public everything they do. The appeals that we launch to help the most disadvantaged actors, some of us dodo not need to want to advertise it ”, had then gently tackled Rafael Nadal at the microphone of
ESPN Tennis.
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