Djokovic’s response to Nadal: I don’t agree, of course
Novak Djokovic has aired his disagreement with Nadal’s frank views
Novak Djokovic, US Open 2023 – © Chryslène Caillaud / panoramic
Novak Djokovic has said that he doesn’t agree with Rafael Nadal’s opinion that the Serbian would have been frustrated if he didn’t win more singles majors than his peers.
“I’m not frustrated for a simple reason – within my possibilities, I’ve done all I can to make things happen for me,” Nadal told Spanish TV station Movistar+ less than a month ago.
“I think Novak feels more intensely [about] this than I do. Had he not achieved it, it may have been a bigger frustration for him. Maybe that is why he did it. I think he has had the ability to take ambition to the maximum. I think I’ve been ambitious too but a bit healthier, which allowed me to see things in a different way.”
In an interview with Sportal, Djokovic was asked to comment on Nadal’s words.
“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. 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,” Djokovic said.
He added: “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.”
Following his win at the US Open, Djokovic now stands at 24 Grand Slam titles, two more than Nadal and four more than Federer.
