Despite an Enticing GOAT Rivalry, Rafael Nadal Sends Reassuring Message to Novak Djokovic After His Australian Open Victory

Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic clinched his 22nd Grand Slam title yesterday and one of his biggest rivals has sent a message to him. Returning to Australia after a gap of one year, the 35-year-old had a magnificent campaign Down Under. Last year, in the absence of Djokovic, Rafael Nadal clinched the title. Later, he added the 14th Roland Garros title to take his Grand Slam tally to 22.

Now that Djokovic equaled him, the legendary Spaniard came up with an early congratulatory post for his arch-rival.

Rafael Nadal congratulates his arch-nemesis, Novak Djokovic

While the fans of the ‘Big Three’ are always engaged in banters with each other over the GOAT debate, the stars themselves have always been respectful to each other. Earlier we saw at Roger Federer‘s retirement that Nadal is a gem of a person and never shies away from showing his big heart.

When Djokovic clinched his 22nd Grand Slam title, he equaled Nadal’s record. It means that the race for ending up as the GOAT is still on. Meanwhile, the Spaniard took the opportunity to congratulate his rival and good friend, Novak Djokovic. The reigning French Open champion took to his Instagram account and wrote a beautiful post for the Serb.

“Congrats Nole, to you and your team for this great achievement. Enjoy the moment!” Nadal wrote in the caption.

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Earlier, Nadal’s campaign at the Australian Open came to an early end as he crashed out of the second round. Notably, the Spaniard suffered from another injury and was in severe pain while he tried to finish the match.

Nadal might just have played his last Australian Open

Rafael Nadal is a name synonymous with greatness. Over the years, the Spaniard battled pain many times and proved his mettle on the court. However, the past few months have not been great for the legend. He played the 2022 French Open in pain and later suffered a severe abdominal injury at the Wimbledon Championships.

After taking months to recover, the 22-time Grand Slam champion failed to impress with his performance. Before his Australian Open campaign started, the public in Australia was aware of the fact that it could be the last time they see Nadal playing the Australian Open.

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As it happened, Nadal got another injury in the Australian Open. While there’s no retirement declaration as of now, the Spaniard might not continue for long as his body is failing to cope with the pressure.