Earlier this month Rafael Nadal announced that he’ll retire from the racquet sport at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. Ever since, making this announcement, the ticket prices of flying to Malaga might have just reached their peak. Even the Serbian superstar, Novak Djokovic has already announced his presence in Nadal’s last match in his illustrious career. Shortly after hearing the announcement from Rafa, Djokovic thanked the Spaniard for pushing him to the very limit and giving new height to their rivalry. He even assured the tennis fans, “I will be there (Malaga) in-person to pay respect to your stellar career.” What a moment it’d be to see these two in a single frame in Malaga!

Well, along with Novak Djokovic, Rafa’s compatriot Carlos Alcaraz will also be there at the same venue. Recently, after defeating Nadal by 6-3,6-3 at the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh, Alcaraz said, “It was a privilege to play against Rafa one last time! Once again, thank you for your legacy and for being an inspiration to all of us! See you very soon in Malaga, but this time both wearing the colors of Spain.” How does Rafael Nadal look at the moment that lies ahead of him in Malaga?

During a recent interview with the Spanish media outlet, AS the 22-times Grand Slam champion said, “I haven’t expected much from the end of my career for a long time, because you start to realize how difficult everything is and I don’t believe in movie endings. Almost nobody has movie endings, because it’s very difficult to have them in sports unless it’s someone who really gets to the point where they’re healthy and can win, but they don’t really enjoy what they do anymore. Then, yes, you can retire winning. ” Rafael Nadal further added, “When you’re passionate about what you do, it’s very difficult to retire at 100% and winning.”

All he now hopes is to be healthy enough and be fully prepared to enjoy the moment and help his team win the 7th Davis Cup title. He recalled a few moments from the 2004 Davis Cup when he had his first great joy as a professional tennis player. Now, it’s time to finish the phase of the Davis Cup campaign in his career on a similar high note. Nadal said it doesn’t matter whether he plays or not, but he wants to end this journey on a very positive note.

We saw Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in tears during the retirement of the ‘Swiss Maestro‘. Imagine what’s lining up for us in just a few days’ time, when Novak Djokovic and Rafa will be there at the same venue, marking an end to a remarkable rivalry. Who has been the toughest rival for Rafael Nadal though, Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic?

Rafael Nadal snubs Novak Djokovic to pick Roger Federer as his “biggest rival” in tennis

Just a few days ago we heard some kind words from Novak Djokovic towards the Spanish superstar. He wrote a heartfelt note on his social media account explaining how much Rafael Nadal has contributed to inspiring millions of children to take up this racquet sport. Djokovic hailed Nadal’s tenacity, dedication, fighting spirit and assured him that his “legacy will live forever.” 

However, recently during the same interview with AS, Rafael Nadal was asked about who has been his toughest rival in his career. In reply, the Spaniard said, “Djokovic is the player I have faced the most, but for me, my biggest rival has been Federer. Because, when I arrived on the circuit, it was Federer who was there and he was the first. In the years when I was at the top of my career in every sense, it was Roger and Novak. But in the first years, which are the ones that mark you in a special way, Roger was always there.“

Rafael Nadal has faced Novak Djokovic 60 times in his career, and guess what? The margins are very fine in between the two. Novak Djokovic leads the H2H scoreline by a 31-29 margin. On the other hand, Nadal has faced Roger Federer 40 times in his career and interestingly, the Spaniard leads the race here by 24-16. In their prime days, these three were truly blissful to watch!

According to Rafa’s close observations, “I don’t know why, that my rivalry with the two has been more intense than the one they had between them. I don’t know what the reason is exactly, but I feel that the world perceives it that way.“ The days of the ‘Big Three’ are now almost coming to an end with only Novak Djokovic standing tall among them. What does Rafael Nadal think about Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s chance of generating similar interest in the sport among the fans?

“Every year there are champions and if they manage to maintain this level, they will also be generating great interest. Over time this interest will grow for obvious reasons because great stars and personalities are not made in two days,” said the Spaniard. Nadal looks quite optimistic about the current generation carrying forward their legacy in the sport. What are your thoughts on this?