Rafael Nadal‘s statements about the Paris Olympics have sent ripples across the tennis community. Reason? Many think it was directed at one of his biggest rivals, Novak Djokovic. While Nadal’s comment was centered around a popular Olympic tradition, it soon connected to Djokovic’s arrangement for the event showing the Serb’s entitlement. With the tension lingering around the Nadal-Djokovic relationship, the Spaniard reveals why he chose a different path from the Djoker.

Nadal seemingly took a dig at Djokovic while talking about his decision to stay in the Olympic village in Paris. In his third and final Olympic appearance, the Mallorcan legend participated in men’s singles and doubles with Carlos Alcaraz. The duo stayed in the village and delighted their fellow competitors by clicking photos and interacting with them.

In a press conference during the Olympics, he said, “Of course for us it’s a little bit [less] comfortable and we are used to staying in hotels or houses with the things probably more comfortable than how the things are in the village.”

Nadal relied on the event’s tradition. “If you play in the Olympics, you have to be in the Olympic Village,” he said in a recent television interview. Nadal said how “in an Olympic Games without being in the village is like playing another event.”

While Nadal opted for the Olympic hospitality, Djokovic opted for a separate hotel accommodation. A Serbian delegation told Clay, “We expect Novak to arrive within the next few days, although he will not be staying with us in the Village.” This statement caused mixed reactions among the tennis fraternity.

While the Serb chose a different accommodation, he had another thought during his  Tokyo Olympics participation. Mentioning his experience of staying “in a place with more than 10,000 athletes, exchanging knowledge, life stories and things about sports,” Djokovic said he was “enjoying every second.” However, this time he didn’t take any risk that would be an obstacle to his gold medal victory. Djokovic himself revealed this in a press conference in June.

Why Novak Djokovic chose separate accommodation while Rafael Nadal chose to stay with other athletes

When the Serbian team confirmed Djokovic’s separate accommodation for the Paris Olympics, there was much intrigue among the fraternity about the Serb’s reasons. Speaking about his Tokyo Olympics experience, the Serb said, “I also stayed somewhere else for the tournament because this one, somehow I feel that it is more correct for me and that it is better for me and for my preparations.”

Djokovic’s family also attended the Paris Olympics with the Serb. With Jelena Djokovic, Nole’s kids, Stefan and Tara also visited the City of Love. Therefore, he might wanted to keep his head clear by staying with his loved ones. Djokovic can’t be blamed for taking extra precautions for such an important event. At his career’s last stage, he was dedicated to winning a gold for his country. Given he accomplished that, his decision to separate accommodation can be overlooked.

Rafael Nadal might be correct about his point but Djokovic also had his reason to choose a separate accommodation. Given his game was unbothered by anything and brought him gold for his country, his accommodation probably didn’t matter much to Serbia. As long as Djokovic and Nadal continue to mesmerize us with their playstyle, there is nothing more that tennis fans should be bothered about. What do you think?