Rafael Nadal’s Inflammatory Comments on Novak Djokovic Surprise Former ATP Star as He Predicts a Monumental ‘Face Off’

Ever since the news of his return erupted, Rafael Nadal has been the talk of the town. The Spaniard missed a majority of the 2023 season owing to injuries. But he recovered in time for the start of the 2024 season. Ahead of the Australian Open, the former World Number 1 has made a resounding comeback, entering the quarterfinals of the Brisbane Open. During his comeback stint, Nadal has often talked about Novak Djokovic, that has surprised former ATP star, Paul McNamee.

Even before his comeback, Nadal admitted that he won’t be able to match Djokovic’s Grand Slam feat. While Nadal was away from tennis last year, the Serb overtook him in the race for the most major victories. Are the two legends secretly wishing to face off against each other?

Rafael Nadal takes the ‘high ground’ and patiently waits for the French Open 2024

While on some occasions Nadal has compared himself to Djokovic, he also has opened up about the achievements of the Serb. The tennis world is waiting to see them face off against each other, but Nadal’s comments recently have taken center stage. As a result, Paul McNamee took to social media to voice his opinion about the same.

Posting a tweet on his official Twitter handle, McNamee said, “Of course the media and the fans of Rafa & Novak are the target of the controversy around Rafa who, surprisingly in my opinion, continues talking about Novak, who continues to take the high ground. They’re desperately hoping they face off again, with French Open the most likely.” 

Rafael Nadal leads the French Open head-to-head against Djokovic 8-2. In this scenario, Djokovic must be waiting for an opportunity to defeat Nadal at his favorite Slam. However, they might meet sooner than that, since both Nadal and Djokovic will play the Australian Open, a potential battleground for the two. Meanwhile, Nadal’s comments have received much attention of late. It even took a political twist as a Congresswoman rebuked him for disrespecting Novak Djokovic.

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What did Claudia Tenney say about Nadal?

Recently, Nadal made a controversial statement in one of his interviews. He claimed that Djokovic’s rivals demanded the Serb to improve his game and not his physical issues. Consequently, this comment didn’t go down well with Tenney.

She said, “Disappointing envy from Nadal. @djokernole is not only the greatest tennis player – EVER – for so many reasons, he’s my choice as the greatest athlete in the modern era. No one else has had the mental toughness and grace to overcome the needless obstacles and petty political tropes hurled at him repeatedly.”

Despite the talk surrounding his comments on Djokovic, Rafael Nadal will look to focus on his upcoming match. He takes on Jordan Thompson in the Brisbane International quarterfinals today.

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