Rafael Nadal’s Distressing Health Update Fails To Impact Novak Djokovic Rivalry As the Spaniard Continues Domination in an Astonishing Grand Slam Record

Without a doubt, Novak Djokovic is one of the most daunting tennis players to stand on the tennis circuit, and he is one of the favorites to lift his 23rd Grand Slam title in Paris. And, while he remains a threat at the French Open, his archrival, the King of Clay, still took the limelight away from him despite being on the sidelines.

According to several rumors, the last man to beat him on a Grand Slam court, Rafael Nadal, is on his path to recovery from an extended injury that has kept him out of the sport. The world’s third-ranked tennis player is untouchable right now, having won 17 consecutive Grand Slam matches. He created this incredible record when he reached the fourth round of the Roland Garros. Despite the Serb’s exceptional record, the Spaniard’s name is still in fans’ mind as he holds a unique record on the circuit. 

Rafael Nadal unquestionably towers over Novak Djokovic 

Currently, Nadal is down and out of the tennis circuit because of an injury he suffered during the Australian Open earlier this year. But now there is good news for all the Rafa fans out there, who were clearly waiting for him to make a comeback and rule the tennis courts once again. 

The 14-time French Open winner recently underwent arthroscopic surgery for his left psoas muscle, according to a recent report from the Tennis Channel.

Last year, at the French Open, while the Spanish star was going for his 22nd Grand Slam title, he defeated the world number 3 in the semi-finals. With his absence this year, Djokovic has won 30 out of his 31 slam sets, making him the toughest player to beat on the circuit. To date, Rafael Nadal is the only player to have beaten the ‘Djoker’ in a Grand Slam match in two years.

The two well-known tennis players have competed against one another 59 times up to this point. The Serb leads their battle 30-29, and he has also won the most Grand Slam finals, 15-13. However, a few days before, Djokovic praised his archrival with an ultimate French Open tribute as he recalled their time on the tennis court, especially their clay court rivalry. 

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Djokovic talked about facing Nadal on the clay court 

The Serbian spoke about what it’s like to play against Rafa in an interview with the Tennis Channel after his opening-round victory at the French Open. He explained that every time he got onto the court to face the 37-year-old tennis player; he had to leave his heart and guts out and meet him with his finest abilities. 

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He said that competing against the Spaniard on clay is the biggest challenge in sports. While he is enjoying his incredible winning streak in the 2023 French Open, he is undoubtedly missing his arch-rival from the competition.