The rivalry between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic has changed the course of tennis. It has brought an insane amount of popularity to the sport. But apparently, it is not limited to just tennis courts.

The players took on each other in a friendly game of penalties in Argentina at Boca Juniors Bombonera Stadium in 2013. The inherent football genes of the Spanish player must have helped him win over the Serbian player.

Rafael Nadal took Novak Djokovic in a penalty shootout in 2013

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal provided the fans with some extra entertainment. They both played a game of penalty shootout in which Rafa won by a score of 3-1. His uncle, Miguel Angel Nadal was a famous footballer who had played for Barcelona and his nation, Spain.

Rafa seemed comfortable on the ground and scored goals. However, Djokovic’s goals were blocked by the defender. A friendly penalty shootout lightened the mood of the crowd and the players got to try the rivalry out of tennis.

Will Djokovic be able to surpass Rafael Nadal’s record?

The legendary rivalry of both the players has always brought enthusiastic fans rushing to the stadiums. Both the players have faced each other 59 times on the court. The Serb leads the H2H series by the ratio of 30:29. Recently, Rafael Nadal defeated Djokovic in the last match that they played at the Roland Garros.

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The Spaniard went on to win his 14th Roland Garros title. There was a huge probability that both the players might have faced in the Wimbledon finals. However, Rafa withdrew from the grasscourt major because of his abdominal injury.

Now, Djokovic is chasing the target of 22 grand slam titles. He is at 21 after winning the Wimbledon Championships 2022. However, there is no guarantee if the player would be able to do that or not, this year.

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This will depend on the vaccination requirements of the USA which will allow or disallow the Serb to participate in the US Open. Besides that, because of the same reason, he will not participate in the Canadian Open too.