Rafael Nadal has shared his thoughts on who he considers his greatest rival between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. The Spaniard explained why his rivalry with Federer won out over his intense competition with the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

Nadal and Djokovic have faced each other a record 60 times, with the Serb holding a narrow 31-29 lead in their head-to-head. The 24-time Grand Slam champion also won 27 of his 50 matches against Federer. Meanwhile, Nadal enjoys a 24-16 winning record against the Swiss legend.

Interestingly, both Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have deemed the 22-time Grand Slam champion their greatest rival over one another. Rafael Nadal, meanwhile, has asserted that, despite the depth of his rivalry with Djokovic, it was the Swiss legend who claimed the title for him.

In a recent interview with AS, Nadal explained that while both his arch-rivals challenged him greatly throughout his career, the 20-time Grand Slam champion’s presence during his initial years on tour gave a special significance to their rivalry.

“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,” Nadal said (Translated from Spanish).

“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,” he added.

The Spaniard also acknowledged the public perception of his rivalries with Federer and Djokovic being more “intense” than their competition with each other.

“I think, and 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. We would have to find the reason,” the Spaniard said.

Rafael Nadal: “With Roger Federer, it was a very sharp contrast in styles… And with Novak Djokovic, it has been an incredible challenge”

During the same interview, Rafael Nadal expressed his belief that his rivalry with Roger Federer was especially compelling because of their contrasting playing styles and different approaches to the game.

“With Roger, I am clear that it is because it was a very sharp contrast in styles and ways of seeing and approaching the sport,” Nadal said.

On the other hand, the 38-year-old explained that his battles with Novak Djokovic were thrilling due to the “incredible challenge” posed by the Serb’s consistently high level of play.

“And with Novak, of course, it has been an incredible challenge. In the end, he is a player who has managed to maintain a very high level of play and improve every year,” he added.

Rafael Nadal also shared his thoughts on their Slam tallies, admitting that he didn’t derive extra satisfaction from having 22 Major titles compared to Roger Federer’s 20 and expressed his belief that he wouldn’t feel any more fulfilled if he had surpassed the 24-time Grand Slam champion’s count.