In an era defined by three of tennis’ greatest competitors, Rafael Nadal has revealed who his biggest rival was.

The news of Rafael Nadal’s upcoming retirement was as heartbreaking as it was inevitable.

An injury hampered year on the ATP circuit saw the Spaniard miss three out of the four major tournaments.

Returning to the French Open, where Nadal is a 14 time champion, a straight sets defeat to Alexander Zverev came in the opening round.

Despite a run to the Swedish Open final, singles wins have been somewhat hard to come by for the veteran.

With his last two both coincidentally coming against Novak Djokovic at the Paris Olympics and Six Kings Slam, Nadal’s retirement has seen countless questions levelled to him about the Serb.

The pair met 60 times on the ATP tour – including in all four major finals – with Djokovic winning 31 overall.

However, Nadal didn’t name the Serb as his biggest rival, instead selecting Switzerland’s Roger Federer.

He told AS: “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. In the years when I was at my best in every sense of the word, 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.

Speculating on the rivalry Djokovic and Federer shared, Nadal said: “I think, and I don’t know why, that my rivalry with the two of them has been more intense than the one they had between them. I don’t know exactly what the reason is, but I feel that the world perceives it that way. We would have to find the reason.

Having faced Federer in arguably the greatest Wimbledon final of all time, he explained what the differences were between all three of them.

“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. 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. The numbers say that he is the best, so his tennis level has also been the best and, in addition, he is the one who has managed to stay the furthest away from injuries.

“When you have no limitations or major injuries that last for a long time, it not only affects you physically and gives you options to win, but it also generates a lack of fear on a mental level, neither of getting injured, nor of slipping when you reach a ball on a hard court.”

An injury-hampered 2024 season broadly summed up what’s always been a struggle for Nadal, with knee issues plaguing him throughout his career.

“Djokovic runs on a hard court and slides here, slides there, just like Carlos [Alcaraz] does today,” he explained. “Because they are not afraid to do it yet and they can. I did it at the beginning of my career, but of course, when things happen, you just can’t do it, so these are limitations that appear along the way and you have to look for shortcuts to continue being competitive in other ways.

“That has allowed Novak to maintain his physical, tennis and mental level for longer. It is not an excuse, thanks to that he is the best and he has really earned it,” Nadal concluded, in typical humble style.

In an assessment that says little about Djokovic’s achievements, status, relevance, or anything much at all, Federer and Nadal are considered so crucial to each other.

Likely the cause of much of the Serb’s anxieties at being a third-wheel, there’s a certain aura that follows Federer and Nadal around.

Their contrasting styles, as Nadal picked up on, managed to move that tennis camp be played in a totally different way, but with no less success.

If you close your eyes and imagine Federer or Nadal playing, there’s such a distinct movement and style you can picture.

With Djokovic, his slightly later arrival and arguable lack of stand-out style (besides possibly a backhand down the line while doing the splits), in ‘vibe’ alone, he has perhaps been relegated to third.

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