Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer - Rafael Nadal Reveals Who Was Tougher Opponent

Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal - popularly known as the ‘Big Three’ - dominated the game of tennis for over a decade. Nadal, whose dominant show in clay earned him the nickname of ‘King of Clay’, always posed a threat to Djokovic and Federer. Months after his retirement, he has broken silence on his toughest rivals, Djokovic and Federer. 

ALSO READ: Alcaraz May Have To Forfeit Big Bucks From His US Open 2025 Prize Money

“I needed my body and my physical performance to be at the absolute maximum to compete against Novak on a hard court,” Rafael Nadal admitted in a conversation on The Athletic. 

‘Had to be more aggressive’ - Nadal 

“I had to be more aggressive and strike the ball cleaner with my forehand when going for winners. That was my goal. Roger could win points quickly with his serve, but Novak and I played more grinding matches. Without a doubt, he was better than me on hard courts, but until 2013 or 2014 I was able to compete with him at a very high level," he revealed his strategy versus Federer. 

“In some way, having players like Novak or Roger in front of you gave you a clear idea of what you had to do,” Nadal explained. “We never had time to relax. We always had to give our maximum effort just to compete at that level. When I trained, I worked to improve myself, but at the same time, I always had those rivals pushing me forward," he concluded. 

When Will Djokovic Retire? 

There is no doubt that Djokovic is past his prime. Despite that, he made the semi-final at the US Open in 2025 at the age of 38. 

ALSO READ: 'Champion Again': Rafael Nadal Pens Down Heartfelt Post For Carlos Alcaraz

Djokovic currently owns 24 Grand slam titles and it would be interesting when does he eventually throw in the towel.