Rafael Nadal reveals the real difference between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic

On Friday, Rafael Nadal attended the America Business Forum in Miami, and of course, he was asked about his greatest rivals, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

All three combined are known as the 'Big Three' since they won 66 of the 81 majors held between the 2003 Wimbledon Championships to the 2023 US Open. Federer retired with 20 Grand Slams, and Nadal with 22. Meanwhile, 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic is still active, but he's on the receiving end of multiple semifinal losses since the start of 2024 in the majors at the hands of modern greats Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

Nadal talked about both of his rivals with utmost respect and admiration, while highlighting what makes them stand out.

“Well, I think that Roger is a person, and I would say a tennis player, a bit more from a magical point of view," Nadal said via Tennis 365. "From a point of view of pure talent and inspiration. And Novak, obviously, with enormous talent, but with a work ethic and a winning mentality that is difficult to compare. They’re different personalities, different ways of approaching careers, but on different paths taken to the limit and to excellence.”

Rafael Nadal mentions similarities between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer

Rafael Nadal also shared the common points between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer. Both personalities share "a great passion and a great love for the sport throughout their careers."

Nadal highlighted that neither "stopped improving," which in result asked the Spaniard to push harder to get success.

“Well, we had some great battles," Nadal said. "Yes, the truth is that it was a time of maximum demand. In the end, the fact that there were three [of us] meant that there was very little margin.”

Federer was the first to put his cards down when he retired at the 2022 Laver Cup. That was an emotional night at the O2 Arena after Team World defeated Team Europe for the first time by a margin of 13-8. The loss was not significant, but the goodbye from one of tennis' greatest led to tears in the eyes of Nadal.

The Spaniard himself called it quits after playing for Spain in the 2024 Davis Cup Finals. This year, all 'Big Three' combined to celebrate his retirement at Roland Garros. They are cumulatively known as 'Big Four' with the inclusion of Andy Murray as the final member, who was also a great rival to all three of them.

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Edited by Krutik Jain