'Missed to win more titles than my rivals due to...' - Rafael Nadal opens up on challenges of competing alongside Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic

During the Six Kings Slam Exhibition tournament in Saudi Arabia back in October, tennis legend Rafael Nadal encountered Novak Djokovic in the final thriller. Together with Federer, the Serbian has been one of Nadal's fiercest rivals throughout his storied career. However, the Spanish legend gave his recent interview with Diario AS shortly after announcing his retirement from the game. He has opened up about his career highs and lows, his rivals, and the factors that have shaped the dominance of Djokovic and Federer over the years.

In the same vein, Nadal has acknowledged the Serbian's unparalleled consistency and resilience as a key to his success. Nadal said that the 37-year-old tennis star maintains a high level of play and possesses the ability to improve every year to take the game to the epitome of the level, which makes him one of the exceptional talents in the game to look out for. He further revealed that Djokovic's number showcases he is the best, and his level also gets increased and highlights how Novak stayed furthest away from the injuries. 

Nadal further talked about how his injuries didn't allow him to win more titles as compared to his rivals Federer and Djokovic.

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The Big Three—Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic—represent the pinnacle of tennis history

(For Djokovic ) “He’s a player who has managed to maintain a very high level of play and improve every year. The numbers say he’s the best, which means his level of tennis has also been the best. Moreover, he’s the one who’s stayed furthest away from injuries. When you don’t have significant, prolonged injuries, it not only helps you physically but also gives you a mental edge—an absence of fear,” Nadal explained.

"It's clear that I’ve missed more opportunities to win Grand Slams than all my rivals due to injuries, but that’s just how it’s been,” he further added.

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For the tennis fraternity, the Big Three—Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic—represent the pinnacle of tennis history. Their Grand Slam total speaks about their dominance.

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