Rafael Nadal admits match against Novak Djokovic will be “more difficult” than any other time they faced each other

This will be the 60th meeting between the two players.

Rafael Nadal admits match against Novak Djokovic will be “more difficult” than any other time they faced each other

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal (Via Imago)

Tennis fans are all set to get what they have been craving for a long time- a Rafael Nadal vs. Novak Djokovic clash, and that too at the Olympics. The two legends of the game are set to face each other in the second round of the 2024 Paris Olympics on Monday (July 29) and the excitement is more than ever. Not just the fans, but the two players are also eagerly waiting for this match.

While Djokovic talked about his matchup with Nadal as soon as the draws were revealed, the Spaniard has talked about the challenge that lies ahead for him with the 24-time Grand Slam champion waiting for him. Although Nadal and Djokovic have faced each other umpteen times in the past, the 38-year-old Spanish ace feels this match is a different challenge altogether.

https://youtu.be/ZB3j4TkBppM?si=klpIcNHFFLP4ZzUC

Nadal also explained the reason behind his claim. The 14-time French Open champion feels while the two players have played against each other enough, they have not met so early in a tournament. Nadal also talked about his current condition and claimed that it makes things unpredictable for him.

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It was always very special to play against Novak. The difference is that normally, we play in the final or in the semi-finals. This is the second round. It's true that, for almost all the matches I played against Novak, I was in a very different situation than today. This is what makes the match more difficult for me and more unpredictable.
Rafael Nadal said about his matcup with Novak Djokovic in the post-match press conference.

Nevertheless, despite the challenges, Nadal is determined to give his best. The Spaniard has had a great time so far at the Games and will hope to carry the momentum into his second-round clash against Djokovic.

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Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal feels Novak Djokovic is the clear favorite

Additionally, Rafael Nadal went on to declare Novak Djokovic as the “clear favorite” for the winner of the match between the two players. The Spaniard feels as Djokovic has been actively competing on the tour in the past two years and he (Nadal) has been not, the Serbian automatically becomes the favorite.

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal (via Imago)

However, that does not stop Nadal from aiming for the win. The ‘King of Clay’ is still determined to challenge his opponent when they meet at Stade Roland Garros in the second round. 

Of course it's beautiful to play against one of the two biggest rivals that I had in my career, especially on this court. But situations are completely different for him, for me. He's being very competitive. I was not being very competitive for the last two years, so in that case, I think probably he is the clear favourite. I'm going to try my best to bring the best to the court and then let's see how far I can go and how many problems I can create [for] him.
Rafael Nadal said about his second-round match with Novak Djokovic

Notably, Djokovic and Nadal have played against 59 times so far on the tour. The Serbian great leads the head-to-head record by a whisker (30-29). Nadal now has a chance to level it and repeat his performance from the 2022 Roland Garros quarterfinals when he beat Djokovic in four sets.

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