Rafael Nadal always found it easier to find a strategy to defeat Roger Federer than Novak Djokovic: Toni Nadal


Rafael Nadal always found it easier to find a strategy to defeat Roger Federer than Novak Djokovic: Toni Nadal

WhatsApp Image 2020 09 07 at 12.32.43 PM

Rafael Nadal (left) and Novak Djokovic

Tennis may have never witnessed a trio of players like Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. The ‘Big Three’ have won combined 56 Grand Slams between them since 2003.

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It has never been easy for any player of the ‘Big Three’ to defeat the other two. However, Toni Nadal, uncle of Rafael Nadal and the person who has coached Nadal for the majority of his career, has a different opinion. Toni feels that his nephew always finds it more difficult against Djokovic than Federer.

With Djokovic, you never know what to do: Toni Nadal

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal

Talking to Eurosport France, Toni Nadal told that while at one point you can handle Federer, but Djokovic is an altogether different beast. “For me it has always been more and more difficult to prepare matches against Djokovic than those with Federer. Because we had a plan against Roger, we knew that Rafa (Rafael Nadal) had to push hard with his backhand and with a high trajectory, so that the chances of winning would increase. With Nole (Novak Djokovic), however, you never know what to do. You just have to try to play big,” told Toni Nadal.

Toni further recalled a time at the US Open in 2013 when Nadal asked him for tactics against Djokovic, and he revealed he himself asked for some help. ‘‘You have to hit balls hard down the center, don’t move too much against him because otherwise he can look for the lines. Then I told Carlos Costa, who was sitting next to me, that we should go to church to pray,” recalled Toni Nadal.

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Well whatever Toni thinks, we as fans have always enjoyed the quality of tennis played by the ‘Big Three’. So in the end, it doesn’t matter who plays better against who until we are witnessing legends rewrite the history of tennis.

Also Read: “He constantly gave tips to Rafa during games,” Fognini accuses Toni Nadal in his autobiography