“Tournaments go on, players play and leave!” Rafael Nadal sticks to the words he said about Novak Djokovic at the 2022 Australian Open while contemplating his French Open withdrawal
Rafael Nadal sticks to his words and says what he thinks about the French Open 2023 similar to Australian Open 2022.
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Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic (Credits: French Open)
The Spanish Great Rafael Nadal is a person who is known for sticking to his words. This was once again showcased when a question was raised about how he is going to perceive this year’s French Open tournament without him playing. Nadal without hesitation said that the tournaments continue with or without a specific player. He also didn’t fail to connect his words to what he told during the Australian Open 2022 when a similar question was raised about his rival Novak Djokovic‘s absence then.
As Nadal responded to the question on whether will he be going to watch the matches at French Open this year, “Not all matches but yes, I will watch some. It will be super interesting anyway. My speech is the same of last year when Novak did not play in Australia. Tournaments go on, players play and leave.”
Nadal’s words about Djokovic’s absence due to the infamous deportation saga during Australian Open 2022 were hugely criticized by Djokovic fans then. Nadal’s lack of support for a struggling Djokovic was not taken lightly by the former’s fans. But now when the Spanish legend sticks to the same ethics during his own struggling phase, it is to be completely understood that the Spanish great is a man of his word and not just a hypocrite.
Novak Djokovic will look to take the all-time lead in Rafael Nadal’s absence
Nadal’s withdrawal has sent shockwaves into the tennis community. This will be the first time in his elite career Nadal will miss the French Open. Since making his debut in 2005, Nadal has won the French Open 14 times and has established himself as the ‘King of Clay’. He has won over 100 matches on the Parisian clay and has just lost thrice. It is safe to say that his arch-rivals, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer would’ve had a handful of titles at Roland Garros if he wasn’t around.
One person who will indirectly benefit from Nadal’s withdrawal is Djokovic. The Serb is currently tied at 22 major titles with Nadal and will have a golden opportunity to win his 23rd major title at Roland Garros this year. If he wins it, he will take the all-time lead for the first time in his career and will make his case for the GOAT even stronger.
Djokovic hasn’t been in the best form in the build-up to the French Open. He played three tournaments in the European clay season and hasn’t advanced any further than the quarterfinals. He lost in the Round of 16 at the Monte Carlo and had successive last 8 outings at Banja Luka and Rome. Despite everything, Roland Garros will be a different ball game and Djokovic will enter Paris as one of the major favorites to win the title in Nadal’s absence.
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Vipul Payattuparambil
(552 Articles Published)