Toni Nadal explains why Novak Djokovic still falls short of ‘Fedal’
Toni Nadal believes Djokovic's late arrival at the scene is one of the factor of low popularity of the Serb compared to 'Fedal'.
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Toni Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal
Novak Djokovic consolidated his position as the greatest of all time after winning the 2023 Australian Open. He defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas to win his record-extending 10th title Down Under. With this Djokovic proved his mettle once again and showed his endurance in the face of extreme challenges.
Despite his monumental achievements, Djokovic still lags behind his rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in the popularity metric. He still faces the backlash, gets demonized even for his benevolence, and the media chases him like a ghost. Over the years many tennis pundits have provided their opinion about the same but it is still difficult to pinpoint the issue.
Toni Nadal, Rafael Nadal’s uncle and former coach has given his point of view regarding the lesser acceptance of Djokovic than the other names of the celebrated ‘Big 3’. “Djokovic broke through when people were crazy about the Fedal rivalry. That’s why he was never loved as much as Rafa and Roger. The way he acted sometimes on the court didn’t help, either,” Toni Nadal told Vanity Fair.
Loved or not, Novak Djokovic is definitely someone who can not be ignored. He started late but made a habit out of winning titles. The kind of champion he is, Djokovic does not require anyone’s approval.
Novak Djokovic rewrites history books again after his Australian Open triumph
The Serbian icon Novak Djokovic broke numerous records on his way to the tenth Australian Open triumph. Most important of them was to reclaim his top spot in the ATP rankings after last June. If the Serb remains World No. 1 through the week of 20 February, he will tie Steffi Graf’s record for most weeks as World No. 1 in history (men and women) at 377.
Djokovic also matched his long-time Spanish rival Rafael Nadal in the total Grand Slam title. The 35-year-old is now undefeated in Australia for 40 matches which shows his utter dominance Down Under. He is also the only man to have won 4 Australian Open titles since celebrating his 30th birthday.
Despite the unending list of achievements, Djokovic is in no mood to stop yet. “I am motivated to win as many Slams as possible. At this stage of my career, these trophies are the biggest motivational factor of why I still compete,” said Djokovic after the Australian Open win.
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Abhinavendu Singh
(290 Articles Published)