“Well deserved. Enjoy Nole,” Spanish ace Rafael Nadal congratulates arch-rival Novak Djokovic on his 2023 Australian Open triumph

Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal took to social media to congratulate on-court nemesis Novak Djokovic on phenomenal Slam win

“Well deserved. Enjoy Nole,” Spanish ace Rafael Nadal congratulates arch-rival Novak Djokovic on his 2023 Australian Open triumph

An emotionally exhausted Novak Djokovic retreated into the arms of his family, having won the Australian Open for a historic 10th time. Bettering Greek ace Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets, the Serb regained his spot atop the world rankings while defending champion Nadal dropped four spots and now sits ranked 6th in the world.

Consequently, his greatest on-court foe Rafael Nadal took to social media to congratulate the 35-year-old on his monumental achievement. “Amazing achievement Nole. Many congrats to you and your team! Well deserved. Enjoy Nole!” posted the Spanish superstar. Nadal & Djokovic have been in a tussle for greatness for the past 15 years.

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Nadal and Djokovic have contested a Grand Slam final on 9 occasions, with the former winning 5. The two met in the longest Grand Slam final ever at the 2012 Australian Open. Djokovic won the match lasting 5 hours & 53 minutes. Novak Djokovic managed to get the better of Nadal seven years displaced from the duo’s first bout, as he thumped Nadal in straight sets at the 2019 Australian Open final.

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Having shared three Slams between them in 2022, the two look to race each other to their professional finish line. With Djokovic set to surpass Steffi Graff as the longest-reigning world number 1, the proverbial GOAT race might be the most exciting prospect in the world of sports.

With Nadal potentially sidelined for another six weeks, the world could witness his ranking fall outside the top 10 for the first time since 2005. He has been nursing multiple injuries since the end of the 2022 season. With his favorite Slam next in line, he’ll be looking to get ahead of Djokovic again and win an unprecedented 15th French Open title.

Related – “I was waiting in line for bread and milk” Novak Djokovic recounts his tough childhood in an engaging interview with Somdev Devverman  

Djokovic equals Nadal atop all-time Grand Slam race

22-time Slam champion Rafael Nadal looked to defend his title at this year’s Australian Open. But destiny had other plans, as he suffered a hip injury. Consequently, by virtue of subpar performance, he bowed out in the second round.

Having lost to American tennis professional Mackenzie McDonald, there was little the Spaniard could do except travel back. And watch his on-court nemesis amass a historic 22nd Grand Slam title. From the onset of the tournament, Novak Djokovic looked like the man to beat. Despite his left leg causing him trouble through the first two rounds, the Serb gained momentum as he went deeper into the tournament.

After disposing of all but one of his seven opponents in straight sets, Djokovic lifted the Norman Brooks trophy for a record-extending 10th time. By doing so, he equaled Nadal’s tally of 22 Slams. It’s a two-horse race to determine who gets to end their career with the most Slams in the Open Era in the men’s game.

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