Toni Nadal snubs Novak Djokovic while naming ‘leaders of society’ Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in athletes whose ‘actions have gone beyond the realm of sport’

Toni Nadal praised Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer for their leadership abilities but did not include Novak Djokovic in the list.

Toni Nadal snubs Novak Djokovic while naming ‘leaders of society’ Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in athletes whose ‘actions have gone beyond the realm of sport’

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Toni Nadal, Novak Djokovic (Images via X, CNN)

Toni Nadal did not pay heed to the consequences of snubbing Novak Djokovic from the list of athletes who emerged as the leaders in their respective sports. Toni, who coached Rafael Nadal until 2017, lauded him and Roger Federer for their leadership qualities.

Nadal will be bidding his farewell to tennis after the Davis Cup in November in Malaga. The 38-year-old, who has collected 22 Grand Slams in spite of his battles with injuries throughout his career, deemed it best for himself to hang up his racket to avoid succumbing to more injuries and ending up remaining on the sidelines.

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Nadal’s longtime rival Federer ended his glorious career in 2022 in the Laver Cup. Nadal, as it is known in the tennis community, played doubles with the Swiss maestro in the latter’s last match of his career.

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There are athletes who, thanks to their exceptional abilities, have become leaders in their discipline; others have magnified and even transcended their own sport; and only a few who, through their attitude and actions, have gone beyond the realm of sport to become leaders in society.

Toni Nadal wrote in his column for El Pais

Djokovic, the third member of the Big 3, has not yet contemplated retirement and is still ambitious of winning more Grand Slams. And in spite of his 24 Grand Slams, he did not find his name beside Federer and Nadal for his abilities as a leader on Toni’s list.

I believe, without fear of being wrong and quite ready to accept the criticism that could be addressed to me as an uncle, that my nephew, like his greatest rival for many years, Roger Federer, belongs to this last category.

Toni Nadal added

Carlos Moya says Rafael Nadal wanted to retire after Olympic singles defeat

Rafael Nadal had asked his coach Carlos Moya whether to hang up his racket at the French Open or continue to play. Moya advised him to have a good tournament and continue. Though Nadal lost in the first round, which was also his fourth defeat in 116 matches at Roland Garros, he hoped to have a good run at the Paris Olympics.

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic posing for a picture before Paris Olympics match
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal (via Imago)

For this, Nadal skipped Wimbledon and participated in the clay-court event in Bastad, where he reached the final and lost. Nadal then went past his first-round opponent in the Olympics but failed to beat Novak Djokovic in the second round. Though the King of Clay made it to the quarterfinals in doubles with Carlos Alcaraz, the defeat in singles was the reason he decided to retire, as per Moya.

He had a problem the day before and played against Djokovic in the second round. I think that was his last great hope and that’s why he decided that it would be his last. 

Carlos Moya told Radioestadio Noche

Before the Davis Cup, Nadal will be playing at the Six Kings Slam, an exhibition event in Riyadh scheduled from October 16-19.