Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and new Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner are slated to participate in an exhibition event in Saudi Arabia in October, the kingdom’s latest move into tennis.
Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune are the other players involved in what is being touted as the “6 Kings Slam” in Riyadh.
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All but Rune have won at least one Grand Slam title. Djokovic holds the men’s record with 24, followed by Nadal with 22. Alcaraz has two, and Sinner and Medvedev one apiece.
Nadal was recently announced as an ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation.
Rights groups say women continue to face discrimination in most aspects of family life in the kingdom, and homosexuality is a major taboo, as it is in most of the rest of the Middle East.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has worked to get himself out of international isolation since the 2018 killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. He also clearly wants to diversify Saudi Arabia’s economy and reduce its reliance on oil.
Novak Djokovic believes ‘pressure is a privilege’ after Simone Biles withdrew from two Olympic events this week due to concerns over her mental health.
Biles highlighted the importance of an athlete’s mental wellbeing in elite-level sport after pulling out of the first event in the women’s artistic gymnastics final on Tuesday.
The USA’s most-successful gymnast and a four-time Olympic champion has said she wants to focus on her mental health and admitted that she had doubts over her own ability to perform, which could also lead to a severe injury.
Djokovic, meanwhile, is attempting to become the first male tennis player to win all four Grand Slams and Olympic gold in the same year. Only Steffi Graf has achieved the Golden Slam in 1988.
When asked about Biles raising the issue of mental health in sport and the pressure he is currently facing as he attempts to win the Golden Slam, Djokovic replied: ‘Pressure is a privilege, my friend. Without pressure there is no professional sport.
‘If you are aiming to be at the top of the game you better start learning how to deal with pressure and how to cope with those moments – on the court but also off the court.
‘All that buzz and all that noise is the thing that, I can’t say I don’t see it or I don’t hear it, of course it’s there, but I’ve learned, I’ve developed the mechanism how to deal with it in such a way that it will not impose destruction to me. It will not wear me down.
‘I feel I have enough experience to know myself how to step on the court and play my best tennis.’
Djokovic, who turned professional in 2003, also admitted he struggled with pressure during the early stages of his career.
‘Of course. It’s normal,’ said the 34-year-old.
‘No one is born with those abilities. Those abilities come with time.’
Djokovic’s won bronze in singles at Beijing 2008 but missed out on a medal at both London 2012 and Rio 2016.
‘Rio was a very tough loss for me,’ said the Serb.
I came into Rio also a big favourite, winning four out of the last five Grand Slams and number one in the world so I know that feeling.
‘It’s a kind of similar feeling now, but I’m a more experienced player and I know what I need to do mentally, and how to work things around on and off the court in order to feel the best I possibly can.’
US gymnastics star Simone Biles and Serbian tennis world number one Novak Djokovic have been named AIPS Athletes of the Year for the 2023 edition.
This is the result of a poll by the AIPS, in which a panel of 405 journalists from 107 countries voted.
The decorated gymnast has had an unforgettable 2023 and came in first place with a total of 353 votes. Kenyan middle-distance runner Faith Kipyegon came second with 329 votes, while Spanish footballer Aitana Bonmati was third with 297 votes.
The Serbian star, who has established himself as one of the most prominent champions of all time in tennis and all sports, topped this year’s edition with a total of 616 points.
Swedish pole vaulter Armand Duplantis came second with 335 points, while Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi finished third with 277 points.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC admitted Rafael Nadal “p***ed me off” with his “intimidating” pre-match antics.
The pair are two of the greatest tennis players of all time and have enjoyed a pulsating rivalry stretching back to their first meeting in 2006.
Djokovic leads the head-to-head record 30-29, although Nadal won their last meeting in the French Open quarter-finals in 2022 on his way to winning his 14th title.
But it was at Roland Garros way back at the beginning of Djokovic’s career that he struggled to cope with the pressure of facing the Spaniard.
The Serb legend lost to the all-conquering King of Clay in Paris in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
And he vividly remembers what it was like preparing to step out on to court with his great rival – who is set to retire next year.
Djokovic told CBS 60 Minutes: “I’m playing Nadal in Roland Garros, and I have his locker next to my locker, right? So, we are so close.
“And we’re trying to give each other space. But then the locker room is also not that big and the way you jump around like Nadal does before we go out on the court…
“In the locker room, he’s doing sprints next to you. I can even hear the music he’s listening to, you know, in his headphones.
“So it’s p***ing me off.
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“Early in my career, I didn’t realise how all that is part of the scenario, right?
“So, I was getting intimidated by that. But it’s also motivating me to do stuff myself and to show that I’m ready. I’m ready for a battle, for a war.”
Djokovic certainly learned how to intimidate opponents and now boasts such an incredible aura that many players seem defeated before a point has been played.
It has led to unparalleled success on the court, racking up 98 career titles including a record 24 Grand Slams and now more than 400 weeks ranked as the world No1.
Djokovic won 27 of his 28 matches at majors in 2023, winning the Australian Open, French Open and US Open.
But he came up short against Carlos Alcaraz in the epic five-set Wimbledon final on Centre Court.
The Serbian’s fury boiled over when he smashed his racket into the net post after dropping his serve in the decider.
But Djokovic used the painful defeat at the All England Club as motivation for the North American swing – including success at the Cincinnati Masters and US Open before wrapping up a stunning year by landing the Paris Masters and ATP Finals.
He added: “Wimbledon pissed me off so much that I needed to win everything on American soil, which I did.”
Rafael Nadal recently conceded in an interview with the ATP Tour that he would not be able to match Novak Djokovic in the Grand Slam race. Djokovic is 2 ahead of Nadal, with 24 to his name and is likely to make it No.25 at least at the Australian Open 2024. But many of the Spaniard’s enthusiastic supporters believe that Nadal still has one Grand Slam win at least left in him before he quits the game probably by the end of next year or 2025 assuming that his body holds up by then.
Recently on X, there was a tweet put out presumably by a Rafael Nadal enthusiast which revealed an unheard-of anecdote about the Spanish legend. This wasn’t even mentioned by Nadal in his autobiography which he released nearly a decade ago. And it was about his experience watching the French Open for the first time back in 2004.
Apparently, Nadal did not even see the face of the center court at Roland Garros in Paris, named Phillippe-Chatrier before the 2004 edition of the competition. But he chose to watch some of the matches from the stands with his then manager, Tuts who was a Nike representative. As a player who was to turn 18 in June that year, it only took him one look at the court to correctly declare in private to Tuts that ‘I’m going to cause some trouble here!’ in the future.
In a classic case of self-prophecy coming true, the clay court specialist Rafael Nadal made the most of playing for the first time at the French Open in 2005 and won the tournament, coming into it as the 4th seed. Nadal had a tricky draw from the 3rd round onwards, having to beat two experienced Frenchmen back-to-back, i.e. Richard Gasquet and Sebastian Grosjean.
He backed up those victories by easing past fellow Spaniard and good friend, David Ferrer in the quarterfinals. The biggest win for Rafael Nadal was when he beat the World No.1, Roger Federer in 4 sets in the semifinals. But Rafa didn’t have it easy in the final either, having to bounce back after losing the first set to win against Mariano Puerta for his first-ever Grand Slam title.
Rafael Nadal having that level of self-awareness and belief in his abilities at that age, is quite a story. As a result, the unfortunate part was that in 2003 and 2004, the Spaniard could not participate in the French Open due to sustaining injuries at the 11th hour virtually. In 2003, Nadal fell while perhaps needlessly loitering around the net during training, which damaged his elbow severely. While in 2004, he was aiming to recover from the same foot injury that has caused him trouble many times over the years.
In both those years, the draw was so wide open that even Grand Slam champions such as Roger Federer, Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt, Marat Safin and Andy Roddick could not go the distance. As a result, Carlos Alcaraz’s current coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero won in 2003 while the now nearly-forgotten name from Argentina, Gaston Gaudio took home the title in 2004.
Now, it is well known too that Rafael Nadal made a name for himself first in the tennis world at the age of 16 in 2003, defeating his now coach, Carlos Moya in Hamburg back in 2003 on a clay court. So it is extremely likely that had Nadal played at Roland Garros in 2003 and 2004, he would have virtually had no challenger for 2 Grand Slam titles. Roger Federer was more of a grass court specialist who only won his first hard court Grand Slam in January 2004 and had no credentials as such to challenge for a clay championship.
Rafael Nadal 2024 tennis comeback update
It is no secret that Rafael Nadal has had to battle multiple injuries throughout his career. The fact that Nadal has played professional tennis for so many years and was at the top of his game despite all his challenges is a feat in itself which perhaps no player before him had done so or after him would do so.
With the Rafael Nadal 2024 tennis comeback news confirmed by the player himself recently, it has drawn many positive reactions from the tennis world, including Novak Djokovic. Despite not being ‘friends’ with each other and often trading barbs due to their difference of opinions, Novak Djokovic graciously said that it is great for the sport that Rafael Nadal would be making a comeback.
Djokovic expressed his desire to play Nadal in a men’s singles match at least one more time as the Spaniard could call it a day depending on how he can manage his injuries. The Serb also lauded the 22-time Grand Slam champion’s spirit and passion for the sport, claiming that it is admirable that the 14-time French Open champion manages to bounce back every time from injuries successfully.
A Novak Djokovic superfan has done a numerical comparison between the Big Three of Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer and there is a clear winner in terms of the greatest player of all time when it comes to the overall statistics.
@Yolitatennis has been keeping a spreadsheet for a couple of years now and the latest figures once again make for pretty reading if you are a Djokovic fan.
The Serbian won his 40th ATP Masters 1000 title on Sunday when he defeated Grigor Dimitrov in the final of the Paris Masters with the trophy also taking him to 97 career titles – just six behind Federer and 12 adrift of Jimmy Connors’ overall Open Era record of 109.
But Djokovic’s latest singles title moved him to 70 “Big Titles” (Grand Slams, ATP Finals and ATP Masters 1000), well clear of his two rivals as Nadal is on 58 titles and Federer on 54.
Their tallies are broken down as follows:
Novak Djokovic Big Titles
24 – Grand Slams
6 – ATP Finals
40 – ATP Masters 1000
Rafael Nadal Big Titles
22 – Grand Slams
0 – ATP Finals
36 – ATP Masters 1000
Roger Federer Big Titles
20 – Grand Slams
6 – ATP Finals
28 – ATP Masters 1000
With his win today, Novak only needs to win one RR match in Turin to guarantee the YE#1 ranking for a record 8th time and 406 weeks as #1.
It is *almost* guaranteed, but not quite.
Here is my table updated: 40 masters, 70 big titles.
Total ranking points earned are also taken into consideration and it is adjusted to the current format as before 2009 a different system was used. Djokovic started his 398th week at No 1 on Monday and his total ranking points are 166,864 with Federer second in this particular category with 164,384 and Nadal with 148,997.
Other categories include Win-Loss Percentage with Djokovic on 83.68%, Nadal on 82.92% and Federer on 81.98% for “general wins” and Big Five Wins (Djokovic on 57 against Big Three, Nadal on 53 and Federer on 39).
Djokovic also leads the Streaks classification for Big Titles (Grand Slams, ATP Finals, ATP Masters, Big Titles, Weeks at No 1) and Other Achievements.
The Other Achievement list includes the Career Grand Slam with Djokovic achieving the feat three times, Nadal twice and Federer once. Djokovic is the only player with a Career Masters as he has won all nine ATP Masters 1000 titles twice over the course of his career with his two rivals on zero. Djokovic has also twice done the “Big Titles Sweep”.
However, Nadal leads the way with the most Olympic medals as he has two gold medals to his name (one in singles and one in doubles) while Federer has one gold medal in doubles and Djokovic has one bronze medal in singles.
There is one clear winner for numerical comparisons and it is Djokovic.
Novak Djokovic makes more than enough talking points on the court, but he has also mastered the art of making even more in his media briefings.
Djokovic eased past Grigor Dimitrov to claim a record-extending seventh Paris Masters title on Sunday.
After needing three sets to win each of his previous three matches, the world No 1 found the going more straightforward in the final as he saw off the Bulgarian 6-4, 6-3.
It was also the Serbian’s 40th Masters 1000 crown, another record, and his 97th on the ATP Tour.
After battling sickness all week to overcome a strong field and confirm his status as the undisputed No 1 in men’s tennis, Djokovic used his media appearances after the match to make some telling points.
While he did not mention his great rival Rafael Nadal directly, some of Djokovic’s comments in Paris were clearly referencing some contentious comments made by the Spaniard in his interview with Movistar+ in September.
Nadal claimed Djokovic wanted to secure the biggest records in tennis in a “more intense” way than he did and suggested that may be why he is set to finish his career with the most Grand Slam titles.
“I am not frustrated (to miss out on the Grand Slam record) for a simple reason – within my possibilities, I have done everything to make things as good as possible,” Nadal explained.
“Yes, you can live frustrated with 22 Grand Slams, for example, Novak lives it in a more intense way. For him, it would have been a greater frustration not to achieve it. Perhaps that is why he achieved it.
“I believe that numbers are numbers and statistics are statistics. In that sense, I think he has better numbers than mine and that is indisputable. I don’t have an ego big enough to try to disguise a reality.
“This is the truth. The rest are sensations that one or the other (player) may transmit to you, that you may like one or the other more.”
Those comments did not appear to be welcomed by Djokovic, who responded with the following remarks: “I’ve seen that his comments went viral, that many people spoke about it.
“Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, how he interprets someone else in a certain context etc. That’s all I can say.
“Rafa is a great champion and I respect and appreciate him as such – as a great champion, my biggest rival and as a player who contributed to shaping my game and to the results I’ve accomplished.”
Now he has expanded on those words, as he insisted he is not trying to hide his desire to cement his legacy as the greatest player of all time, as he suggested others “pretend” not to be motivated by the record books.
“I’m going for all possible records, all that I can break. I’ve never had a problem saying that and that’s why people don’t like me,” said Djokovic in Paris.
“I didn’t pretend like some people.. to say that it’s not my goal, and then to behave differently after. I always tried to be in line with what I believe.”
Djokovic is now eyeing up one of the greatest records in tennis, with his win at the Paris Masters bringing him to within 12 titles of Jimmy Conners, who holds the all-time record with 109.
“As far as the record for the number of ATP tournaments won is concerned, everything is possible,” he added.
“Why shouldn’t I try to break that record too? Now I have 12 less (than Connors) but I also have a few more years of successful tennis.
“I try to enjoy these moments that now mean and are worth double. When you consider the stage of my life & career that I am in and to win such a big tournament.
“Although it may seem like a routine to people, every win at the Masters & Grand Slam levels really means so much to me.”
The Djokovic winning machine continues to roll and he is showing no sign of slowing down at the age of 36.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are clearly two of the best tennis players to ever walk the earth. But one thing they do not seem to do is go out to eat with each other very often. Maybe the tennis schedule or the level of competition they have had facing each other, but Novak Djokovic recently confirmed that he and Nadal are not friends.
This doesn’t mean they actively dislike each other, of course. And to be fair, they don’t have to be friends. But likely many of us would think it would be fun if Djokovic and Nadal were buddies and having a few drinks at a bar somewhere swapping stories about winning tournaments and the secrets to their trade that mere mortals would never understand.
While Rafael Nadal is only about one year older than Novak Djokovic – nearly exactly one year older, Nadal began playing on the ATP tour (2003) a couple of years before the Serb (2005) and this seems to have made a bit of a difference. Nadal was more quickly a rival of Roger Federer than Djokovic was, and Nadal versus Federer was more of an entrenched part of our collective tennis fan psyche than Djokovic versus anyone else.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal aren’t friends, but maybe one day they will be
By the time Novak Djokovic won his first Grand Slam (2008 Australian Open), Nadal had already been to five major finals and won three of them. Nadal was just a little bit ahead of Djokovic and this probably made it more difficult for them to get to know one another.
Recently, Nadal has also said some disparaging things about Djokovic, even if Nadal didn’t mean to be disrespectful. Nadal implied that Djokovic was somewhat blinded by his seeming need to win the most Grand Slams and that maybe the strive to be the best ever meant that Djokovic was lacking something personally. I am not sure if that is what Nadal meant, but one could certainly take that away from what he said.
But now Nadal and Novak Djokovic are likely both close to the ends of their careers, Nadal more than Djokovic. But with so much time to reflect on their respective careers and look forward to what happens after competitive tennis is done, maybe the two greats could become friends.
That is what Novak Djokovic hopes anyway. He told French TV show ‘C a Vous”, “Yes, Rafa (Nadal) is a very special player for me, for my whole evolution as a player. We’re not really friends, but we respect each other. I hope that after our careers, we can have a drink on the beach, talk about life.”
Wouldn’t that be nice? If they do end up having a conversation on the beach somewhere, hopefully someone is recording the conversation. Because if they do, any wisdom dropped from Nadal or Djokovic will help the rest of the world become better tennis players.
Rafael Nadal believes there’s only one answer to the question of the greatest men’s tennis player of all time.
“I believe that numbers are numbers and statistics are statistics,” he said in an interview with Spanish newspaper AS (via ESPN.com). “In that sense, I think [Novak Djokovic] has better numbers than mine and that is indisputable.
“This is the truth. The rest are tastes, inspiration, sensations that one or the other may transmit to you, that you may like one or the other more. I think that, with respect to titles, Djokovic is the best in history and there is nothing to discuss about that.”
Djokovic broke Nadal’s all-time Grand Slam titles record at the French Open in June. He added a 24th major trophy when he beat Daniil Medvedev in straight sets in the U.S. Open final.
Arguing about the greatest ever in any sport is always a subjective exercise, but Djokovic has certainly built a compelling case.
The 36-year-old has excelled on multiple surfaces. Even at the French Open, which Nadal has historically dominated, his three titles are tied for the third-most in the Open era. He also boasts a winning record against both Nadal (30-29) and Roger Federer (27-23).
Considering the absurdly high level at which he continues to play, one can’t rule out Djokovic finally winning a calendar Grand Slam in 2024, either. He was ultimately one set away from pulling it off this year, with Carlos Alcaraz denying him in the Wimbledon final.
Should that ever happen, it might be the final word in tennis’ GOAT discourse.
Novak Djokovic defended his Beijing title in 2013, remaining perfect in the Chinese capital! The Serb defeated his great rival Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-4 in an hour and 27 minutes in the title clash, celebrating his first ATP trophy since Monte Carlo in April.
Novak secured his fourth title at this event from four trips to Beijing, maintaining a perfect score after debuting in 2009. Djokovic lifted his 38th ATP title and the fourth of the season, improving his impressive score in the ATP 500 finals to 10-0.
Novak and Rafa met for the 38th time, and the Serb celebrated his 16th victory, leading 12-8 in their hard-court duels and leveling the score in the finals to 9-9. It was Nadal’s first hard-court loss of the season. Novak won 18 points more than Rafa and made the difference in his service games.
The Serb served at 72%, dropping six points and offering the Spaniard no break chances. Nadal struggled on the second serve, losing serve once in each set and settling with a runner-up prize. Novak tamed his strokes nicely and welcomed over 20 unforced errors from Rafa.
Interestingly, Nadal led the shortest rallies up to four strokes and stayed in touch in the most advanced ones. However, Djokovic destroyed him in the mid-range exchanges, building a massive 27-7 lead and securing the victory in that segment.
Novak held in the encounter’s first game with a forehand crosscourt winner. Rafa played a couple of loose backhands in the second game and lost serve to fall 2-0 behind. Djokovic grabs the third game at love, moving 3-0 up after 11 minutes.
The Serb earned three game points with a drop shot winner in the fifth game and closed it with an ace for 4-1. Rafa landed a service winner in game six to remain within one break deficit, and Novak responded with a hold at love for 5-2.
Nadal prolonged the set with a hold in game eight, leaving Djokovic serving for the opener at 5-3. Novak created two set points with a forehand winner, firing another for 6-3 in 35 minutes.
Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal in the 2013 Beijing final.
Not stopping there, the Serb broke at the beginning of the second set after a superb defense and the Spaniard’s mistake.
Djokovic cemented the break with a hold at love in game two after an ace, doing everything right so far. On the other hand, Nadal hit a double fault in the third game, experiencing a break point. Novak sprayed it but earned the second with a backhand down the line winner.
Rafa saved it with a smash winner and closed the game with a service winner, remaining within one break deficit. Djokovic left those chances behind and fired an ace in the fourth game for 3-1. Nadal responded with a hold at love in game five after a service winner, hoping for some chances on the return.
Instead, Djokovic grabbed a 24-stroke exchange in game six after the rival’s backhand mistake, moving 4-2 ahead and closer to the finish line. In those moments, Nadal found the range behind the initial shot, clinching the seventh game at love with a service winner.
Novak fell 30-15 behind in the eighth game after a wayward backhand before taking the following three points, opening a 5-3 lead. Rafa served to stay in the match in game nine and landed a service winner to bring it home and extend the duel.
Djokovic served for the title at 5-4, forcing the rival’s mistake for three match points. Novak needed only one to emerge at the top, striking a service winner and celebrating his first title in over five months.
