Respectful Novak Djokovic responds to Rafael Nadal over his controversial ‘intense’ snipes

Rafael Nadal appeared to fire some verbal daggers at Novak Djokovic when he suggested the Serbian was more motivated to claim the game’s ultimate records and now the world No 1 has served up a polite and cryptic response.

In an interview with Movistar+, 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 for a simple reason – within my possibilities, I have done everything to make things as good as possible,” Nadal explained to Juanma Castano when asked whether he was disappointed to lose the Grand Slam title race with Djokovic.

“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.”

Nadal clarified his comments in a subsequent interview, amid suggestions that his comments in his TV appearance were a little disparaging towards his great rival.

“I believe that numbers are numbers and statistics are statistics,” he stated.

“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.

“I think that with respect to titles, Djokovic is the best in history and there is nothing to discuss in that.”

Djokovic has been out of the tennis limelight since Nadal’s comments went public and in an interview with Serbian outlet Sportal, he made his feelings clear.

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“I’ve seen that his comments went viral, that many people spoke about it,” said Djokovic.

“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.”

Djokovic has been fighting a popularity battle with Nadal and Roger Federer throughout his career and often coming off second best and it was clear that he did not want to rattle that cage as he spoke about the two great rivals in his career.

“I have no intention of speaking in a negative light about him or Roger Federer – my respect towards them supersedes some negative opinions I might have,” he added, in what was a classy and measured comment.

“Again, that’s Rafa’s opinion and I, of course, don’t agree.

“I have my opinion, but I won’t share it as I don’t want us to go deeper into that. There is no need for that.”

You don’t have to peel too far under the surface to appreciate Djokovic was impressed by Nadal’s ‘intense’ comments thrown in his direction.

What has long been a tense and less than warm relationship between the two most successful male players in Grand Slam tennis history has now taken another turn.

While Federer and Nadal appear to have built up a friendship that will last beyond their retirement, Djokovic has always been the unwanted extra in this tennis soap opera that has gripped us for so long.

The final chapters of this tale will be written by Djokovic as he looks certain to end his career with the title of the greatest player of all-time next to his name.

That will be the ultimate satisfaction for the 24-time Grand Slam king.