Novak Djokovic shuts down Rafael Nadal ‘brotherhood’ suggestion as he opens up on rivalry

Ewan West 30 Jul 2024 6:14 PM

Novak Djokovic hugs Rafael Nadal at a training session

Novak Djokovic admitted there is “no brotherhood at all” between him and Rafael Nadal as he discussed the pair’s rivalry following their match at the Paris Olympics.

The Serbian pointed to the fact it is difficult for players to be close to their rivals and expressed his wish for his relationship with Nadal to improve in the future.

Djokovic delivered a superb performance to earn a dominant 6-1, 6-4 triumph against Nadal in the second round of the 2024 Olympics in Paris on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

It was the 60th encounter between the legendary duo — a record in men’s tennis — in what has been one of the sport’s greatest ever rivalries. Djokovic holds a 31-29 edge, with their matches having taken place over an 18-year period from 2006 to 2024.

Djokovic and Nadal are the two players with the most men’s Grand Slam titles in tennis history. The Serbian won a record-extending 24th Slam at the 2023 US Open, while the Spaniard won his 22nd and most recent major (and title at any level) at the 2022 French Open.

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In a press conference with Serbian media after his victory over Nadal in Paris, Djokovic addressed his relationship with the 38-year-old Spaniard.

“No, there is no brotherhood at all. We are more rivals and colleagues. (translated from Serbian),” the 37-year-old explained.

“In our situation, it’s hard to be close. There’s a lot of classified information, at this level you can’t get too close to your rival.

“We have been sharing a part of our lives for a long time, the truth is that I would like our relationship to improve in the future. We are both very family-oriented and our life will change, maybe we can share more things.

“We are moving on, we will see if there will be more matches in big tournaments. He and I will choose competitions, I don’t know how he feels. No rivalry in tennis has 60 matches.

“Epic duels, the longest Grand Slam finals in history, we mostly play from the baseline. I wanted to be aggressive in this match, to make him move as much as possible, the challenge is big, confidence is necessary. I wish him all the best.”

Djokovic will face Dominik Koepfer in the third round of the Olympics on Wednesday as he continues his quest to win a maiden gold medal.