‘I Don’t Agree, Of Course’

Novak Djokovic wants to take the high road.

After Rafael Nadal raised some eyebrows last month by saying that the Serb would have been “frustrated” had he not finished first in the GOAT race, Djokovic responded.

“I’ve seen that his comments went viral, that many people spoke about it,” Djokovic said in an interview with Sportal via Tennismajors.com. “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 results I’ve accomplished.”

He added: “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. 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.”

Speaking with Spanish TV station Movistar+, Nadal said last month: “I’m not frustrated for a simple reason – within my possibilities, I’ve done all I can to make things happen for me.

“I think Novak feels more intensely [about] this than I do. Had he not achieved it, it may have been a bigger frustration for him. Maybe that is why he did it. I think he has had the ability to take ambition to the maximum. I think I’ve been ambitious too but a bit healthier, which allowed me to see things in a different way.”

In a separate interview with AS, Nadal later said, ““I believe that numbers are numbers and statistics are statistics. In that sense, I think [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, 36, continued to solidify his GOAT status by winning a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title last month at the U.S. Open. He became the oldest man to win the title and tied Margaret Court for the most in men’s or women’s tennis.

Nadal, 37, remains at 22 majors as he eyes a comeback in 2024 following hip surgery earlier this year. Roger Federer, who retired last year, is third among men with 20 Slam titles.