Nadal's uncle: 'It's hard for my nephew to catch up with Djokovic'

Toni revealed that Rafael Nadal is recovering well after more than eight months off the field, but will find it difficult to catch up with Novak Djokovic in the future.

"Rafa is doing well after surgery, his recovery is on track," Toni Nadal told El Desmarque on September 11. "If everything goes well, he wants to return to play at the Australian Open next year."

Nadal hasn't played since the 2023 Australian Open, where he was eliminated in the second round by Mackenzie McDonald. The Spaniard had hip surgery in June and is unlikely to return for the rest of the season. Nadal said a few months ago that 2024 would be his last season.

Nadal injured at Australian Open 2023. Photo: AP

Since Nadal last played, Novak Djokovic has won three more Grand Slams at the Australian Open, Roland Garros and the 2023 US Open. Nadal has gone from holding a record 22 Grand Slams to being overtaken by his Serbian rival in the race for major titles. Nole now has 24 Grand Slams, two more than Nadal.

"Djokovic is a great champion and it will be very difficult to catch up with him, not only for my nephew but for anyone," said Toni, who coached Nadal from the beginning of his career until 2017. "It is very difficult to determine who is the best in history. You have to choose Djokovic, because the statistics of the titles support him."

Last week, when Djokovic was playing in the US Open, Toni said the Serb was partly benefiting because players today are not as good as the stars of a decade ago, and that tennis was more competitive 10 years ago than it is now. But after Nole defeated Daniil Medvedev in the US Open final, Nadal's uncle had a different view of Djokovic.

"Although I think Roger Federer can sometimes play at a higher level, Djokovic is definitely the best if you look at the numbers," the 62-year-old strategist concluded.

Djokovic 3-0 Medvedev — The 2023 US Open final on September 10.

A few days ago, Spanish Davis Cup captain David Ferrer said that Nadal could return in November if the team qualified for the finals of the prestigious team tournament. But according to Toni Nadal, this possibility is unlikely.

In the updated ATP rankings this week, Nadal was knocked out of the top 200 for the first time in 20 years. He dropped to 239th in the world , down 100 places from before the US Open. The "King of Clay" has only 255 ATP points and will continue to be deducted 210 points for the rest of the year.

Vy Anh

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