Nadal shared his thoughts on the differences when facing Federer and Djokovic.

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - Rafael Nadal shared his experiences facing Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, and the Spanish tennis legend also commented on the skill level of his two rivals.

In an interview with the Spanish newspaper AS, Nadal said: "I will focus my shots on Federer's backhand until he stands still waiting for the next shot. Then I will switch to attacking his forehand."

Repeating this style of play mentally tires Federer out. I also have to put in a lot of mental effort to prolong these energy-dramatic rallies. That's the most viable option when facing Federer."

Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic at the time of the 2021 Laver Cup (Photo: ATP).

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Furthermore, Nadal also stated that his powerful topspin shots and high bounce give him a clear advantage over Federer on clay courts and an edge when facing the Swiss player on other surfaces.

Commenting on Djokovic, Nadal shared: "Djokovic is truly unpredictable, especially on hard courts in the later stages of his career. Gaining an advantage with two or three shots is impossible, so I need to be in perfect physical and mental condition. I tried to serve harder, but it didn't work."

According to Nadal, Djokovic's playing style makes tactical calculations unpredictable, forcing opponents to constantly adapt. This is something Nadal doesn't particularly "like" in the most intense matches.

Throughout his career, Nadal has beaten Federer 24 times in 40 encounters. The Spanish star defeated Federer 14-10 in finals, with Nadal winning 6 out of 9 Grand Slam finals.

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In their head-to-head matches against Djokovic, Nadal has won 29 out of 60 encounters, but he has a 15-13 record against the Serbian star in Grand Slam tournaments. Nole holds the record for 24 Grand Slam titles, while Nadal will retire in 2024 with 22 Grand Slam titles in his career.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/nadal-chia-se-ve-su-khac-biet-khi-doi-dau-federer-va-djokovic-20251230085944642.htm