Rafael Nadal has claimed that Novak Djokovic has not needed to evolve his game as much as him or Roger Federer because he has not suffered as many injuries.
The Spaniard believes his Serbian contemporary has developed his game due to the demands of his rivals rather than his physical issues and that this is “a difference.”
Nadal has withdrawn from the 2024 Australian Open, which will begin in Melbourne on Sunday January 14, due to a hip muscle injury that surfaced during his comeback at last week’s Brisbane International.
The 37-year-old was beaten by world No 55 Jordan Thompson at the ATP 250 tournament in Brisbane on Friday in a three-set quarter-final marathon lasting three hours and 24 minutes.
“Once I got to Melbourne I have had the chance to make an MRI and I have micro tear on a muscle, not in the same part where I had the injury and that’s good news,” Nadal explained.
“Right now I am not ready to compete at the maximum level of exigence in five sets matches. I’m flying back to Spain to see my doctor, get some treatment and rest.
In an interview with El Pais, Nadal discussed how the legendary trio have all reinvented themselves as players throughout their careers.
“We have all reinvented ourselves, that’s why there has been this intense rivalry: we always surprised each other,” the Mallorcan said.
“Djokovic as well, but with a difference compared to the two of us: he has evolved his game—champions always do—but he hasn’t needed to evolve it as much as we have.
“He hasn’t suffered as many injuries. The only thing that has demanded him to improve his game has been his rivals, not physical issues. That’s a difference.
“Federer doesn’t get injured much either, but he had a rival, which was me, who punished his only weakness. And I could do that because I was left-handed. If I had been right-handed, I couldn’t have punished it.”
Nadal also suggested his matches against Djokovic were less tactical than his clashes with Federer, which he compared to “chess.”
“He (Djokovic) has greatly enhanced his strengths but has not radically adapted his game. I had a very marked tactic to play against Federer; he knew what I would seek, and I knew he would try to defend himself. It was a chess game. And when you made a mistake, you knew it,” he added.
“With Djokovic, there isn’t that level of strategy in the matches. You have to play at a very high level for a long time to beat him; it’s different.”
