“He was such a bully from the first ball”: Querrey, Isner and Johnson reveal what made facing Nadal terrifying

Rafael Nadal’s retirement has pushed many former opponents to revisit what it truly meant to stand on the other side of the net, and the latest episode of the Nothing Major Podcast brought unusually candid reflections from Sam Querrey, John Isner, and Steve Johnson. The three agreed that Nadal’s intimidation wasn't limited to his physicality or his topspin, but came from an aura that overwhelmed any pre-match game plan. Isner summarized it bluntly: “He was such a bully from that first ball onward… he was just ridiculous.”

Querrey recalled that even in the years when Nadal didn't yet fully dominate on hard courts, his presence was enough to make experienced rivals feel pushed to their limit before the first rally. The feeling, he explained, was that no matter what level you brought to the match, Nadal would always find a way to impose his physical pattern.

Johnson reinforced that idea, admitting that preparing to face the 22-time Grand Slam champion was never enough: “You know exactly what you’re walking into, and you still have no idea what you’re walking into in a certain sense,” the former world No. 21 said. “You know what he's going to do, his idiosyncrasies, his rituals, all this stuff. And you get ready for it, and he still finds a way to just bully you around the court.”

The analysis went deeper when Isner attempted to explain why Nadal felt so different from Federer or Djokovic, even though they all shared a historic level. For him, the answer lies in the way Nadal transformed every point into an emotional battle, creating an environment where patience disappears. From his perspective, Nadal raised the competitive standard of modern tennis. “In my mind, I would put him as the greatest competitor in the history of sports. That's how highly I think of him.”

Beyond the physical superiority Nadal imposed, the three agreed that there was a psychological weight that was equal to or even more decisive. Johnson recalled when he had to face Nadal in the second round of the 2015 Madrid Open, against a Nadal who was the two-time defending champion (and had already reached four titles and two other finals at his home tournament).

“There was a severe fear I had of losing 0 and 0 in front of a big crowd and getting embarrassed. My whole goal that day was to not get embarrassed. And I know John had the under in games won for me,” Johnson mentioned. “Luckily I won the first game — calmed the nerves. Because if you go down 4-0, 5-0, lose the first set 6-0, panic starts to set in. There was a lot of fear in my eyes and not a lot in his. He wasn’t overly concerned with my slice that day.”

“Can I add something?” Isner responded, before sharing a funny insight about the match. “I don’t remember — as we all know, Stevie more often than not rocks a flat-out mustache. And his fear of losing 0 and 0 was real because he had the mustache going after he won his first match in Madrid. He was thinking: ‘I play Rafa on Centre Court. I can’t lose to him 0 and 0.’”

“Yeah. I trimmed it so I only had a uniform beard,” Johnson admitted with a smile. “But I was concerned. I was very concerned. First big match against these guys — I couldn’t be the guy who loses 0 and 0 with a cheesy mustache. And John is 100% right. And he wanted me to wear it and lose 0 and 0. Honestly—looking back, I wish that happened because it would be hilarious. Me losing like 3 and 3 was fine, but 0 and 0 would’ve been hilarious a decade later.”