"I wouldn't be playing if I thought it was impossible": Djokovic responds to questions about Nadal being imperious on clay

ATP
Monday, 06 March 2023 at 05:30
nadal djokovic rome 2021
Novak Djokovic has expressed his desire to play Rafael Nadal on clay again.
Nadal and Djokovic have faced each other 10 times at the French Open, with eight wins for the Spanish player and two for the Serbian. This is the tournament that has seen the most matches between the two all-time Grand Slam winners. In total, the rivalry between both players has had 59 encounters, the highest record in tennis history, with Nole leading 30-29 so far.
Djokovic will likely not be able to play in the Sunshine Double due to his request to enter the United States being denied, so he would return in Monte Carlo to start playing on clay. Meanwhile, Nadal is recovering from an injury and is also expected to appear in clay tournaments, although the Spaniard was cautious in announcing which tournaments, he will be able to play. The Serbian player anticipated that he hopes to play against Nadal on clay again.
“If it's not a possibility, my friend, I wouldn't be playing tennis.", said Djokovic.
He also added that he still hopes to play in the USA, but in case he is not allowed, he will take some time to prepare for the next tournaments.
“I'm still waiting for the news from America. If there's no America, I guess I'll play clay. Monte-Carlo is probably the next tournament. If that's the case, I'll take some time off, I'll prepare. Clay, as we've said, is the most demanding surface. It takes time more than any other surface to prepare for.”, said the world No. 1.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion said he is calm and ready to face the upcoming challenges on the calendar.
“Look, the year is long. I started off the year in a best possible way, winning many matches in a row, winning Australian Open. That's the one that I looked for the most. That was the priority in this part of the year. Of course, any other tournament win is a bonus. I will always give everything I possibly can to play my best tennis in every tournament. Yeah, look forward to the next challenge”.

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