"We know each other well" - Nadal on facing Djokovic

Rafael Nadal won a Roland Garros thriller against Felix Auger-Aliassime to set a blockbuster quarter-final showdown with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in Paris.

Nadal lost the first set in a match at Roland Garros for just the 11th time. However, the 13-time champion kept his composure and demonstrated his trademark winning mentality to advance after four hours and 23 minutes on a court he has had so much success on.

He said:

“He is a great player without a doubt. One of the best players in the world. He is very young and with a lot of power and mobility. For me, he was a very, very tough opponent today. He does a lot of things well and has been improving and I wish him the very best for the rest of the season. It is a very important victory for me without a doubt.”

On facing, Djokovic, Nadal added:

“We know each other well. We have a lot of history together. He came here after winning in Rome. For me, it was not an ideal situation to arrive here. But here we are. We are at Roland Garros, it is my favourite place without a doubt. The only thing I can tell you, I am going to be focused and try my best. The only thing I can guarantee is that I am going to fight until the end.”