"Classy and correct": Novak Djokovic's response disagreeing with Rafael Nadal's Grand Slam comments earns praise

Tennis News
Wednesday, 11 October 2023 at 11:00
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Novak Djokovic's response to Rafael Nadal's controversial comments about Grand Slam titles has earned praise from the likes of Paul McNamee.
The Serb has had another dominant season this year, winning three out of four majors. In the process, he surpassed Nadal's men's singles record of 22 Grand Slam titles before equaling Margaret Court's record of 24 with his victory at the US Open last month. In a recent interview with Movistar+, the Spaniard, who has been absent for a majority of this season due to injury, said that he was content with not reaching the overall record and that Djokovic would have been more frustrated if he had not achieved the incredible feat. 
"I’m not frustrated for a simple reason – within my possibilities, I’ve done all I can to make things happen for me. I think Novak feels more intensely [about] this than I do. Had he not achieved it, it may have been a bigger frustration for him," he said.

Djokovic responds with "classy" disagreement

However, Djokovic has since responded to these comments, stressing the fact that while he disagrees, everyone is entitled to their opinions and he has a lot of respect for his longtime sporting rival. "I saw that it went quite viral, that people were talking about it. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and how they interpret someone else in that context. That's all I can say.
"Rafa is a great champion, I greatly appreciate and respect him as a champion, as my biggest rival, as a man and a tennis player who has largely participated in shaping my game and the results I have achieved. "I have no intention in any way to talk in a negative context about him or Roger Federer because my respect outweighs perhaps some negative opinions about them. That is his opinion, with which I, of course, do not agree. I have my opinion, but I won't share it because I don't want to deepen the topic. There is no need for that at all," he said in a recent interview with Sportal. 
The World No. 1 has gained praise for this response, especially from former doubles No. 1 McNamee, who took to social media to share his thoughts.
"Classy and correct response," he wrote on X.

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