Australian
former doubles world No. 1 Paul McNamee shared his opinion on
Rafael Nadal's
comments regarding
Novak Djokovic. The Spanish tennis star stirred controversy
when asked about his arch-rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, highlighting
the differences in their respective careers.
Nadal
emphasized that all three players have reinvented themselves throughout their
careers, contributing to the intense rivalry among them. However, he pointed
out that he and Federer had to undergo more significant reinvention due to
their physical challenges, while 'Nole' has not had to contend with major
injuries. Nadal stated, "We have all been reinventing ourselves. That is
why there has been this intense rivalry: we always surprised each other.
Djokovic too, but he with a difference compared to the two of us (and he has a
brutal merit of his own)."
"He
has evolved his game - all champions do - but he has not had the need to evolve
it as much as we have. He hasn't suffered that many injuries. The only thing
that has required him to improve his game has been his rivals, not his physical
problems. It's a difference," he added.
Speaking
about the rivalries with each, Nadal placed Federer in a higher position as his
rival: "As far as I can remember, he is the player who has impressed me
the most, the one who has entertained me the most, the one who has excited me
the most. I have been more excited to see Federer play than Djokovic, and in
the end, tennis is emotion, emotion is what draws you to it," he said.
Paul
McNamee expressed his surprise on social media regarding Nadal's comments and
mentioned that he is "desperate" to have a new match against
Djokovic: "Of course the media and the fans of Rafa & Novak are the
target of the controversy around Rafa who, surprisingly in my opinion,
continues talking about Novak, who continues to take the high ground. They’re
desperately hoping they face off again, with French Open the most likely,"
he posted on X (formerly Twitter).