Djokovic: I can t be friends with Nadal

"Nadal is only one year older than me, we are both Gemini ", Djokovic told Corriere Della Sera on October 12. "At first we even had dinner together, twice. But both he and I knew, making friends was impossible. "

According to Djokovic, rivalry at the highest level prevented the two players from being friends, even when Nadal retired. "We have never been friends. With big opponents, that doesn't happen, but we have never been enemies, " Djokovic said about the former Spanish tennis player.

Djokovic beat Nadal 31-29 through 60 career encounters. But he lost 11 of 18 matches at the Grand Slam, including 5 finals. Djokovic overwhelmed Nadal on hard courts with a score of 20-7, while Nadal completely dominated on clay courts with a score of 20-9. On grass, they are tied after four meetings.

"I have always respected and admired Nadal a lot ", Djokovic added. "Thanks to him and Federer, I grew up and became the tennis player I am today. That will bond us forever, so I thank them. Nadal is part of my life, in the past 15 years I have met him more than my mother. "

The Serbian tennis player affirmed that he respects the talent and career of his rivals, but between them there can be no brotherhood. "I don't think at that level you can connect closely with anyone, " Djokovic continued. "I have always respected Federer, he is one of the greatest of all time. He has a huge influence, but I have never been close to him ".

Many readers on tennis forums refute Djokovic. They cited Nadal as still being close to Roger Federer, or Djokovic himself being close to Andy Murray.

Last week, Djokovic stopped in the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters after losing to Valentin Vacherot, in the match he was injured in the middle of the first set. The 24 Grand Slam owner will return at the Six Kings Slam tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this week. The performance event brought together 6 great tennis players, including Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, and Stefanos Tsitsipas. Djokovic is given a special berth in the semi-finals on October 16, meeting the winner of the Sinner - Tsitsipas pair.

The Six Kings Slam champion can receive up to 6 million USD in total prize money. At Six Kings Slam 2024, Djokovic defeated Nadal 6‑2, 7‑6(5) in the third place match. That was the last time they competed against each other in this sport.