Novak Djokovic breaks silence on Rafael Nadal revealing truth about their broken friendship and fierce rivalry

Novak Djokovic revealed he will never be friends with Rafael Nadal, despite immense respect, stating their intense rivalry made closeness impossible. He acknowledged Nadal and Roger Federer significantly shaped his career, fostering a unique bond through shared competition. Djokovic's comments followed a surprising Shanghai Masters exit to a low-ranked opponent.

Novak Djokovic breaks silence on Rafael Nadal revealing truth about their broken friendship and fierce rivalry (Image via Getty)

Novak Djokovic has opened up about his relationship with Rafael Nadal and it’s not what fans expected. The 38-year-old tennis legend said he will never be friends with Nadal, even though he has “great respect” for him. Djokovic, who has 24 Grand Slam titles, told Corriere della Sera that their rivalry made real friendship “impossible. ” He said that Nadal, 39, played a big role in shaping his career, but competing for the same goals kept them apart.

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic share respect but no friendship

Novak Djokovic said that while he and Rafael Nadal respect each other deeply, they were never able to be close off the court. “Nadal is only a year older than me. We are both Geminis. At first, we even went to dinner together twice. But even with him, friendship is impossible,” Djokovic told Corriere della Sera. He said he always admired Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, calling them two players who helped him become who he is today. “Thanks to Nadal and Federer, I grew up and became who I am. This will unite us forever,” Djokovic said. He added that he has spent more time seeing Nadal across the net than he has with his own mother over the past fifteen years. Novak Djokovic also mentioned his respect for Roger Federer, saying he had “an extraordinary impact” on tennis. But he admitted that he was never close to Federer either. “I’ve always had respect for Federer, but I’ve never been close to him,” Djokovic said. Their fierce on-court rivalry is one of the biggest in tennis history, with the two meeting 59 times since 2006. Novak Djokovic leads their head-to-head record with 30 wins to Nadal’s 29.

Novak Djokovic’s shock Shanghai Masters exit

Novak Djokovic’s comments came just after his surprising semi-final loss at the 2025 Shanghai Masters. He was beaten by world No. 204 Valentin Vacherot, who won 6-3, 6-4. Djokovic looked frustrated during the match and even threw a ball away in anger because of back pain. He was seen calling the physio several times during the game. Also Read: Meghan Markle And Prince Harry’s Secret New York Lunch With Serena Williams Sparks Wild Fan Buzz Vacherot, who came through qualifying, became the lowest-ranked player ever to reach a Masters 1000 final. Despite the defeat, Novak Djokovic praised the young player, showing his sportsmanship once again. After the match, Vacherot told Sky Sports,ˆ The loss shocked tennis fans worldwide. It was one of Novak Djokovic’s rare straight-set defeats in recent years. Still, even in defeat, the 24-time Grand Slam champion reminded everyone why he’s considered one of the greatest, humble in loss and honest in truth about his rivals.

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