“Tennis is only a game, relationships go beyond that,” – Rafael Nadal. To build a strong relationship, it’s very important to respect each other. Tennis legend Rafael Nadal has always tried to uphold the lessons he learned from his father during his childhood. His father, Sebastian always taught him to treat each other with “deep respect“ and he was the one who had a great influence in Nadal’s life. In a heartfelt piece titled, ‘The Gift’ on The Players’ Tribune, Nadal opened up about the “golden rules” that he learned from his parents, which later helped him build a strong camaraderie with his rival off the court.

In October, during an interview with DAZN, Rafael Nadal revealed, “With Roger, I have a special relationship, but with Novak too I have a good relationship. It’s the way you approach the sport because in the end, we understand, that’s all it is, a match. In life, we have more important things outside of tennis. At the end of the day, if you have a good relationship with your colleagues, those around you, with people in general, undoubtedly the experience will be happier.” Rafael Nadal was a fighter on the court, but still, he always had great respect for his rivals.

In his recent note, Rafael Nadal expressed his deep gratitude for his father Sebastian’s positive influence in his life. Reflecting more on that he added, “I hope my legacy is that I always tried to treat others with deep respect. This was the golden rule of my parents. When I was a child, my father always told me: ‘Inventing is hard, copying is much easier.’ He wasn’t talking about tennis. He was talking about life. Look around you and observe the people you admire. How they treat others. What you like about them. Act like them, and you will likely lead a happy life.“

The 38-year-old tennis star further added, “I carried that lesson with me into every match I played. I was not fueled by hatred of my rivals, but a deep respect and admiration. I just tried to wake up every morning and get better to keep up with them. It didn’t always work! But I tried… I always tried.“ What does his rivals say about him, though? On the court, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal shared one of the fiercest rivalries in the tennis world. However, off the court, their camaraderie has been equally inspiring.

Despite battling for supremacy over one another, these two shared a deep respect, often praising each other’s achievements and work ethic. We saw an example of this in Roger Federer‘s heartfelt note on Rafael Nadal’s retirement. He said, “You know what, Rafa, you made me enjoy the game even more…And I want you to know that your old friend is always cheering for you, and will be cheering just as loud for everything you do next.“ Even Novak Djokovic thanked Nadal for pushing him to the very limit during his playing days.

These are some of the moments that make rivalries look bigger and better! However, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen Djokovic showing his respect and admiration for the tennis greats. In 2023, during an interview with Sportal, he said, “I have no intention of speaking in a negative light about him (Rafa) or Roger Federer. My respect towards them exceeds some negative opinions I might have.” Together these three have won 294 titles in their careers so far and that includes 66 Grand Slam titles, but who’s Rafael Nadal‘s biggest rival, though?

Together the ‘Big 3’ have shared uncountable memorable moments on the court. Throughout the years we have seen their huge fan bases debating on who’s the best among the ‘Big 3’. However, all three of these players have always been a bit modest while making a comment on this rivalry. Previously, we heard Novak Djokovic say, “Rafa is a great champion and I respect him as such: my greatest rival who has helped shape my game and led me to achieve the results I have achieved.”

Then later on Rafael Nadal also named his greatest rival on the tennis court. Was it Djokovic, though? Well, during a previous interview with AS, Rafael Nadal was spotted hearing praise on the Serb for his incredible achievements throughout his career. Nadal highlighted, “He’s been the most injury-free, which allowed him to maintain his physical, mental, and tennis levels longer than anyone. That’s why he’s the best, and he’s earned it.“

However, talking about rivalries, Nadal added, “I’ve played Djokovic more than anyone else, but for me, my biggest rival was Federer.” Talking about his records against them, Rafael Nadal has a margin of 24-16 in his H2H record against Roger Federer. However, on the other hand, Nadal’s H2H against Novak Djokovic is 31-29 in the latter’s favor. What really made Nadal pick Federer ahead of Djokovic as his “biggest rival.“