Nadal on his rivalry with the Big Three: ‘You end up appreciating your rivals’

Rafael Nadal reflected in an interview on his competitive yet respectful rivalry with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, stating that he has grown to appreciate his rivals and is proud of the shared history.

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, 2025 | © Gepa / PsNewz

Cédric Rouquette

November 26, 2025

A little over a year ago, almost exactly one week apart, Rafael Nadal left the world of professional tennis after a defeat in the Davis Cup. Since then, the Spaniard was honored with a very moving tribute at Roland-Garros this year, the Grand Slam tournament he won 14 times.

Nadal has obviously been sought after by numerous media outlets since the end of his career, and he reflects on it through interviews. In the latest one, granted to Movistar+ this Tuesday on the show Universo Valdano, the Majorcan primarily discussed his rivalry with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, his two biggest rivals.

“The personal relationships have always been marked by respect, admiration, and even a certain friendship,” the Spaniard expressed. “You end up appreciating the people with whom you have lived and cohabited for so long. I end up appreciating my rivals, I appreciate what I have experienced with them, and I am happy to have been part of this history.”

Nadal : “We competed but…”

Roger Federer stopped his career in 2022, while Novak Djokovic is the last member of the Big Three to continue on the professional courts.

“We can go out to dinner together without any problem,” the Manacor native continued. “That is something we can be proud of. We competed at the highest level, for the most important things in our sport, with very strong rivalries, but we did not push them to the extreme.”

These remarks echo those made by Roger Federer a few days ago, who shared essentially the same idea: “I’m up for us sitting down together and talking about the good old days.”