No one doubts that the matches that face Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal or Novak Djokovic among them on a tennis court are the most vibrant for the spectator… but at the same time the most feared for the Big Three tennis players given the difficulty they sometimes have in beating their most direct opponents.
Toni Nadal, Rafa Nadal's uncle and coach until the end of the 2017 season, wanted to comment on this fact. In an interview with Eric Han on The Double Bagel Tennis Podcast 'Uncle Toni' revealed who would be an easier rival for Nadal between Federer and Djokovic. “I prefer not to play against Federer or Djokovic, I prefer to play against other players. But I do have to choose, I prefer a little more to play with Federer. Because with Federer I think you have a chance to win. “
Toni Nadal opts for the Swiss because he believes that Djokovic is a more difficult opponent to beat for Nadal. “Against Djokovic it's more difficult because he knows how to defend himself. You don't know exactly what to do. But there isn't a big difference either. “
The historical balance of Nadal's confrontations with Federer and Djokovic also reflects the feelings expressed by Toni Nadal. Nadal has clashed with the Swiss on 40 occasions with a record of 24 wins for Nadal to 16 for Federer, while in his 58 games against Djokovic, Nadal has won 28 games to 30 for the Serbian, the last of them in the Roland Garros semi-finals this year, while the balance in the confrontations between Djokovic and Federer is 27-23 in favor of the Serbian. A rivalry that continues to delight tennis fans while Federer, Nadal and Djokovic continue to grow their legends.