Novak Djokovic has laid out his conditions for one last match against Rafael Nadal after sharing his wish to face his old rival again. The Spaniard recently announced that he would be able to return to competition in 2024 though he is yet to give a concrete date or tournament. Although Djokovic wants to renew their rivalry, he is hoping that they won’t meet at the French Open given Nadal’s record at the tournament.
Djokovic was one of the first players to welcome the news that Nadal would be able to make a comeback. The 37-year-old has been sidelined since January and shut down his season in May after he failed to recover from a psoas injury, announcing that 2024 could be his last year on tour. He has since undergone arthroscopic hip surgery and will be back next year.
The world No 1 later said it was “amazing news” for the sport that Nadal would return, adding: “I think it would be nice for the sport to have at least one more match between Nadal and me.” But there’s a catch to Djokovic’s wish, as he would rather not face the 22-time Grand Slam champion on his hunting ground.
“I think a lot of people would like it to be at Roland Garros. Why not? Although if you give me a choice I would say anywhere else,” Djokovic told Marca, discussing their potential final showdown. Nadal is a 14-time champion at the French Open, losing just three matches at the tournament in his whole career.
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It therefore comes as no surprise that Djokovic would rather play him elsewhere, though the 36-year-old is just hoping to face his old rival before it’s too late. He continued: “Roland Garros wouldn’t be bad, but Nadal is the player who has won there the most times in the history of the tournament.
“I think anywhere would be amazing for us and for the tennis world. It would be kind of like a last dance. I don’t know how many more times we’ll have the chance to play each other or if we’re going to play each other. I hope we do because that’s what everybody wants and I do too.”
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Nadal announced his plans to return during an appearance at the Clinica del Tenis last week. “I sincerely believe that I will return to play,” Nadal told Marca. “I can’t say at what level I’ll be able to return, but I’ve never lost the desire to play and now it seems that things are going in the right direction.”
The Spaniard also singled out his old rival, admitting that he wouldn’t be able to catch Djokovic’s Grand Slam record when he returned. The world No 1 became the first player in the Open Era to reach 24 Majors this year and Nadal said: “I know it will be difficult to return to a very high level of tennis, but if I didn’t have the desire to be competitive again I wouldn’t have done the work I’ve done these months. I’m not going to win more Grand Slams than Novak Djokovic, but I’m going to have the opportunity to enjoy myself again.”
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