Rafael Nadal retired from tennis after Spain were knocked out of the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.
After winning 22 Grand Slam titles in his career, Nadal has called it quits with tennis after defeat at the Davis Cup Finals.
Nadal lost to Botic van de Zandschulp before Spain fell 2-1 to the Netherlands bringing an end to their Davis Cup campaign.
Nadal announced that the Davis Cup would be his final tournament earlier this year, having struggled with injuries throughout 2023 and 2024.
With fans coming to terms with Nadal’s retirement, two of his greatest ATP rivals have started to look back on his legendary career, choosing their favorite matches they played against him.
Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray pick their favorite Rafael Nadal matches
Following Nadal’s retirement, two of his greatest rivals, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray were asked to pick out their favorite match that they played against the Spaniard.
“We had plenty of great matches,” said Djokovic.
“The one that comes to my mind right now, it’s the finals of Miami, in 2011.
“I think we went the distance, 7-6 in the third set.
“It was not the only match that went the distance.”
Djokovic beat Nadal 4-6, 6-3, 7-6, to complete the Sunshine Double in Miami having won against the Spaniard a fortnight before at Indian Wells.
Another of Nadal’s biggest rivals, Murray, recalled a tough defeat to the 22-time Major champion.
“I remember playing him very early on at the Australian Open when I think I was 19, he would’ve been 20,” he said.
“I lost that match in five sets.
“I think he was ranked number two in the world at the time, definitely one that I remember well.”
The pair went on to praise Nadal for the impact he had on tennis as whole.
“He’s someone that we could all just learn from, just by watching on the match court, on the practice court, and the way that he’s gone about his career,” said Murray.
“All of the players have been able to learn, just by watching.”
Djokovic gave similar praise to the Spaniard.
“The energy that he brought to the courts, from the first match to the very last match, is something that people recognize, that people will remember for a long time,” he said.
Did Rafael Nadal have the better of Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray?
Throughout their careers, Nadal, Djokovic, and Murray came up against one another numerous times, in some of the greatest matches in the history of the sport.
But did the now former-tennis player, Nadal, get the better of those exchanges?
Novak Djokovic 31-29 Rafael Nadal
The Serb ever so slightly edges out the Spaniard over 60 career meetings, their last of which coming at the Paris Olympics earlier this year, which Djokovic won.
Nadal’s record at the Grand Slam level is slightly more favourable however, as he leads that head-to-head 11-7.
Rafael Nadal 17-7 Andy Murray
Whilst he narrowly lost out in the head-to-head against Djokovic, Nadal had no such trouble against Murray, winning 17 of their 24 matches.
The pair surprisingly never met in the final of a Grand Slam, but Nadal led 7-2 at Majors overall.
The 38-year-old certainly had his fair share of legendary matches against both Djokovic and Murray, enough for fans to look back upon, as he hangs up his racket for good.
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