By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Thursday, January 9, 2025
Picture credit score: Corleve/Mark Peterson
Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic has seen all of it in his storied profession.
Few sights have crashed the Serbian famous person’s aggressive psyche fairly just like the Bull rush reverberating all through the locker room.
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In a brand new GQ cowl story Q&A, Djokovic reveals one man “surely” is his most intimidating opponent.
Rafael Nadal.
Twenty-four time Grand Slam champion Djokovic stated Nadal was infamous for unleashing intimidating physicality within the locker room earlier than the match even started.
“Nadal was essentially the most intimidating, surely,” Djokovic instructed GQ’s Daniel Riley. “Roger additionally had an enormous aura, after all. And earlier than you performed in opposition to him, you felt it. However he did it with extra grace, I suppose.
“I imply Nadal, as a result of all of us share locker rooms, so that you see the gamers warming up and so forth. Earlier than enjoying in opposition to him, you already felt it… He needs to make his presence felt. You already know? Bodily.”
Collectively, Djokovic and Nadal created essentially the most prolific rivalry in ATP historical past assembly 60 occasions. Djokovic holds a 31 to 29 edge over Nadal of their head-to-head historical past, however says the person from Mallorca despatched a pre-match message of depth each time they performed.
“[Nadal is showing] I am leaping. I am prepared for a battle,” Djokovic stated. “I’ll be bodily with you from the start. From the primary second, you are going to hear my grunts. That is very intimidating for lots of gamers.”
The proprietor of 99 profession titles, Djokovic dominated their hard-court head-to-head conferences over the past half of their careers. Djokovic gained 9 straight matches and 19-set consecutive units vs. Nadal on arduous courts after dropping to the left-hander on the 2013 US Open.
The 37-year-old Djokovic, who owns a 27-23 lifetime file in opposition to Roger Federer, stated initially he felt the long-lasting champions shunned him a bit as a result of he was so candid about his Grand Slam targets.
Conceding his relationship with is fellow Huge 3 champions has been “up and down,” Djokovic, now coached by former rival Andy Murray, says he desires of sooner or later sitting down for drinks with Nadal and Federer and opening up with one another truthfully on their rivalry.
“It is type of a relationship with ups and downs, to be sincere. I all the time attempt to be respectful and pleasant with them off the court docket,” Djokovic instructed GQ. “However at first I did not have that acceptance, as a result of I entered the court docket saying and displaying that I used to be assured that I wished to win. And I do not suppose they preferred that very a lot at first.
“I might wish to have a drink or two with them and discuss overtly in regards to the issues that hassle them about me. Or vice versa, no matter.
“For instance all of it. And I believe I might like to study from them and perceive what they had been fascinated about, how they dealt with sure conditions on the court docket, how they carried the strain of the world after they had been on the high.”
