On Friday, Rafael Nadal attended the America Business Forum in Miami, where he was naturally asked about his greatest rivals, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Together, the trio is famously known as the ‘Big Three’, having won 66 of the 81 major titles held between the 2003 Wimbledon Championships and the 2023 US Open.
Roger Federer retired with 20 Grand Slam titles, while Nadal himself has claimed 22. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, is still active. However, since the start of 2024, Djokovic has faced multiple semifinal losses in the majors at the hands of rising stars Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
Nadal spoke about both of his rivals with the utmost respect and admiration, highlighting what makes each of them stand out. He said, “From a point of view of pure talent and inspiration. And Novak, obviously, with enormous talent, but with a work ethic and a winning mentality that is difficult to compare. They’re different personalities, different ways of approaching careers, but on different paths taken to the limit and to excellence.”
### Rafael Nadal Mentions Similarities Between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer
Nadal also shared the common traits between Djokovic and Federer. According to him, both players share “a great passion and a great love for the sport throughout their careers.” He emphasized that neither of them “stopped improving,” which in turn pushed Nadal himself to work harder to achieve success.
“Well, we had some great battles,” Nadal recalled. “Yes, the truth is that it was a time of maximum demand. In the end, the fact that there were three [of us] meant that there was very little margin.”
Federer was the first to retire, stepping away from professional tennis during the 2022 Laver Cup. That night was emotional at the O2 Arena, as Team World defeated Team Europe for the first time by a score of 13-8. While the loss itself wasn’t significant, Federer’s farewell marked a heartfelt moment that brought tears to Nadal’s eyes.
The Spaniard himself retired after representing Spain in the 2024 Davis Cup Finals. This year, the members of the ‘Big Three’ came together to celebrate Nadal’s retirement at Roland Garros.
In addition to the trio, the term ‘Big Four’ is often used to include Andy Murray, who was also a formidable rival to all three and a significant figure in men’s tennis during their era.
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