Legendary tennis players Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal met after a long time. Not on the court yet, but on the plane during the flight to the United States.
“Great company on the road to the United States,” Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, captioned a photo with Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam winner.
“See you soon,” the Indian Wells Masters account wrote in the comments.
“Do you have an extra ticket? “This is a duo for the trip of our dreams,” responded the ATP press service.
Djokovic’s posting of a joint photo with Nadal went viral and caused a huge sensation in the tennis community. Still, many fans really want to see at least one more battle of legends on the court. Your expectations may come true.
Fans expect another meeting between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal on the court
Photo: Michael Dodge/Getty Images
Upon arrival in the US, Novak and Rafa will separate for a short time. Nadal will go to Las Vegas, where he will play Carlos Alcaraz in the Netflix Slam exhibition tournament on March 3. The match between Rafa and Carlos is the main event of the event, but overall it won’t be boring. Current American tennis stars Taylor Fritz and Francis Tiafoe, as well as past legends Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Jim Courier, will come to Las Vegas.
Nadal will then go to the Indian Wells Masters, where Djokovic will begin training at that time. Rafa is now the 652nd racket in the world, so the probability of her overtaking world ranking leader Novak in the early stages of the tournament is not that low.
Although in any case it is unlikely that great achievements will be expected from Nadal. The Spaniard returned to the court in January at a tournament in Brisbane, after missing a year due to injuries. He played three matches, after which he again suffered health problems and did not attend the Australian Open. Rafa is not yet ready for heavy loads. He made it clear by withdrawing from the Miami Masters, which is held immediately after Indian Wells. It looks like Nadal will end his career without winning the title in Miami with five losses in the final.
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Rafa’s main bet is on the clay phase of the season. Of course, the priority goes to the Spaniard at Roland Garros, who has conquered the King of Clay Court 14 times. It’s hard to believe in another victory for the injured 37-year-old Nadal in Paris, but in his case you don’t have to swear 100%.
At the same time, Djokovic enters the Sun Double tournament as one of the favorites. Novak won Indian Wells five times and Miami six. He faces a tough fight with Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz, although the latter has too often disappointed with the quality of his play after defeating Djokovic in the five-set Wimbledon 2023 final.
Novak is thirsty for revenge after losing to Sinner in the semifinals of the 2024 Australian Open. He rested in February and gained strength in the mountains of South Tyrol. Before this, the Serbian was last there in 2020, after which he had a powerful period and practically achieved a calendar “Slam” in the 2021 season.
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It is worth noting that Djokovic has not played in Indian Wells and Miami since 2019 due to coronavirus restrictions. He can now enter the United States without a vaccine, so all barriers have been removed for Novak. This is another added incentive. Last year, Djokovic returned after a break to the Cincinnati Masters and the US Open in New York, winning both tournaments, which are not the most convenient for him in his career.
Djokovic’s lead in the ATP rankings is not threatened because he is not defending points. Overall, Novak should take to the court without fear of losing his status as the world’s top racket and eager to disappoint the skeptics who had already written him off after his loss to Sinner in Melbourne.
Of course, it would be great if Djokovic faced Nadal in Indian Wells. Novak will become the absolute favorite and it is almost certain that he will not allow Rafa to equalize the score in head-to-head meetings (the Serbian currently leads 30-29). However, in a potential battle with Djokovic, Nadal will have special motivation. At the very least, he is capable of getting on Novak’s nerves even in his current state. Maybe win a set or at least force the Serb to a tiebreaker.
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It’s good that Djokovic posted a friendly photo with Nadal during the flight. This will ease some of the tension between the players, as Rafa and Novak exchanged veiled verbal attacks late last year. Recently, Nadal still recognized Djokovic as the best tennis player without reservation, but then his uncle Tony gave a scandalous interview, wishing that the Serbian would be injured before the Paris Olympics. Novak did not pay attention to Toni Nadal’s statements and did not hold any grudge against his nephew, acting in a balanced and prudent manner.
March will be very interesting for tennis fans. Big victories are expected from Novak and Rafa, simply by returning to the court. If the Spaniard also shows a solid result at Indian Wells, conversations about his ability to win the Slam at Roland Garros will resume. Overall, Nadal’s return is definitely a positive and intriguing moment for the entire tennis community.
