I want to end my career with more titles but it’s not an obsession for me – Rafael Nadal on Grand Slam race with Novak Djokovic

Veteran Rafael Nadal wants to end his career with more Grand Slam titles than Novak Djokovic but revealed it’s not an obsession for him. Both Nadal and Djokovic are regarded as two of the best players in the history of the game and the cat-and-mouse race between them has always been intense.

Nadal currently leads the race with 22 Grand Slam titles whereas Djokovic has 21 Grand slam titles. The Spaniard won the Australian Open and French Open in 2022 to add to his titles tally whereas the Serbian won Wimbledon in 2022. However, Djokovic could not take part in the Australian Open and US Open due to his unvaccinated status.

Nadal and Djokovic last met each other in 2022 in the French Open quarterfinal in which the former won in four sets. The two have faced each other 59 times, including in all four major finals, with Djokovic leading 30–29 overall. Djokovic leads 15–13 in finals of all levels, while Nadal leads 11–7 at the majors.

“Of course, I would like to be the one who ends up with the biggest ones. Yes of course. I am a competitor, without a doubt, but for me, it has never been an obsession nor will it be. Well, it may be an illusion, but not an obsession at all,” Nadal said in an interview with MARCA.

“In the end, I always say the same thing and I can only thank life for everything it has made me live for so many years, not only as a tennis player but as a sports fan, because I have been able to experience many things that I would never have dreamed of when I was a kid,” he added.

Nadal added he is a more intense rivalry against Djokovic than Roger Federer.

“It is true that I am Federer’s first great rival so I understand that he sees it this way. Then, when Novak arrives, it’s true that Federer is still better than me but in later years I win more than Roger so I’ve also met Djokovic more times on court. In other words, I’ve been more of a rival to him than Roger,” he explained.

“In the end, I see it as something positive because it is true that between the three of us we have taken a lot away but I don’t think anyone would have reached 35 years of age or more while being that competitive without the other two. Federer, Djokovic and I have pushed ourselves to the limit, to improve, to always be wanting and wanting more,” he said.