15 June 2024 , 08:00
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Tennis heavyweights Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have had as many battles away from the court as they have on it.
Over the past 15 years, the pair have been huge rivals. At times, there have been some fierce exchanges with each other over the net and the press conference microphones.
Djokovic's 2024 schedule has become uncertain after a nasty knee injury at the French Open threw his summer into uncertainty. The Serbian player had to pull out of Roland Garros before his French Open quarter-final match with Casper Ruud due to a torn medial meniscus in his right knee.
This has led to fans digging up old comments made by Nadal's uncle, Toni, who once joked about wishing injuries on his nephew's competitors.
"Now, what we need is, we need an injury of Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and maybe Daniil Medvedev," Nadal Sr told the Majorca Daily Bulletin earlier this year, via Daily Express. "We need that many. . .a lot of problems and then Rafa can play really good."
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While clearly meant as a joke - and even a compliment to his nephew's rivals - some viewed the comment as insensitive. These remarks have resurfaced following Djokovic's recent injury.
The Serbian endured numerous physical battles at Roland Garros, including five-set marathon battles against Lorenzo Musetti and Francisco Cerundolo. After missing out on the Australian Open title, Djokovic could be staring down a year devoid of grand slam glory for the first time since 2017 if his recovery doesn't go to plan.
Toni Nadal's comments may have gone down like a lead balloon (Getty Images)His recent surgery means he is now facing a race against time to be fit for Wimbledon and the Olympics, the latter of which he has never won a medal in.
The joke made by a member of Nadal's family might have raised eyebrows, but it's unlikely to have ruffled feathers between Djokovic and Rafa. However, Djokovic might think twice before getting too friendly with Toni - who coached Nadal from 1990 until 2017.
Bogdan Obradovic, the former head of Serbia's Davis Cup team and Djokovic's one-time coach, downplayed the incident in a chat with Catalan newspaper Sport. He said: "We've always been friends with Nadal and his team.
Djokovic's knee injury means he is a doubt for Wimbledon and the Olympics (Getty Images)"I don't know if it was taken out of context if he wanted to be funny and missed everything. I look at Toni as our friend, I don't believe he meant any harm."
Team Nadal will be crossing their fingers that Djokovic shares Obradovic's laid-back reaction to the comments. But after the blow of another knee injury, keeping cool might be easier said than done for Djokovic.
Djokovic swiftly went under the knife for a knee operation, aiming to be match-fit for Wimbledon's start on July 1. Yet, it wouldn't be surprising if the world No.3 harboured some annoyance towards Nadal Sr given his earlier predictions.
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