"Don't know whether I'll be moved to tears by Novak Djokovic" - When Rafael Nadal opened up about being touched by Roger Federer's Roland Garros win
Rafael Nadal once spoke about how Roger Federer winning Roland Garros affected him. At the time, the Spaniard indicated he might not have a similar reaction to Novak Djokovic clinching the trophy.
Federer won his first and only title at Roland Garros in 2009. Nadal was the four-time defending champion at the tournament and had beaten his Swiss counterpart in the previous three finals. However, the Spaniard suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of Robin Soderling in the fourth round that year—his first of only four losses at the tournament.
As it happened, Soderling progressed to the title clash, where he was crushed by Roger Federer in straight sets. The Swiss, who completed the Career Grand Slam with the win, was moved to tears while accepting the trophy.
In a June 2014 interview with El Pais, Rafael Nadal was asked to elaborate on the emotions he felt while watching his rival triumph in Paris.
"I was moved," the Spaniard said about Roger Federer.
However, when asked whether he would feel similarly about Novak Djokovic winning the title, the 14-time Roland Garros champion said:
"I don’t know whether I will be moved to tears by Djokovic."
Nadal, who had defeated the Serb in the 2014 final just a day before the interview, added:
"It will depend on the situation, the feelings and the emotions of the moment. That kind of thing cannot be predicted. Either it happens or it doesn’t."
"It doesn't take a lot to make me cry" – Rafael Nadal on his reaction to rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic's results
In response to the aforementioned question about his potential reaction to Novak Djokovic’s triumph, Rafael Nadal also said:
"As the years go by you see things a bit differently. It doesn’t take a lot to make me cry. I often cry at the movies, sometimes with videos, and with things that move me about sports."
The Spaniard, who famously cried during Roger Federer’s retirement in 2022, also highlighted his bond with the 20-time Grand Slam champion, which triggered an emotional reaction after the 2009 French Open.
"I have a good relationship with Federer. I am one of those people who believes that when you work towards something and you deserve it, the logical thing is for you to eventually achieve it," he said in 2014.
While Djokovic had yet to win a title at Roland Garros in 2014, the Serb finally got his hands on the trophy in 2016. He repeated the feat in 2021 and 2023. He is also the only player to beat Rafael Nadal at least twice on Parisian clay (2015, 2021, and the 2024 Paris Olympics).