"It's possible but I don't want to do it" - When Rafael Nadal was unwilling to compare Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic after ATP Finals loss
Rafael Nadal did not want to compare Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic after his defeat to the latter in the 2015 ATP Finals.
The Spaniard entered the tournament as the fifth seed. He topped his group with wins over second seed Andy Murray, fourth seed Stan Wawrinka and seventh seed David Ferrer.
In the semifinals, Nadal faced top seed Novak Djokovic and lost 6-3, 6-3. The Spaniard heaped praise on Djokovic after the match and claimed that all he could do was congratulate the Serb.
"He was better than me and he deserved to do what he did during the whole season. He played just fantastic. When somebody's doing like this, just the only thing I can do is congratulate him and just wish the best of luck for the next year," Nadal said.
The Spaniard was asked if it was possible to compare Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, given that he played both at their peak. Nadal replied that he did not want to do that even if it was possible.
"Yeah, it is possible but I don't want to do it. Thank you very much. Have a good Christmas and Happy New Year. See you next year," Nadal said.
Rafael Nadal has positive records against both Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer in Grand Slam finals
Rafael Nadal leads the Grand Slam final head-to-head against both Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.
The Spaniard faced Federer in nine Major finals, winning six. The two locked horns in a couple of Australian Open finals, with Nadal triumphing in 2009 and the Swiss coming out on top in 2017.
They faced each other in four French Open finals, and the King of Clay won on each occasion. Federer and Nadal faced each other in three Wimbledon finals, with the Swiss triumphing in 2006 and 2007 and the Spaniard winning in 2008. They never squared off in a US Open final.
Nadal and Djokovic played nine Grand Slam finals, with the former winning five of those and the latter four. The two faced one another in two Australian Open finals, including their thrilling clash in 2012. Djokovic won that match as well as the one in 2019.
They squared off in three French Open finals too, and Nadal won all of them. Djokovic won the only Wimbledon final between the two, which took place in 2011.
Nadal triumphed in two of the three US Open finals where he faced Djokovic, in 2010 and 2013. The Serb beat him in the 2011 title clash at Flushing Meadows.