"Rafael Nadal is doing sprints next to you... It's pissing me off" - Novak Djokovic on being intimidated by the Spaniard at French Open
Novak Djokovic has made an honest admission about being "intimidated" by arch-rival Rafael Nadal at the outset of his career.
Djokovic and Nadal have established one of the greatest rivalries in the sport. Their history of pushing each other to their limits on the court is reflected in their closely contested head-to-head record, with the Serb holding a slim 30-29 lead.
However, when the 24-time Grand Slam champion was breaking out on the tennis scene, the Spaniard and Roger Federer reigned supreme, causing him to feel a sense of pressure when facing them in big matches.
During a recent interview with tennis journalist Jon Wertheim on 60 Minutes, Djokovic recounted his experience of sharing a locker room with Nadal at the French Open. The World No. 1 disclosed that the proximity to the 14-time Roland Garros champion during his pre-match warm-up routine would 'piss him off.'
"I'm playing Nadal in Roland Garros, and I have his locker next to my locker, right? So, we are so close. And we're tryin' to give each other space. But then the locker room is also not that big," he said.
"And, the way you jump around like Nadal does before we go out on the court. In the locker room, he's doing sprints next to you. I can even hear the music he's listening to, you know, in his headphones. So, you know, it's pissing me off," Djokovic added.
The Serb acknowledged that the competition between them started long before they even stepped out onto the court. Despite initially feeling "intimidated" by it early in his career, he eventually found motivation in this dynamic.
"Absolutely. Early in my career, I didn't realize how all that's part of the scenario, right? So, I was getting intimidated by that. But it's also motivating me to do stuff myself and to show that I'm ready, you know? I'm ready for a battle, for a war," he said.
A brief look at Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic's head-to-head record at the French Open
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have locked horns 10 times at the French Open, with the Spaniard emerging victorious on eight occasions. The 37-year-old has only ever lost three matches at Roland Garros, with two of those defeats coming against Djokovic.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion won their first-ever encounter in the 2006 French Open quarterfinals following Djokovic's mid-match retirement. He went on to win their next five encounters in Paris, triumphing in 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013, and 2014.
Djokovic claimed his first-ever win over the Mallorcan in the 2015 Roland Garros quarterfinals, winning in straight sets. Subsequently, the 37-year-old emerged victorious in the 2020 French Open final, while the Serb secured victory in the 2021 semifinals.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion won their most recent clash in last year's quarterfinals in four sets, en route to his record 14th French Open title.