Watch: Novak Djokovic describes Rafael Nadal as "the greatest player ever" in archival video
Rafael Nadal's recent triumph at the 2022 Australian Open has put him atop the list of players with the highest number of Grand Slam titles in men's singles with 21.
It also strengthened Nadal's claim for the 'Greatest of All Time (GOAT)' title, for which the Spaniard has been locked in a tussle with fellow Big 3 players Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
All three men have accomplished plenty over the course of their careers to stake a claim for the GOAT title. But Nadal's latest exploits Down Under have given him a mathematical advantage over the other two for the first time.
Shortly after Nadal's win, a video from the 2011 BNP Paribas Open where Djokovic described the Spaniard as "the greatest player ever," made its way to Twitter.
Rafa Nadal: as described by his two biggest rivals...
#AusOpen https://t.co/PF0DSVz0xn
The short montage, featuring a snippet from the 2011 BNP Paribas Open, was uploaded by Tennis TV and has Djokovic describing his long-standing rival as a "champion."
"It's always a pleasure playing against you, you're a champion. For me, you're the greatest player ever," Djokovic says during the trophy presentation ceremony.
Djokovic, who had a 8-16 record against Nadal at the time, took home the 2011 BNP Paribas crown by beating the Spaniard in a keenly-contested final.
The contest also marked a reversal of fortunes for the Serb, who would go on to win the duo's next six meetings. He has since gone on to take a narrow 30-28 advantage in their head-to-head.
"Rafael Nadal is a great person with great values" - Roger Federer in archive video
The video also contained a few snippets featuring Roger Federer's on and off-court comments about Nadal.
In one of the clips, Federer can be heard describing Nadal as a "great person" and a strong ambassador for the sport of tennis.
"He's a great person with great values, he's got a great family. He's been wonderful for the game, he's promoted this sport in the best possible way. He's got a big fan base, a lot of you guys are Rafa fans and he deserves everything and all the praise," Federer says in the video.
Federer and Nadal haven't played each other since Wimbledon in 2019; the Spaniard leads the head-to-head 24-16.