"If there's anybody that is able to come back, it's Rafael Nadal, because of all the history he has" - When Novak Djokovic discussed rival's poor form

Novak Djokovic once weighed in on Rafael Nadal's poor run of form during the 2015 season.

Nadal's 2015 season fell short of expectations, marking the end of his remarkable 10-year streak of winning at least one Grand Slam title, as he failed to advance past the quarterfinals at all four Majors.

After a disappointing third-round exit from the US Open, the Spaniard rebounded with a run to the China Open final, where he took on Djokovic in a blockbuster clash. The Serb dominated, winning 6-2, 6-2 to clinch his fourth consecutive title at the event.

Following his victory, Novak Djokovic discussed Rafael Nadal's less-than-ideal season, saying that the concerns about the Spaniard's form were understandable given the high standards set by his history of consistent success.

"I think it's obvious that he's not having the great season this year. Everybody has been talking about it because he had an incredible 10 years, set up such a high standard with results, winning at least one Grand Slam per year. That allows people to expect a lot from him," he said in his post-match press conference.

"So if he is not winning Grand Slams, not being in the top 5 of the world, obviously people start to talk that he's not having his season, which is logical and something that is happening for him, so he's not experiencing some confident time on the court," he added.

Djokovic disclosed that he had observed a clear decline in Nadal's level of play compared to the last few years but expressed confidence in the Spaniard's ability to bounce back from his struggles.

"In terms of comparing his maybe level of the game from the last year or two years ago and now, there is difference. I can't pretend that it's the same because obviously results are showing that he's not, you know, performing as well as he did in last couple of years and is making more mistakes from the forehand side," he said.

"But it's normal to go through some oscillations in your career, some ups and downs. If there's anybody that knows and is able to come back, it's him, because of all the history he has," he added.

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Novak Djokovic: "Rafael Nadal is one of the most hard‑working guys on the tour; sooner or later that will pay off"

Novak Djokovic (left) and Rafael Nadal

Novak Djokovic also asserted that Rafael Nadal's extensive achievements over the years had established him as one of the best players in history, giving him the necessary experience to recover from his subpar 2015 season.

"I feel like the experience that he has from his career and all the championships that he has won on different surfaces, the biggest trophies in the world, at the end of the day he's one of the best players ever to play this game. I'm sure he understands what he needs to do in order to come back to that highest level," he said during the press conference.

Djokovic also highlighted Nadal's exceptional work ethic, calling him one of the hardest workers on tour and expressing his belief that the Spaniard's persistence would eventually yield positive results.

"He keeps on working hard. He's one of the most hard‑working guys on the tour. He spends a lot of time on the court. Sooner or later that will pay off. He played finals here, so it's been a good week for him," he added.