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The 'bromance' between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic became a talking point among tennis fans soon after the latter's bromance with Nick Kyrgios after the Wimbledon final. Nadal congratulated Djokovic on social media for his title victory at Wimbledon, replying to a celebratory post from the Serb.
The two players were on course to play their 60th career head-to-head clash in the Wimbledon final, before the Spaniard's withdrawal due to injury. Despite their legendary on-court rivalry, the two tennis greats have often expressed their respect for each other, sharing some pleasant moments off the court.
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Nadal's reaction to Djokovic's win led to fans of both players lauding the Spaniard for his kind words towards a great rival.
"Very subtle congrats from Rafa! I know that this one must hurt (as it does for his fans) but he has always been elegant and fair with his opponents. Including those who disrespected him," a fan wrote on Twitter.
The 22-time Grand Slam champion has been vacationing on the Spanish island of Formentera since his Wimbledon withdrawal, taking some time off from tennis and allowing his body to heal after suffering an abdominal tear.
One fan reminisced about another memorable moment between the two players, when the Spaniard embraced the Serb with a warm hug despite a tough loss against him in a five-set classic in the semifinals of the 2018 Wimbledon Championships.
"Good guy Rafa, the post-match handshakes between the 2 have gotten less and less friendly but I remember in 2018, after their Wimbledon SF, after Novak had been through 2 tough years, he hugged him with open arms because he knew how much that win meant to him," read the tweet.
Novak Djokovic applauds Rafael Nadal's effort during Wimbledon quarterfinal against Taylor Fritz
Novak Djokovic lamented the fact that Rafael Nadal was forced to withdraw from the 2022 Wimbledon Championships due to yet another injury. The Spaniard was visibly struggling due to an abdominal injury towards the end of the opening set of his quarterfinal against Taylor Fritz, but fought hard to win the match in five sets. Djokovic applauded the effort and lauded the Spaniard's Herculean effort to win his last eight match.
"Injury is the greatest enemy of every athlete. Kudos to Nadal for being able to play that quarterfinal match to the end with that injury. He knows his body and capabilities best, and whether he should have played or not is up to him. It's really a shame for a tournament like this that there is no second semi-final, but that's how it is," the Serb said during an interview.
The two players last played each other at the 2022 French Open. In a highly-anticipated clash, the Spaniard brought his A-game to their 59th career clash, winning the quarterfinal match 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(4), en route to his 14th Roland Garros title. Regarded by many as the greatest rivalry of all-time in men's tennis, their head-to-head record currently stands at 30-29 in favor of Djokovic.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
