"Salty Rafael Nadal at it again, Novak Djokovic is already bigger than them" - Spaniard's take on allure of his rivalry with Roger Federer annoys fans

Rafael Nadal's perspective on why his rivalry with Roger Federer garnered greater attention than Novak Djokovic's rivalry with either of them has sparked discontent among tennis fans.

In a recent interview, Nadal was asked about the apparent widespread popularity of his rivalry with Federer, despite both him and the Swiss legend having compelling rivalries with Djokovic as well.

In response, the Spaniard highlighted the intriguing contrast in his rivalry with the 20-time Grand Slam champion on an aesthetic level, emphasizing their unique and radical combination of playing styles.

"Several factors come together. Some I am not going to tell you because it is difficult for me, it is not my turn to comment on them. But tennis-wise, it is clear. It is a very radical combination of styles. Federer was perfection on an aesthetic level, on a level of elegance, on a technical level," he told Spanish publication El Pais.

"I have very good technique, a lot of it, but technique is not the same as aesthetics. They are two different things. He had an incredible technique, making things very beautiful with impressive elegance," he added.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion contended that his "warrior"-like approach contrasted remarkably with Federer's elegance, which, coupled with their high-stakes battles in the sport, made their rivalry particularly enthralling.

"When I arrived, he was number one in the world, and he got a rival with long hair and an exuberant physique. Elegance against a warrior. There was a pack of combinations of personalities and styles.

"And that, together with the fact that we have played many games on the most important stages, turned our rivalry into something that transcended more than any other duel," he said.

However, Rafael Nadal's comments did not sit well with fans, one of whom argued that his take wasn't rooted in the appreciation of aesthetics or elegance but rather stemmed from Novak Djokovic disrupting their duopoly in the sport.

"I bet it's not about aesthetics or elegance. It's clearly about the fact that Novak came in the worst possible time for Fedal and their fans and started trashing them left right and center.

"An ambitious boy from a small Serbia came and started conquering. That's what hurt them," the fan commented.

Another fan accused the Spaniard of being "salty":

"Biased Tennis media questions and Salty Nadal at it again. Novak is already bigger than them and will be remembered as the GOAT"

Here are a few more reactions from fans:

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Rafael Nadal: "I have been more excited to see Roger Federer play than Novak Djokovic"

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic (from left to right)

In the same interview, Rafael Nadal expressed his profound admiration for Roger Federer, describing him as the player he has always been most entertained and impressed by.

The Spaniard also admitted that he always felt a higher level of excitement at the prospect of watching Federer compete as opposed to watching Novak Djokovic.

"Since I can remember, he is the player who has impressed me the most, the one who has entertained me the most, the one who has excited me the most.

"I have been more excited to see Federer play than Djokovic, and in the end tennis is emotion, emotion is what draws you to it," he said.

Nadal and Djokovic have locked horns in a record 59 tour-level encounters, with the Serb holding a narrow 30-29 lead. However, the Spaniard triumphed in their most recent encounter, winning 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(4) in the 2022 French Open quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, Federer and Djokovic met 50 times on the tour, with the Serb enjoying a 27-23 record. Federer and Nadal, meanwhile, faced each other 40 times, with the Spaniard leading 24-16 head-to-head.