"We'll be seeing each other quite often, I see Rafael Nadal more than my mom actually" - When Novak Djokovic joked about his pre-season schedule

Novak Djokovic once poked fun at the frequency with which he found himself across the net from Rafael Nadal.

Djokovic and Nadal have forged one of the most legendary rivalries in the history of the sport, locking horns in 59 tour-level encounters. Among their memorable clashes was the 2013 ATP Finals final. The Serb dominated the encounter, claiming a commanding 6-3, 6-4 victory to clinch his third title at the year-end championships.

Following his triumph, Novak Djokovic opened up about the closely contested nature of his rivalry against Rafael Nadal, highlighting how they consistently challenged each other and pushed one another to become better players.

"Well, looking at the tennis matches that we had against each other in the past few years, it has been shifting, you know, who is winning more matches in a row. It hasn't been the case that one player wins, you know, 10 in a row being very dominant because really goes up and down," he said in his post-match press conference.

"But, as I was saying before, we push each other to the limit. We make each other better players. We make each other, you know, work harder on our games, especially when we play against each other. It's always a huge challenge," he added.

The Serb also shed light on his upcoming schedule, disclosing that after concluding his 2013 season with the Davis Cup Finals, he planned to take part in a series of exhibition events as part of his pre-season training.

He shared that he would make a week-long trip to South America for these exhibition events, taking on Nadal in Chile, followed by two matches in Buenos Aires, one of which would also be against the Spaniard. Djokovic joked about the frequency of his encounters with Nadal, humorously suggesting that he crossed paths with him more often than his mother.

"Yes, I am. As soon as I play the Davis Cup final, I go for a week of exhibition events in South America, first in Chile with Rafa, then in Buenos Aires, in Argentina, another two matches. One of them for sure again is with Rafa. We'll be seeing each other quite often. I see him more than my mom actually (smiling)," he said.

"After that I'm going to allow myself to have few weeks off. I deserve that time. I'm going to speak with my team, if I'm able to rest myself," he added.

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal faced each other six times in 2013

2019 Australian Open - Day 14

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal squared off against each other six times in 2013. They locked horns in the Monte-Carlo Masters final, where Djokovic claimed a 6-2, 7-6(1) victory.

Nadal avenged his defeat in the French Open semifinal, securing a 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7(3), 9-7 win. He went to triumph in their next two encounters as well, defeating the Serb 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2) in the Canada Open semifinal, and claiming a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 win over him in the US Open final.

Subsequently, Djokovic triumphed over Nadal 6-3, 6-4 in the Beijing Masters final. He also emerged victorious in the ATP Finals final, winning in straight sets.