Toni Nadal’s latest comment about Raphael Nadal being inferior to his rivals, Roger Federer & Novak Djokovic, has sparked speculations that there’s a brewing tension within the camp of the 14-time Grand Slam champion.
Toni Nadal has been the most vocal member of Raffa’s camp ever since the Spaniard started his tennis career. Through thick and thin, the uncle has shown his utmost support to his nephew by defending him against his critics at all times.
That is why his recent remark about Nadal being the third-ranked player in this generation behind Federer and Djokovic certainly came as a surprise to everybody, particularly to Nadal’s supporters, who believes there’s ongoing rift between the uncle and the nephew.
"With all the titles he has won, there is no doubt that Federer is the greatest," Toni Nadal told reporters via Tennis Tonic. "Rafael has won more titles than Novak Djokovic, but speaking merely about tennis and about the game, Rafa has to be considered slightly lower than Djokovic.
“The Serb is such a good player that he is as close as you can get to Roger Federer."
After winning 10 championships in 2013, Nadal endured a see-saw 2014 campaign that saw him defending the French Open championship and bombing out early in the Wimbledon Open finals.
He also skipped the North American hardcourt season due to a fractured right wrist. He attempted a comeback in the Asian circuit of the ATP Tour, but appendicitis forced him to shut down the remainder of the season.
Still, Nadal is the most decorated male tennis player in this generation just behind Federer. He has collected 14 Grand Slam championships, 9 of which are French Open championships. Moreover, his gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics makes him the one of the two persons (the other is Andre Aggassi) to complete a Golden Slam in his career.
Federer holds the Grand Slam record of 17 titles. He has also won a silver medal in the London Olympics and recently added a Davis Cup title after helping Switzerland to a victory against France two weeks ago. Djokovic, on the other hand, regained the world’s no.1 ranking with his victory at the Paris Masters and ATP World Tour Finals. He also added a Wimbledon Open title to cap a year that saw him becoming a family man with his wife, Jelena Ristic-Djokovic, and a newborn son.
