'I went on a dinner date with Rafael Nadal but there is no way we can ever be friends'

Novak Djokovic believes that, despite their storied rivalry and even sharing dinners, he and Rafael Nadal can never be friends. The two tennis titans spent roughly a decade-and-a-half at the top together, facing off 60 times. Between them, they've clinched 46 Grand Slam singles titles, with both set to go down as arguably the two greatest players of all time.

Although their battles on the court were often fierce, Djokovic and Nadal are on friendly terms. In fact, they've even dined together. However, their competitive history means establishing a true friendship is impossible, at least according to Djokovic. "Nadal is only a year older than me, we are both Geminis, at first we even went to dinner together, twice," the Serbian told Italian publication Corriere Della Sera in 2023. "But even with him, friendship is impossible.

"I have always respected and greatly admired him. Thanks to him... I grew up and became who I am. This will unite us forever; therefore I feel gratitude towards them. Nadal is a part of my life, in the last fifteen years I've seen more of him than my mum!"

Djokovic also acknowledged that he wasn't particularly close to Roger Federer, despite sharing the tennis world's summit with him and Nadal for years.

"We have never been friends," he explained. "Between rivals, it is not possible, but we have never been enemies. I've always had respect for Federer, he was one of the greatest of all time. He had an extraordinary impact, but I've never been close to him."

Over the past two decades, Djokovic, Federer, and Nadal - collectively known as the Big Three - have elevated men's tennis to unprecedented heights, setting standards of excellence and relentless winning that may never be replicated in the sport.

From 2003 to 2023, they amassed a staggering 66 Grand Slam singles titles, with Djokovic leading at 24, Nadal at 22, and Federer at 20, dominating nearly every major tournament and blocking an entire generation of talented players from claiming the top prizes.

Their consistency was unmatched: they held the world No. 1 ranking for a combined 947 weeks, with one of them finishing as year-end No. 1 in 18 of the 20 years from 2004 to 2023. This era of dominance wasn't just about individual accolades - it was fuelled by their ability to push each other to new levels, something that, ultimately, may have made establish friendship difficult.

To be the first to receive the latest tennis news, join our WhatsApp community or tennis newsletter

Djokovic isn't the only player who found it challenging to befriend his on-court rivals. Andy Murray, who spent years contending with the so-called 'big three' for the sport's biggest titles, recently expressed regret over not forming closer relationships with them.

Earlier this month, the two-time Wimbledon champion extended an invitation to Djokovic, Federer, and Nadal for a round of golf, hoping to take advantage of the fact that tensions among the four have eased, especially now that three of them have retired. "I would love to play golf with Federer, Nadal and Djokovic," Murray said. "They all really love their golf.

"They're people that I've spent a lot of time competing with and quite intensely for a number of years. I always got on well with them but never had much of a friendship with them. But really since we've kind of finished playing and we've stopped, we've all got I think closer with one another.

"I would love to get the chance to play with them and chat about what life was like as tennis players, and that sort of stuff on the golf course would be fun."