Djokovic, Nadal and the injury issue

Rafael Nadal versus Novak Djokovic was a nearly two-decade battle of breathtaking quality and outrageous drama. Each clash between these two was a story unto itself, seemingly existing independently of the overall narrative of the tournament or the immediate impact on the rankings. It was a battle to take over the next chapter in the ongoing story of “the Spaniard and the Serb.”

It is of course a great sadness that such a significant gift to sport has come to its natural end. And yet things can often only be best understood and appreciated when they come to an end.

With no further question marks about a higher Grand Slam record or outright supremacy, the great Djokovic-Nadal melodrama that has so bitterly divided tennis fans for most of the 21st century can now be looked back on in a more philosophical light.

“I have the utmost respect for you – an incredible athlete and an incredible person,” were Djokovic’s warm words to his biggest rival after their last meeting at a tournament in Saudi Arabia.

“The rivalry was incredible, it was very intense, so I hope we have the opportunity to sit on a beach somewhere, have a drink, think about life and talk about something else.

“It was an incredible honor and pleasure to share the space with you. It’s an emotional moment and an emotional day, we’ve played so many games in so many years.

“Finally, I would like to say a big thank you not only to myself but to the entire tennis world for what you have done. They left an incredible legacy.”

Nadal similarly paid tribute to Djokovic, admitting that without the Serb’s constant threat to push Nadal to improve, the Spaniard “probably wouldn’t be the player I am today.”

How the injury set the stage for the Djokovic/Nadal debate

But one area of ​​this rivalry that deserves closer look – not least because it is always the subject of heated debate between opposing fans – is injury and how it influenced much of the debate over Djokovic and Nadal.

The Spaniard suffered from a variety of physical problems throughout his career. During Nadal’s time as a professional player, knee, hip and back problems were accompanied by a chronic degenerative foot disease, which repeatedly kept him away from competition for long periods of time.

Djokovic also had his problems, most notably an elbow injury that ultimately required surgery in February 2018. But these were much rarer and farther apart than his rival’s problems.

In the days since the pleasantries of those on-court exchanges in Saudi Arabia, Nadal has spoken more openly about it in a wide-ranging interview with Spanish magazine AS, offering both high praise and a dose of perspective about his rival’s ability to hang in there For most of his career he was in excellent physical condition.

“The numbers say he’s the best,” is perhaps Nadal’s most telling confession.

“Ultimately he is a player who has managed to maintain a very high level of play and improve every year. So his level of tennis was also the best and he is also the one who was furthest away from injuries.

“When you have no limitations or serious injuries for a long period of time, it not only has a physical impact and offers opportunities to win, but also creates a lack of fear on a mental level, neither of injury nor of slipping when you are on reached a ball on a hard court.”

These are very insightful comments from the Spaniard and a prime example of the diplomatic path he takes when it comes to talking about his great rival.

On the one hand, he rightly gives Djokovic credit for maintaining a health and fitness program that has kept the Serb relatively injury-free compared to him. But Nadal also gently points out that while physical preservation is itself a measure of greatness, sustained success is easier to achieve when injury concerns are ignored.

“I did it at the beginning of my career, but of course if something happens you just can’t do it. So these are limitations that arise along the way and you have to look for shortcuts to continue to be competitive in other ways,” he continues.

“This has enabled Novak to maintain his physical, tennis and mental level for longer. That’s no excuse because he’s the best and he really deserves it.”

Opposing styles are a key factor in the injury debate

Although Nadal is almost a year older than Djokovic, he has played nine fewer Grand Slam tournaments than the Serb due to his ongoing injury.

This is a statistic that can be interpreted in two ways.

Either Djokovic’s ability to stay healthy and injury-free is a key attribute of his greatness – something that also represents another notable aspect of his success: his longevity. Alternatively, one could use this to point out Nadal’s missed opportunities to challenge for Grand Slam titles, citing an overall better strike rate when it comes to the number of majors won compared to the number of majors played.

However, this statistic is admittedly very poor, as Djokovic’s Grand Slam title win rate is 32% and Nadal’s is only slightly higher at just 33%.

So perhaps the best way to approach this is to acknowledge that the nature of Nadal’s injuries is just another component of what made his and Djokovic’s rivalry so compelling.

They had completely opposite styles in almost everything they did. Nadal was a clay-court specialist and a topspin-heavy aggressor, while Djokovic was the metronomic, iron-fisted defender. The Serb was combustible and emotional, with all-too-human flaws that fans found either alienating or endearing. Nadal, on the other hand, had his temper under control, a man who rarely made headlines, caused controversy and whose frustrations were always channeled into the next point.

Their injury record is simply an extension of these contrasting styles. Djokovic, a slimmer, more flexible specimen whose career was defined by an extraordinarily careful approach to diet and lifestyle, struggled with far fewer physical problems than the muscle-bound, sweat-dripping Spaniard whose sheer strength and athleticism were synonymous with his style of play.

In short, arguing about the injury record of these two players – no matter what side of the debate you are on – misses the point.

More than anything, their differences here led to a richer and more compelling rivalry. However, one could also reasonably argue that Nadal’s injuries were a necessary consequence of what brought him so much success – his superior physicality.

Had Nadal lost significant weight to reduce the weight on his creaking knees – something he actually tried to do at one point in his career – the rapid ferocity of his groundstrokes might also have suffered.

To that end, Nadal had to sacrifice his body to keep up with Djokovic’s unprecedented standards. Meanwhile, Djokovic only pushed his tally above Nadal’s when the Spaniard’s body was really fried. It was the Serb’s tireless longevity, fitness and consistent performances in the majors that proved crucial to his ultimately superior Grand Slam record – which of course is not yet final.

And so, as the dust begins to settle at the end of the Djokovic-Nadal story, it seems that one of their strongest points of contrast will remain in the history books as further proof that they were one of the finest rivalries in the world Tennis acted ever seen.