Rafael Nadal & Novak Djokovic: The GOAT Race - Issue #7

Looking back on Nadal and Djokovic’s 2022 Grand Slam achievements and a look into the future.

Written by Dove Sallow

The last two decades of men’s tennis have simply been the greatest the sport has ever seen. Much of that is thanks to Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. But with Federer’s retirement and Nadal and Djokovic getting older, the much talked-about race for the most grand slams is getting down to the wire. Sadly, Nadal and Djokovic will announce their retirements in the not-too-distant future. But I guess that gives us even more reason to focus on the present - enjoy it while it lasts, right? 2022 has brought us some spectacular moments for the history books. Rafael Nadal won the Australian Open as well as Roland Garros, while Djokovic was able to win Wimbledon for a seventh time. Let’s take a look at what each of their grand slam victories means for the 2023 season and the GOAT debate in general.

Rafa Nadal

Starting with Rafa, many thought his time winning grand slams (particularly hard court grand slams) had passed. With the foot struggles/injuries he’d been dealing with on and off for much of his career, it seemed highly unlikely he would find his top level again. When he announced his return at the beginning of the year in Melbourne, my expectations were admittedly low. He started off looking a bit shaky in the warm-up event in Melbourne. But by the time he got to the final and faced the modern serve and volley player, Maxime Cressy, I felt confident that Rafa had a shot at the Australian Open.

He truly got better with each and every match he played, but I felt like his first set tiebreak against the dangerous lefty, Adrian Mannarino, was the true turning point in his form. They had one of the best tiebreaks of the year, with Rafa coming out on top 16-14. That tiebreak summed up the very heart of Rafa’s career. He saved set points, got himself out of uncomfortable positions, and most importantly, he fought like his life depended on it. What he was able to produce in the final against Daniil Medvedev was even more impressive. Oddsmakers had Rafa as the underdog to win the title. But once again, the Spaniard defied the odds as well as the laws of basic physics with some of the shots he was able to produce under pressure. He was down by 2 sets and faced multiple break points in the third, when the stadium gave off an empty feeling as if even they had stopped believing. But Rafa kept his spirits high and fought back to win the next three sets to win his 21st grand slam. This match will be remembered as one of the most significant wins of his career. Not because it was only the 2nd time he won the Australian Open, but because of his ability to force himself over the finish line. I don’t believe there’s been another tennis player who’s been able to claw and scrape their way back from the depths of defeat time and time again under the most grueling pressure of their career. What many had speculated was confirmed in that Australian Open final - Rafael Nadal has the heart of a lion. This was truly a miracle in Melbourne.

His victory at the French Open was a bit less of a surprise, but still not as much of a “sure thing” as it had been in previous years. His clay court season was uncharacteristically underwhelming. But he went through the hard court season with a record of 21-1, so it was expected for his body to have some wear and tear moving into his beloved clay swing. Rafa entered Roland Garros without having won a clay court title. Even worse, his foot injury seemed to be at an all-time low in Rome against Denis Shapovalov. Things were so bad that Rafa had his doctor with him in Paris, and received foot injections to numb his pain just so he could play. His match against Felix Auger Aliassime was a particularly grueling 5-setter, and the draw didn’t get any easier as he faced Djokovic in the quarterfinals. Any time these two play a match, let alone in a grand slam, it should be cherished. They never disappoint - some matches are closer than others, but the level is always extremely high. Rafa clinched the victory in 4 sets, and that’s when the world knew he was coming for a 22nd grand slam title and his 14th French Open title. Yes, you read that correctly. 14 French Open titles. He is simply the most dominant athlete we’ve ever seen in any arena. There is not much more to be said about Rafa’s love affair with Roland Garros - it’s a tale as old as time.

Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic’s year was not his best, but most of that was not due to his tennis abilities. As everyone knows, he was not allowed to play in Australia, due to his unvaccinated status. He was stopped at the airport and detained, before being sent home after a court ruled that he could not compete in the Australian Open. The Australian Open is without a doubt Djokovic’s most dominant slam - he’s won it 9 times. His success in Australia is truly a testament to the incredible physical shape he keeps his body in. With the grueling heat and fast hard courts, Australia is known for being tough on the body. Djokovic is 35 years old and doesn’t look particularly muscular or strong. But he holds his body to the highest levels of discipline and performs his best in the toughest physical conditions. Regardless of your stance on his vaccination views, it’s always unfortunate when one of the all-time greats misses a grand slam. His next stop was Roland Garros. He had a pretty decent lead-up to Paris, winning Rome without dropping a set. He was the favorite in most people’s eyes heading into Roland Garros, but he was halted by a determined Rafa Nadal.

Luckily for Novak, Wimbledon was on the horizon. It’s his second most dominant slam, as he’s won it seven times. He tied Pete Sampras’ record this year, which is honestly a more incredible achievement than people are giving him credit for. Sampras won seven Wimbledon’s with his massive serve and ability to finish points at the net. This is how grass court champions generally play. Djokovic’s game could not be more different than the typical grass court player. His greatest asset is his ability to turn defense into offense from anywhere on the court. His serve is not particularly massive, but he is the best returner on tour and can neutralize a rally better than anybody. His movement on grass is a marvel. Most players struggle getting used to moving on grass, but with all of his experience, Djokovic moves on grass as well as anyone ever has. He hits a relatively flat ball and has an extremely high tennis IQ. Add all this to the equation and you’re left with a man who’s breaking Wimbledon records. Many were expecting him to meet Rafa in the final, but Rafa’s abdominal tear in the semifinals made that impossible. Rafa withdrew from his semifinal against Nick Kyrgios and Kyrgios reached his first grand slam final as a result. Djokovic had a losing record against Nick going into the final, but you kind of just knew that Novak was going to pull it all together when it mattered most. He’s just so reliable and steady. His entire career has been built on being incredibly solid at everything he does. He doesn’t really have a weakness. If I had to name a weakness, I guess it would be his overhead? But that’s just nitpicking. When Novak needs to win a big match that he’s supposed to win, he’s usually going to pull it off. There’s not much that can go wrong with his game as he plays high percentage tennis. Wimbledon was the highlight of his year and it was great to see him competing at his best once again. He was not able to compete at the US Open due to America’s vaccination requirements.

What's to come?

With the year coming to an end, the two active GOATs are ringing in their seasons very differently. Rafa’s wife gave birth to a baby boy this past week and Djokovic is on a 16-match win streak (excluding Laver Cup). Although Rafa is expanding his family, he’s made it very clear that he will keep playing tennis as long as he can keep playing at a high level. He pushed himself through trials and injuries all year, and is finally getting a much needed break to recover. Djokovic is playing a full schedule, trying to qualify for the ATP Finals. Both of these men are still as hungry as ever. There have been talks of Djokovic playing in Australia in 2023, and Rafa has finally dealt with the awful foot injury that tried to hold him back all these years. One thing is certain - next year should be full of incredible tennis. Rafa will probably add to his grand slam tally, as will Djokovic. We will have the chance to witness more records being broken and more history being made. But most importantly, we will continue to watch the greatest grand slam race in history unfold before our very eyes. These records will probably never be broken. I doubt anyone will even tie Federer’s 20 grand slams, let alone pass Rafa or Djokovic. At a certain point, tennis fans just have to think back on all the beautiful points, shots, and moments these players have given us. As we learned with Serena and Roger, the GOATs won’t play forever. Let’s appreciate them while we still can. Does it really matter who wins the most grand slams when it’s all said and done?