Rafael Nadal, in the opinion of Diego Schwartzman, “is the one that commands the most respect when you enter the court,” in contrast to his fiercest competitors, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
Due to the legendary Spaniard’s unwavering mindset, the former world No. 8 acknowledged that he feels like he is going into the court “a little more defeated” before taking on Nadal.
Out of the 12 matches Schwartzman has played versus Nadal, the most recent being at the 2021 French Open, he has lost 11 of them.
The first match took place in 2013.Against Djokovic, the Argentine has a 0-7 record; against Federer, it is 0-4.
In the 2020 Italian Open quarterfinals, the 31-year-old, who is presently rated 124th in the world, defeated 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal to record his lone victory.
Talking to ESPN’s Generation F, Schwartzman discussed how playing Nadal may be intimidating and contrasted the Mallorcan’s style with that of Djokovic and Federer.
Out of the three, I believe Rafa is the one who commands the greatest respect when you walk into the court.” The four-time ATP champion exclaimed, “It feels like you enter the court a little more defeated.
“As for the others, Federer, being so laid-back, occasionally offers you alternatives to getting into the match if you catch Djokovic fuming one day or if he grabs a couple of balls and gets frustrated.
However, Nadal gives the impression that this is the last stage of his career, from the minute you begin playing with him until the very end. It’s challenging. You are so respectful of him that there are moments when you ask yourself, “How do I do it?”
And he manages that flawlessly, taking fewer strokes than Djokovic or Federer while continuing to win. It is really challenging to continue doing what he does right away.
After making his eagerly anticipated return to Brisbane in January, where he was defeated by Jordan Thompson in the quarterfinals due to a hip injury, Rafael Nadal has not participated in any competitions. Nadal had not competed before in Brisbane since suffering a hip psoas muscle injury during the Australian Open in 2023.
The 37-year-old then pulled out of the Australian Open in 2024 and has since withdrawn from tournaments in Doha and Indian Wells, where he had intended to make a comeback.
The former world number one is preparing for his anticipated clay-court season comeback and hopes to compete in the April 7–14, 2024 Monte Carlo Masters.
With a record 11 championships won, the tournament is now the best Masters 1000 event for Rafael Nadal and his third most successful overall, after the Barcelona Open (12) and Roland Garros (13).
