Novak Djokovic reveals who is his greatest rival

Rafael Nadal claimed his ninth Italian Open title as he beat Novak Djokovic in three sets on Sunday. The defending champion triumphed 6-0 4-6 6-1 in two hours and 25 minutes in Rome. It was the 54th meeting between world number two Nadal and one Djokovic, and the first in which either player had won a set without conceding a game. The Serb was pleased with the way he fought in the second set after suffering a bagel in the first and with the fact he managed to stay in the match without having too much left in the tank. "Credit to Diego for playing well. He came out with the right game plan. He was hitting the ball clean. He was hitting it fast. He was mixing up the pace. He was dropshot-ing really well,” said Djokovic. “It was really hard to read the play. The conditions were very, very heavy, very wet court. Not two same bounces. The ball wasn't bouncing high at all. It's completely different from day. For him, he didn't have to worry about high balls. He was just picking everything on the rise. Very close match. I mean, third set, one point where we had that great point, ending when I got the dropshot, that was the turning point. That's where I made a break. That was enough." Djokovic also praised Rafael Nadal: "He's one of the greatest champions this game has ever seen. His mentality, his approach, his resilience, ability to fight back after long absence from the tour, injuries, surgeries, he's had it all. He keeps on showing to the world why he's one of the biggest legends of tennis history. I have greatest respect for him. He's my greatest rival of all time, for sure. I've had so many matches against him. Up to date, we had the longest rivalry of tennis of all time. Played over 50 matches. Every time we get to play each other, it's a thrill. It's the ultimate challenge." 

Novak Djokovic: “Rafa blew me away from the court in the first set”