It was as if I couldn't hit a winning shot against him," Djokovic reflects on his duels with Nadal
In a podcast hosted by former Croatian footballer Slaven Bilić, Djokovic revisited his clashes with Nadal, particularly when the Spaniard dominated on the clay courts of Paris:
"It was truly special for me to beat Nadal at Roland-Garros. That was his place. Playing against Rafa on Philippe-Chatrier was a unique and indescribable experience. You feel a particular energy, as if everything is vibrating. The specifics of that court made me think it was impossible to outplay him, that he would chase down every ball. With so much depth between the baseline and the net, it felt like I couldn’t hit a winning shot against him."
In a recent exchange on Roddick’s channel, Nadal had mentioned that the tactic against Djokovic was less clear due to the latter’s all-around game, to which Nole responded:
"I’m particularly happy Rafa felt that way, because that’s exactly what I’ve always wanted to convey to my opponents. Since I was a kid, the goal was to make my tennis as complete as possible, so my rivals would feel I had an answer for everything. My playing style can be applied the same way on all surfaces and adapted to any situation. It was in 2011 that I started feeling I had succeeded—that I had solutions for everything and the level needed so no one could beat me.
