Djokovic Angered by Rafael Nadal’s Accusations

Rafael Nadal & Novak Djokovic are continuing their fueling hatred towards one another. The growing animosity between these two men started after the Adria Tour earlier this year, where Novak Djokovic’s decisions resulted in numerous people contracting COVID-19. The lack of empathy shown by Djokovic over the Adria Tour backlash & confirmed infections was disturbing, prompting Rafael Nadal to criticize his fellow ATP competitor. Since then the two have been publicly attacking each other through the media, with the most recent verbal attack launched by Novak Djokovic.

Novak has denied Rafael’s accusations that his entrance into the US Open is exclusive because stronger competitors have left the tournament, giving Djokovic ample opportunity to record of Grand Slam victories. It should be clarified that Rafael Nadal is the standing US Open Champion but withdrew from the tournament after citing concerns for the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple ATP & WTA competitors followed Rafael’s lead, including Roger Federer. For Novak Djokovic, these absences are suitable for re-contention into the US Open.

Denying accusations made by Rafael Nadal isn’t benefiting Novak Djokovic. This Serbian tennis professional has actively avoided competing against the US Open Champion, with their last contention on the court being in 2013. This battle would see Rafael Nadal become victorious over tennis’s former greatest champion. When asked by reporters how he felt regarding Rafael Nadal’s statements, Novak Djokovic became notable defence & argued that his decision to compete was made months before his official announcement. Novak struggled to clarify why it took so long to confirm his contention in the US Open then, giving weight behind Rafael’s statements.

EU Serbian Government Approval

It’s believed that Novak Djokovic couldn’t make his official announcement until receiving approval from the Serbian government & European Union for exemptions in international travel. Once that approval was granted several days ago, Novak would’ve delegated with his PR Team & released a formal statement. It should be clarified that Djokovic emphasized that entering the US Open wasn’t guaranteed for 2020, that unpredictable travel conditions left him concerned that another Grand Slam victory wouldn’t be possible.