The ‘perfect’ match Novak Djokovic played which made a shocked Rafael Nadal admit that he had never seen tennis like it
Novak Djokovic played out several thrilling matches against Rafael Nadal, with their rivalry ended only by the latter’s retirement last season.
Djokovic has no plans to retire despite turning 38 in May, with Nadal having retired at that age after the Davis Cup in November.
Despite retiring, the Spaniard is doing his utmost to keep tabs on tennis, with Nadal congratulating Carlos Alcaraz on his Rotterdam Open win.
Djokovic didn’t play at the tournament in the Netherlands, having suffered a hamstring tear at the Australian Open last month.
But Djokovic is set to play the Qatar Open later this month, with the veteran hopeful of being fully fit to take on the outdoor hard courts of Doha.
When Novak Djokovic shocked Rafael Nadal with 6-1, 6-2 Qatar Open final win
The Serbian is a two-time Qatar Open champion, having won back-to-back titles at the tournament in 2016 and 2017.
His second triumph came against fellow legend Andy Murray, where Djokovic battled past his now coach 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
READ MORE: Novak Djokovic admits he’s been very ‘surprised’ after hearing what people have been saying about him following the Australian Open
But it was his first against Nadal that truly sent shockwaves around the tennis world, with Djokovic beating the Spaniard 6-1, 6-2 in just one hour and 13 minutes.
The Serbian was dominating their rivalry at the time, and that dominance particularly came to light in Doha that year.
Rafael Nadal blown away by ‘perfect’ Novak Djokovic in 2016 Qatar Open final
Nadal may not have been at his best that day in Doha, but it perhaps was more a case of Djokovic being unstoppable.
That is certainly how both players viewed the match, which represents one of the Serbian’s 31 wins against the Spaniard, with Nadal having won their other 29 meetings.
READ MORE: Andy Murray makes decision on whether he will continue coaching Novak Djokovic after Australian Open
“I played against a player who did everything perfect,” said Nadal, as quoted by the LA Times. “I know nobody playing tennis like this ever.
“Since I know this sport, I never saw somebody playing at this level. When I say perfect, it’s not one thing in particular. It’s everything. If not, it’s not perfect.”
| Novak Djokovic | Stat | Rafael Nadal |
| 330 | Serve rating | 199 |
| 4 | Aces | 3 |
| 1 | Double faults | 1 |
| 75% (33/44) | 1st serve | 65% (28/43) |
| 79% (26/33) | 1st serve points won | 50% (14/28) |
| 100% (1/1) | Break points saved | 43% (3/7) |
| 77% (34/44) | Service points won | 47% (20/43) |
| 53% (23/43) | Return points won | 23% (10/44) |
| 66% (57/87) | Total points won | 34% (30/87) |
Djokovic meanwhile commented: “It did feel as close to perfection as it could get. From the first to last point I managed to impose my own tactical strategy.
“I came out on the court with the right intention, right intensity, and with a great deal of confidence I carried from the last season.”
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