"Bitter & trying to exclude Djokovic": Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni comparing his & Roger Federer's rivalry to Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo angers fans

Rafael Nadal's uncle, Toni, angered several tennis fans when he compared the rivalry between Nadal and Roger Federer to that of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

The rivalry between Nadal and Federer is widely regarded as one of the most iconic in the history of tennis. Collectively, they have won a total of 42 Grand Slam singles titles, with the Spaniard claiming 22 titles and the Swiss legend retiring with 20 titles to his name.

They have faced off against each other a total of 40 times, with the Spaniard holding the lead with a 24-16, including a 14-10 advantage in finals. Their first encounter on the Tour took place at the 2004 Miami Open, where Nadal emerged victorious in straight sets (6-3, 6-3). Their last encounter came at the 2019 Wimbledon semifinals, with Federer winning 7-6(3), 1-6, 6-3, 6-4.

In a recent interview, Rafael Nadal's uncle, Toni, discussed the parallels between the former World No. 1s' rivalry and the rivalry between football legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He emphasized his nephew's unique versatility that enabled him to rival Roger Federer's skills, unlike the contrasting styles of Messi and Ronaldo.

“The rivalry between Nadal and Federer is comparable to Messi and Ronaldo in terms of how they have endured over time, but has two differences: Between Messi and Cristiano, there is a greater difference than between Nadal and Federer, and the other difference is that Rafael can do all the things Federer can do, whereas Ronaldo cannot do everything that Messi does,” Toni said.

Toni Nadal's comments angered several tennis fans, who then took to social media to express their opinions on the same. One fan even went as far as accusing Toni of favoring the Swiss and Nadal over Novak Djokovic. They claimed that Toni's refusal to recognize Djokovic as the greatest of all time (GOAT) was due to personal bias.

"He's just so bitter and salty and trying to exclude Djokovic from everything. Nothing new from the old spaniard. We all know who the GOAT is and he knows it too, but he has a hard time admitting it," a fan posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Another fan stated that despite being a witness to the Nadal-Federer rivalry from its inception, Toni always has to make these absurd remarks.

"Been there since day 1 and still talks sh*t like this… when will you realise what you’ve been given, old man," the fans posted.

One fan called Toni Nadal biased.

"So biased lol. Nadal can do all things Roger can huh? How many year end titles does he have when the field is the top 8 players? He’s the only 1 of the big 3 to not 3 slams 4+ times. Career titles? Weeks at #1? A lot that Fed did that Nadal couldn’t," the fan's comment read.

Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's last match was at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships

Wimbledon Championships 2019

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal last faced each other in the semifinals at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships. The Swiss began his campaign by defeating Llyod Harris in the first round and wildcard Jay Clarke in the second.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion then went on to secure victories against Lucas Pouille and Matteo Berrettini in the third and fourth rounds, respectively. He then defeated Kei Nishikori in the quarterfinals, winning 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 to set up semifinal clash with Nadal.

On the other hand, Rafael Nadal started his Wimbledon campaign by defeating qualifier Yuichi Sugita in the first round and Kyrgios in the second round. Nadal continued his winning streak by overcoming Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Joao Sousa in the third and fourth rounds, respectively. In the quarterfinals, Nadal defeated Sam Querrey 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 to secure a spot in the last four.

At the semifinals the Swiss tennis legend and the Spaniard went up against each other with the former claiming the win (7-6(3), 1-6, 6-3, 6-4) to move into the final where he faced Novak Djokovic and lost in five sets.