"Has the 'goat' even replied to him these last days?" - Tennis fans react to Novak Djokovic's failure to acknowledge Rafal Nadal's congratulations

Novak Djokovic has 23 Grand Slam titles, one more than Rafael Nadal.
Novak Djokovic has 23 Grand Slam titles, one more than Rafael Nadal.

Novak Djokovic won the French Open to claim a record 23rd Grand Slam title, breaking his tie with Rafael Nadal (22) and going level with Serena Williams in the Open Era.

While Djokovic won the Australian Open and Roland Garros this year, Nadal has struggled with injuries. He lost in the second round in Melbourne, picking up a hip injury that has seen him remain on the sidelines since.

Nadal even missed the Paris Major this year, a tournament where he holds a record 14 titles. Despite being away from action, the Spaniard has kept a close eye on the proceedings on the tour and was one of the first to congratulate Djokovic on his French Open triumph.

Later, in a speech delivered at the graduation ceremony of the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, the 37-year-old again congratulated Djokovic on his 23rd Major win.

"I want to congratulate Novak Djokovic for having achieved something that had not been achieved before in men's tennis, reaching 23 Grand Slam titles. These are numbers that relatively few years ago, seemed impossible and he has achieved it," he said.

Djokovic, curiously, has not acknowledged Nadal's wishes to date, neither the Spaniard's social media post nor his speech. He has, however, reacted to a host of other celebrities wishing him on social media.

This caught tennis fans' attention as they were bemused about the Serbian's behavior. One stated that not getting a reply to his wishes would hurt more than his Grand Slam record getting broken.

"Novak better see this one. Or else this is gonna hurt him more than the record being broken," a fan said.

Another fan wondered if Djokovic replied to Nadal since winning Roland Garros, while sarcastically calling him the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time).

"Has the “goat” even replied to him these last days?" another fan asked.

Here are a few other reactions from tennis fans:


Rafael Nadal's 14 French Open titles are harder than Novak Djokovic's 23 Grand Slams, says former World No. 1 Ilie Nastase

Rafael Nadal is a record 14-time champion French Open.
Rafael Nadal is a record 14-time champion French Open.

Novak Djokovic going past Rafael Nadal with his 23rd Grand Slam title has seen the GOAT debate resurface.

Two-time Grand Slam champion Ilie Nastase, however, is of the opinion that having one Major more than Nadal doesn't make the Serbian a better player.

The Romanian opined that Nadal has no reason to be jealous of Djokovic. He added that the Spaniard's French Open success (record 14 titles) is greater than Djokovic's overall achievement.

"I don't think it's a fight, I don't think it's a personal fight between him and Nadal. I don't see this thing. They're both there, close to each other. Does it matter now that he took an extra one?" the former World No. 1 said.
"It matters to Djokovic, but I don't think Nadal is jealous of that. Someone else should be jealous of him, that he won Roland Garros 14 times. Those 14 are harder than Djokovic's 23. Just so you know, to win on clay 14 times at Roland Garros?! I don't think another player is born who can do this job," the 76-year-old added.

What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here

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Edited by Samya Majumdar
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