"I will love to see Rafael Nadal back in 2024 to give Novak Djokovic some heat" - Roger Federer's ex-coach

Roger Federer's ex-coach Ivan Ljubicic has commented on Rafael Nadal's much-anticipated return in 2024, saying that he would love to see the Spaniard give Novak Djokovic some "heat."

The golden trio of Nadal, Federer and Djokovic once dominated men's tennis together, winning 66 Grand Slam singles titles among them. The Swiss then retired in 2022 and the Spaniard was sidelined in 2023 due to injury, leaving the Serb to take the spotlight on the ATP Tour.

However, Nadal has since undergone surgeries and recovered from his injury. He is all set to make a comeback at the 2024 Brisbane International, which will take place from December 31 to January 7.

The news of Nadal's return to professional tennis excited Ljubicic, who believes Nadal will give Djokovic a strong competition next season. The veteran coach appeared on the latest episode of the ATP Tennis Radio Podcast and said (at 2:45):

"I think the most successful one is definitely Novak, at least on the male side. He keeps winning, he is not stopping and I am really curious and I will love to see Rafa back in 2024 to give him some heat."

The Croat then heaped praise on the 24-time Grand Slam champion for maintaining his "incredible" form over the years.

"Novak is incredible. I mean, when you look at the way he is playing now and you look at 10 years ago, you will see the same person, which is remarkable, knowing how old he is," Ivan Ljubicic said (at 3:10).

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A look into Novak Djokovic's performance in 2023

Novak Djokovic pictured with his 24th Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open

Novak Djokovic had an outstanding season in 2023, winning seven titles in various ATP categories, including three Majors.

Djokovic won his first tournament of the year at Adelaide International, defeating American sensation Sebastian Korda in the final. Days later, he repeated his incredible performance on Australian soil to win the Melbourne Slam for a record-extending 10th time.

The Serb won his third title of the year at the French Open, lifting the trophy after defeating Casper Ruud in the final. That was followed by a final appearance at Wimbledon, where he was defeated by Carlos Alcaraz.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion avenged his loss at SW19 against Alcaraz a month later by winning the Cincinnati Masters against the young Spaniard. Djokovic went on to win the US Open for the fourth time in his career, getting past arch-rival Daniil Medvedev.

Novak Djokovic's final two titles of the season came at the Paris Masters (def. Grigor Dimitrov) and the ATP Finals (def. Jannik Sinner). He also finished the year as the World No. 1 for the eighth time in his career.