"If Rafael Nadal keeps playing and winning when he comes back, Novak Djokovic will keep playing until the end" - Andrey Rublev

Andrey Rublev has said that Novak Djokovic 'will keep playing' to win Grand Slams if Rafael Nadal continues to win after making his comeback.

Nadal and Djokovic experienced contrasting fortunes in 2023. While the Spaniard played only four matches and had his season cut short by a hip injury, the Serb won three Grand Slams to become the most successful Major champion in the Open Era. He is currently the World No. 1 — a position that he has held for over 400 weeks and counting.

Nadal is set to return to action in the 2024 season and Rublev spoke about this at the World Tennis League in Dubai. The Russian said that he wasn't surprised to see Nadal making a comeback because the Spaniard and Djokovic are the kind of players who want to make an impact in tennis history.

Rublev said that Nadal would try to win Grand Slams while the Serb was playing. He also said that the same applies to Djokovic as he would keep playing for Majors if his rival kept winning after his comeback.

“I’m not surprised because I think he and Novak, those kind of players who are playing to leave a mark in the history of tennis; while Novak is still playing I think Rafa will try until the end to play and try to win slams. And the same goes for Novak. If Rafael Nadal keeps playing and winning when he comes back, Novak Djokovic will keep playing until the end. They are playing for different things," Rublev said, as quoted by The National.

Nadal's last appearance came at the 2023 Australian Open, where he lost in straight sets to Mackenzie McDonald in the second round.

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Rafael Nadal will compete at the Brisbane International and the Australian Open

Rafael Nadal at Real Madrid's La Liga match against Real Sociedad

Rafael Nadal will start his 2024 season at the Brisbane International. This will be his second appearance at the ATP 250 event, with his first coming in 2017 when he reached the quarterfinals before losing to Milos Raonic.

After the Brisbane International, the Spaniard will compete at the Australian Open, one year after suffering a season-ending injury there. It was recently confirmed that Nadal will compete at the Barcelona Open, which will take place in April 2024.

The tournament's director David Ferrer claimed that he was happy to see his compatriot participate in the ATP 500 tournament.

“Rafa is the greatest player in the history of this sport and the flagship of our tournament. Being able to continue enjoying him in Barcelona is fortunate, and personally, it excites and makes me very happy," Ferrer told the Barcelona Open's official website.

Nadal is the most successful player in the history of the Barcelona Open, winning the tournament 12 times.