Novak Djokovic on Rafael Nadal's continuous injury struggles and delayed comeback: "Who other than him has the right to do what is good for him?"

Novak Djokovic counts himself among the millions of tennis fans who are saddened by Rafael Nadal's continous injury struggles, which resulted in the Spaniard pulling out of the upcoming Monte-Carlo Masters.

At the same time, the Serb is of the opinion that Nadal is the only who can decide what is good for his body, even if it means he has to delay his comeback a little.

Nadal started his 2024 season at the Brisbane International after an injury-shortened 2023 season, where he played only four matches before sustaining an abdomen injury at the Australian Open. Unfortunately, after reaching the quarterfinals in Brisbane, the Mallorcan ended up injuring himself again, which has since kept him on the sidelines.

After multiple postponed comebacks, the 22-time Grand Slam champion was expected to be back in time for the clay season at Monte-Carlo but announced his withdrawal from the Masters 1000 event just days earlier.

"These are very difficult moments for me, sporting wise. Unfortunately I have to tell you that I am not going to be playing in Monte Carlo. My body simply won’t allow me," Nadal said.

Speaking to L'Equipe in a recent interview, Novak Djokovic was asked about Nadal's struggles. The World No. 1 admitted that it's a "shame" to see him out of action for so long.

While Djokovic made it clear that he doesn't know where the former World No. 1 is physically, he hopes to see him back in time for his favorite tournament -- the French Open.

"That’s the question of questions! Only he can answer that. It's important for our sport to have Rafa on court, and even more so this year, where he said it might be his last. It's a shame to see him out since the start of the year," Novak Djokovic said.

"I don't know where he is with his body. But who other than him has the right to do what is good for him? He is a legend of our sport. As a tennis fan, I hope he can return to his favorite clay court of Roland Garros," he added.

While the Serb is the defending champion at Roland Garros this year, Nadal is the most decorated man in tournament history with a record 14 titles.

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"Novak Djokovic has done better because his way of playing has allowed him to play more than me" - Rafael Nadal

2012 French Open - Day Sixteen

In an interview last year, Rafael Nadal commented on his injury struggles and compared his longevity to that of his arch-rival Novak Djokovic's.

The Spaniard, remarkably, admitted that he would change a lot of things about his career, saying that he was wrong about many decisions he made about protecting his body.

Nadal feels that Djokovic has done better because his style of play has allowed him to have a longer career.

"I would change many things in my life and my career. I have made wrong decisions when it comes to protecting my physique. Djokovic, he has done better because his way of playing has allowed him to play more than me. But I was wrong for thinking that my decisions were good,” Nadal said.

Nadal and Djokovic form the most prolific rivalry on the ATP Tour, having faced off 59 times. The Serb has a slender 30-29 lead in the head-to-head but lost their most recent meeting in the 2022 French Open quarterfinals.