"Rafael Nadal himself would be embarrassed" - Tennis fans react to Ilie Nastase preferring Spaniard's 14 French Opens to Novak Djokovic's 23 Majors

Tennis fans took to social media to respond to Ilie Nastase's assertion that Rafael Nadal's French Open record surpasses Novak Djokovic's Grand Slam count.

Former World No. 1, Nastase weighed in on the topic of who is the GOAT between Djokovic and Nadal. The Romanian recently shared his perspective, stating that he prefers Nadal's 14 French Open titles over Djokovic's 23 Grand Slam titles.

According to the two-time Grand Slam champion, both players are in the running to become the GOAT, and while they are neck and neck, he doesn't believe that Nadal is envious of Djokovic's accomplishments.

In fact, Nastase insinuated that it may be Djokovic who should be envious of Nadal's 14 Roland Garros triumphs.

Tennis fans took to social media to express their disagreement with Ilie Nastase's stance. One fan wrote that Rafael Nadal would be ashamed of such comparisons.

"Rafa himself would be embarrassed if he reads some of the articles being written😂 😂 ," a fan tweeted.

Another fan wrote that even if Djokovic was to win 11-12 Australian Open titles, putting him in close proximity to Rafael Nadal's Roland Garros record, it is unlikely that he will receive the recognition he deserves.

"Funny how Novak will end up with 11-12 AO’s, which won’t be far away from Rafa’s RGs, yet nobody talks about that. And that’s really impressive, considering that 80% of the players focus on HC tournaments the most," the fan tweeted.

Here are a few more reactions from fans:

Novak Djokovic given special golden racquet to commemorate record 23rd Grand Slam

Men's French Open Winner Photocall

Novak Djokovic recently received a remarkable gift from HEAD Tennis - a special racquet to commemorate his 23rd Grand Slam title. The tennis equipment manufacturer presented this token of appreciation to celebrate the Serb's remarkable achievements in the sport.

The World No. 1 broke the men's record for Grand Slam singles titles by defeating Casper Ruud 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-5 in the final of the 2023 French Open. The win also saw Djokovic tie with Serena Williams for Majors won in the Open Era

Djokovic also reclaimed the World No. 1 spot in the rankings from Carlos Alcaraz after defeating him in the semifinals of this year's French Open.

As a result of this achievement, HEAD Tennis crafted a unique racquet specifically for the Serb. Djokovic was presented with this equipment, alongside his wife Jelena, and their two children, Stefan and Tara.

Djokovic used a HEAD racquet during his junior years. After a brief hiatus, he reverted to the same racquet towards the end of the 2008 season.

He won all of his Majors from 2011 onwards with a HEAD racquet, specifically the one from the SPEED series, according to the official HEAD website.