"Who could be the best without the injuries? My nephew" - Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni on Novak Djokovic being the "best"

Rafael Nadal's uncle, Toni, recently stated that Novak Djokovic is the "best" tennis player. However, he also noted that if his nephew had faced fewer injuries throughout his career, he would have undoubtedly claimed the top spot.

Both Nadal and Djokovic are widely regarded as two of the greatest tennis players in history. Nadal boasts an impressive 22 Grand Slam singles titles, while the Serb has secured 24 . They have both held the World No.1 ranking and have Olympic gold medals to their names.

The Spaniard has two Olympic gold medals, one in singles (2008) and another in doubles, which he won alongside Marc Lopez in 2016 . The Serb, on the other hand, clinched his gold medal this year at the Paris Olympics by defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

The debate over who is the greatest tennis player of all time has been ongoing for years . Everyone has their own opinion, and each opinion is backed by valid reasons. Recently, while speaking to Euro News, Spanish tennis coach and Rafael Nadal's uncle Toni was asked as to who is the best among his nephew and Novak Djokovic, to which he sided with the Serb as the "best" player.

However, Toni Nadal also acknowledged that if Rafael Nadal had faced fewer injuries throughout his career, he would have surpassed the 24-time Grand Slam champion in all aspects and claimed the title of being the "best" tennis player.

“Who is the best? Djokovic because Djokovc won more titles than the others. Who could be the best without the injuries? My nephew. But he has injuries, so in the end, the best is Djokovic,” Toni Nadal said.

Novak Djokovic will next compete at Shanghai Masters 2024

Shanghai Masters 2018 [Source: Getty]

Novak Djokovic most recently competed at the 2024 US Open, where he made it to the third round before being defeated by Alexei Popyrin. His will next compete at the 2024 Shanghai Masters, a tournament he has won a record four times - in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2018.

The Serb has not participated in the ATP Masters 1000 hard court tournament since 2019, when he reached the quarterfinals before losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas. After a five-year absence, he will return to the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena and will be joined by players like Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev among others.

The 37-year old's last title in Shanghai came in 2018 when he was seeded second. He started his campaign in the second round after receiving a first-round bye, defeating Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 7-5 in the opening round, and 16th seed Marco Cecchinato 6-4, 6-0 in the third round.

The former World No.1 went on to defeat seventh seed Kevin Anderson 7-6(1), 6-3, and fourth seed Alexander Zverev 6-2, 6-1 in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. In the final, he triumphed over 13th seed Borna Coric 6–3, 6–4 to claim the title, his 32nd ATP Masters 1000 title overall.