What Rafael Nadal Said Was “Impossible” for Djokovic—Proven Wrong Just Four Years Later
What Rafael Nadal Said Was “Impossible” for Djokovic—Proven Wrong Just Four Years Later
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal have faced each other more times than any other rivalry in ATP history.
Nadal officially retired at the Davis Cup final last year, after losing his last professional match to Botic van de Zandschulp.
However, his farewell ceremony in Malaga was met with mixed reactions, as Djokovic openly criticized the event. The two last met in an official match at the Paris Olympics, where Djokovic defeated Nadal on his way to securing his long-awaited gold medal.
Nadal Once Believed Djokovic’s Achievements Were “Impossible to Repeat”
In 2011, Djokovic had a breakthrough season, winning 41 consecutive matches before being stopped by Roger Federer in the Roland Garros semifinals.
Despite that, he still won three Grand Slam titles, including the US Open, where he defeated Nadal in the final.
After the match, Nadal praised Djokovic’s achievements, saying:
“Congratulations, Novak, congratulations on everything you’ve done. What you have accomplished this year is probably impossible to repeat. Well done.”
During a post-match interview, Djokovic was asked about Nadal’s comments. His response? Just three words filled with determination:
“Nothing is impossible.”
Djokovic Proves Nadal Wrong in Just Four Years
Just four years later, in 2015, Djokovic had a season that was even more dominant than 2011.
- Won three Grand Slam titles in a single year.
- Defeated Nadal at Roland Garros, becoming only the second player in history to do so.
- Reached all four Grand Slam finals, only losing to Stan Wawrinka in the Roland Garros final.
- Did not lose a single match to Nadal in both the 2011 and 2015 seasons.
- Ended the year with an ATP Finals title, cementing his absolute dominance.
2015 was one of four seasons where Djokovic won three Grand Slam titles. With just one more major, he would have matched Rod Laver and Don Budge—the only two male players in history to complete the Calendar Slam (winning all four Grand Slams in a single year).
