Nadal, Djokovic and Roger Federer dominated the sport for the better part of two decades. But with Federer already retired and Nadal joining him, the 24-time Grand Slam champion will be the last man standing.

Djokovic was always the odd one out in the Big Three – he came up later than his rivals and played catch-up for years. As they got older, Nadal and Federer formed a friendship away from the tennis court while the current world No. 4 didn’t appear as close with his foes.

But Nadal has now claimed that he also has a strong bond with Djokovic, even if the Serb doesn’t feel the same way.

Asked how he maintained a friendship with Federer off the court, the Spaniard told DAZN: “Of course with Roger it has been special but with Novak too, I have a good relationship.”

The 22-time Grand Slam champion believes he is able to get on with his rivals because they share similar values. “It’s the way that you approach the sport,” he continued.

“I think that’s possible because at the end, we understand that it’s only a game. In life, we have many more important things outside of tennis.”

“At the end of the day, if you have a good relationship with the colleagues, with the people who are next to you or with the people in general, without a doubt, in my experience, you will be happier. So at the end, tennis is only a game, relationships go beyond that.”

However, Djokovic doesn’t appear to be entirely on the same page about his dynamic with Nadal. “Even with him, friendship is impossible. I have always respected and greatly admired him,” he previously told Corriere Della Sera.

While grateful for his rivalry with Nadal, the Olympic champion added: “We have never been friends. Between rivals, it is not possible, but we have never been enemies.”

Djokovic seems to have shifted his perspective though. The world No. 4 has already committed to attending the Davis Cup Finals to be there for Nadal’s farewell.

With their fierce rivalry all but over – Djokovic won their 60th and final professional match at the Olympics – they could do battle one last time in Saudi Arabia this weekend, though it won’t count as an official meeting.

However, Nadal isn’t too fussed about facing Djokovic again. “We played plenty of times, we don’t need to play again. But have been always a big challenge, a great rival. He’s a player that has been always pushing me at the highest level, going through the limits,” he smiled.