Toni Nadal appears to have taken a subtle shade on Novak Djokovic's GOAT case as he cheekily suggested that his nephew Rafael Nadal would have been the most successful player ever if not for injuries that plagued him throughout his entire career.
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Last year, the 37-year-old Serb surpassed the Spaniard and became the all-time Grand Slam leader for the first time in his career with 24 Majors.
On the other side, the 38-year-old - who skipped the US Open and may soon announce his retirement - remains at 22 Slams. With that being said, the majority believe that the Slam race is over and won by Djokovic.
Since the Serbian tennis star also owns the record for the most weeks spent at the world No. 1 spot in tennis history and recently also added an Olympic gold medal to his resume, some argue that there is nothing left that could lead to some thinking anything other than that Djokovic is the greatest of all time.
Who is the best? Novak Djokovic. Because he won more titles than the others. Who could be the best without injuries? My nephew," Toni Nadal said.
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Not the first time that Toni Nadal delivered a similar message
In the past, the 38-year-old's uncle also suggested that the Spaniard would have achieved far more if he was able to stay healthier for longer periods of time.
"I try not to be a fan of anyone or anything. Not of my nephew nor anyone else. Fans have closed minds. It's hard to say who the best is, you have to talk about who has won the most titles. If my nephew hadn't had so many injuries, and this isn't because I'm his uncle, he would have been the best. There's not a lot between Nadal, Djokovic and Federer. But I think Roger has reached higher heights," Uncle Toni said in one of his interviews from early 2022 when asked who was the best ever.
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After returning from hip surgery, Nadal's lone Grand Slam appearance in 2024 came at the French Open - where he lost in the first round to Alexander Zverev.
