Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic clash over line judges, best-of-5 format in Grand Slams

Grand Slam legends Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are currently the top two ranked (according to latest ATP rankings) men’s singles players in the world. The two, along with Roger Federer, have been dominating men’s singles charts since the last 15 years. While both Djokovic and Nadal are known to be good friends, the two continue to disagree over certain aspects and rules of modern-day tennis.

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Rafael Nadal in favour of line judges and best-of-five formats, Novak Djokovic opposes

Rafael Nadal recently lost to Dominic Thiem in straight sets in the ongoing ATP Finals 2020 event. The tournament is not only being played without spectators (due to pandemic) but is also being conducted without line judges. The judges are replaced by Hawkeye line-calling technology in order to decide whether the ball is in or not. The presence of technology has denied players the chance for Hawkeye challenges.

After his defeat to Thiem, Rafael Nadal said that he prefers traditional courts with line judges in them. He added that while technology is there, the presence of “human side” through line judges will provide value to the sport. By saying “it could be just the two of us (players) in the court if we want”, Rafael Nadal implied that if line judges are removed, the next step could very well be removing chair umpires as well.

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Novak Djokovic, on the other hand, was of the opinion that line judges should be removed altogether. The Serbian tennis legend expressed his opinion during the French Open in October.

Both Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic also vary in opinions when it comes to favouring sets of either best-of-3 or best-of-5 formats in Grand Slam matches. Nadal recently expressed that he is “totally against” the best-of-3 sets in Grand Slams by saying a one-day break between matches is enough to keep the best-of-5 format.

During a post-match interview of the ongoing ATP Finals 2020 itself, Novak Djokovic described himself a supporter of best of three matches. He said that “I am not sure if there is a chance to change that”, considering the long tradition and history of Grand Slams of best-of-5. However, Djokovic later claimed himself a “proponent of best of three matches”.

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Rafael Nadal Grand Slams and Novak Djokovic Grand Slams Tally

The Rafael Nadal Grand Slams tally composes of 20 titles, which is the joint-highest in history alongside Roger Federer’s collection. Novak Djokovic Grand Slams Tally of 17 titles makes the Serbian tennis ace the third most successful men’s singles player in history.

ATP Finals 2020 match-ups

Also Read | Dominic Thiem Beats Rafael Nadal At ATP Finals 2020, Fans Call Match 'EPIC': Watch

Image source: ATP Tour Twitter