Daria Kasatkina has honest Novak Djokovic message for idol Rafael Nadal

Yesterday at 10:40 PM

Daria Kasatkina says she may be a huge Rafael Nadal fan but highlights that it doesn't mean she won't be objective when discussing certain things as the Russian thinks Novak Djokovic has done enough to be regarded as the greatest of all time.

Over the years, the 27-year-old has spoken numerous times about how she grew up looking up to the Spaniard and trying to learn from his game. And since the 2022 French Open semifinalist has made a pretty good career for herself and has been one of the better-ranked players for years, it is safe to say that she chose the right path.

But while Kasatkina has gotten to meet Nadal and see that the 22-time Grand Slam champion is the kind of person she thought he was, she also has nothing but great respect for Djokovic and Roger Federer. 

After surpassing the Swiss tennis icon in 2022, the Serb also made it past the Spaniard on the all-time Grand Slam list after winning three Majors last year to improve to 24 Slams.

"All three of them are unreachable... You know if someone has an idol, they'll love him even if the results are not up to par. And it's obvious in my case, because it started in my childhood. But objectively, looking at the results, Novak is the greatest. It'd be silly to argue about that. And the rest is a matter of taste," the 13th-ranked Russian told told TNNS. 

Just over two years ago, the 27-year-old made her first Slam semifinal at the French Open. During that same tournament, Nadal beat Djokovic in the quarterfinal en route to winning the title.

While that match was happening, the seven-time WTA champion was in her hotel room and she stayed woke as long as she could rooting for her idol although she had a match the following day.

“I put my laptop away and I fell asleep. But I’m really happy for Rafa because I cannot imagine how tough were the circumstances,” Kasatkina shared at the time.