Another open front between Nadal and Djokovic

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They were never friends, if this type of sentimental bond can be established between two players who dispute to occupy the best place in the history of tennis.

Nothing to do, in any case, in the relationship between

and

with which the Spaniard maintains with

, also involved in that passionate dispute.

The differences have been accentuated in the ATP Finals, after the manifestations of the left-hander and

in different open fronts or to open.

It does not matter that they were seen training together at the O2 Arena.

They disagree, and not only, as is received, in their passionate sports confrontation.

The latest divergence came from renewed debate over the hypothesis that Grand Slam tournament matches are reduced to the best of three sets.

Asked about it, Djokovic was in favor of the change after beating

with solvency

in his debut in the masters tournament.

"I think we have enough tournaments and matches, with 11 months of competition, from January 1 to the end of November. I see no reason to play the best of five sets, other than that it is something historical."

On Sunday, after killing

, Nadal spoke in the opposite direction from the Serb.

"I am against removing all five sets in the Grand Slams. It is part of the history of our sport. Playing five sets means being stronger for longer, being stronger physically and mentally."

Each one defends their own interests, the conditions most favorable to their resources on the field.

Nadal appeals to tradition and argues with the expression of physical and mental strength, the foundations from which he has built a career that has illuminated 20

date

, the same as Federer and three more than Djokovic, whom he devastated in the last final of Roland Garros.

Less constant, prone to distraction, possessing a tennis that often thrives on trances of extraordinary inspiration, Djokovic prefers to play short distances, even if on his side he fell in 2012 the longest final of the Australian Open, which he later conquered of five hours and 53 minutes precisely against Nadal.

The Discord Association

Djokovic goes on his own, as he demonstrated with the launch of the Professional Tennis Players Association, presented during the last United States Open as a complement to the Professional Tennis Association, the ATP, created in 1972 to ensure the interests of Players.

Reluctant from conception, like Federer, Nadal has returned to the crossroads in London.

"Not because they have created this organization are they helping tennis more than the rest of the players who believe in the usual structure, within the ATP. If we have experienced positive situations it has been due to the involvement of Roger, mine, but also Novak and Andy to ask the rest what they needed: If we compare the income of five, six, seven or eight years ago with what is now, it is clear that we have narrowed the income gap between the lowest ranked players and the best. We know we have to keep working on that, but we don't consider that another organization is required for that to happen. We have the same idea, what changes is the approach to achieve it. "

Nadal and Djokovic came to share press chief, but the task was unaffordable for

.

In the stage in which the Serbian complemented his matches with imitations at the foot of the court of some of his colleagues, including Nadal, the one still in charge of communication for both worked hard so that

not received nails in the Mutua Madrid Open.

Weeks before the tournament was held in the capital of Spain, this newspaper enjoyed a generous interview with the Serbian in Monte Carlo, called to fill the color cover of the then weekend supplement.

Pérez Barbadillo dissociated himself from Djokovic many years ago, although he maintains a good relationship with him.

Nothing goes unnoticed in the long sporting struggle that they have maintained for almost three decades.

On October 11, after beating Djokovic 6-0, 6-2 and 7-5 in the Roland Garros final, between praising words towards his opponent and the rivalry maintained for so many years, Nadal recalled on the track the conclusive defeat suffered against him a year earlier at the Australian Open, where he fell 6-3, 6-2 and 6-3.

This time it was his turn to mark territory.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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