The statistical difference between two rivalries defines them, and in this case, Rafael Nadal is clearly ahead of Novak Djokovic in terms of public opinion.
With 24 Grand Slam victories paired with two more years than any other player at the top of the ATP rankings, Djokovic is likely to become the most successful tennis player of all time in tennis history.
Even so, Djokovic has never been able to secure a supportive following among tennis and sports enthusiasts worldwide, despite his incredible achievements on the court.
For a player who has accomplished so much in the game, he is frequently the target of jeers and boos during games.
Now that he has surpassed the 21 million follower threshold on Instagram, Rafael Nadal has achieved yet another significant milestone that attests to the depth of his fame.
He now has a significant lead over his longstanding opponent, Roger Federer, who has 12.2 million Instagram followers.
Djokovic, who has 14.4 million followers on the platform, is well behind Nadal as well.
The 15.5 million people who follow the 14-time French Open winner on X, formerly Twitter, attest to his popularity.
Federer has 12.6 million followers on X, far more than Djokovic’s 9.2 million on the same network.
With 14 million Facebook followers, Nadal has a sizable fan base there as well, extending his total social media reach to almost 50 million.
If you assess sports stars’ success on social media, Nadal is on the A-list, which means he could command a hefty amount for each sponsored social media post.
Former world No. 1 Jo Konta believes that Djokovic will always lose out to Federer and Rafael Nadal in terms of popularity.
For whatever reason, Konta told Tennis365.com, “I think out of all of them, Novak has had the toughest go when it comes to image.”
You had pretty big fan bases for Rafa and Roger since he arrived a little later.
Additionally, Rafa and Roger might assert that they introduced something fresh and altered the game. Really, Novak can’t say that. Although he arrived somewhat later, he is undoubtedly a major factor in the current state of the game.
“It bothers me that he doesn’t receive that kind of fan appreciation. Additionally, I believe that individuals like to join the chorus of others who despise someone.
“Djokovic is disliked by many because he is trendy. I don’t believe that one person can adequately explain why they dislike Djokovic.
“No one is directly familiar with him, any more than they are with Rafa or Roger. Any fan you stop and ask why they don’t like Djokovic will honestly have no idea. I’m a secret Djokovic admirer because of this.
As he maintains that the treatment he receives motivates him to excel, Djokovic has indicated that he accepts his destiny as the player whom the fans love to despise.
“It’s better for me the more they cheer against me. They awaken something in me, a victor, that they might not want to see,” Djokovic remarked in the previous year.
“As a player, you want most of the audience to be behind you. I would rather not play in a hostile environment. However, it turns out that in the majority of my career bouts, the crowd has sided with my opponent.
That’s my fate, and that’s okay. Sometimes it’s difficult for me to accept it, and other times I don’t understand the reactions of the crowd, but that’s okay too. However, occasionally, there are those who are bolder in their remarks spoken from the stands; in those cases, they must anticipate my response.
It has previously occurred in major international competitions. It increases my motivation and motivates me to perform even better.
