Rafael Nadal: ‘Novak Djokovic is winning too much, but he deserves it’

Rafael Nadal said that career rival Novak Djokovic is dominating the competition too much, but the King of Clay admitted the Serb deserves such glory.

Nadal is one of the many players who has witnessed Djokovic’s dominance first hand, most recently at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, where the world No. 1 defeated the Spaniard for the sixth time in their overall career meetings.

Despite his losing against Djokovic, Nadal still appreciates the Belgrade native’s impressive run to become one of the tennis greats to surface the earth. “For the last year-and-a-half or two years, only one is dominating. Maybe too much. But he deserves,” Nadal said, reports Tennis World USA.

Nadal was forced to withdraw from the Miami Open due to a dizzy spell, spoiling the Mallorcan’s attempt to win his first title of the season. The unexpected exit have raised concerns for Nadal’s playing form ahead of the clay-court season, which opens next month in Houston, Texas.

"If the health is fine in a couple of days and nothing is there, I will be ready in a couple of days and I hope to be ready for the clay," Nadal said, reports the India Times.

The 14-time Grand Slam winner is expected to return to tennis competition at the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters, where he joins a returning Roger Federer, who was also forced to withdraw from the tournament in Key Biscayne, Florida because of a stomach virus. It will be Nadal’s first tournament en route to Roland Garros, where the 29-year-old won nine of his total Grand Slam titles.

Meanwhile, Djokovic continues his quest to win a third-straight Miami Open title when he faces Austria’s Dominic Thiem in Round of 16 of the tournament. The 11-time Grand Slam champion will head into the match with an impressive 24-1 record this season.