As the tennis world holds its breath, Rafael Nadal‘s craze transcends the court, captivating hearts and minds globally. Along with his unmatched skill, unyielding determination, and unparalleled quest for greatness, he has found a way for himself to step up and be different from the rest of the tennis players. And recently, the 367-year-old tennis player’s iconic racket from the 2007 French Open has been sold at an auction.
But there is a lot more to the story. While both Nadal and Novak Djokovic rackets were at the auction, the price at which the 2007 Roland Garros one went out will astonish you. Let’s take a look at how Nadal trumps Djokovic in the recent racquet sale.
Rafael Nadal takes over Novak Djokovic
The third-most valuable item in history is the tennis racket that the 22-time Grand Slam champion used to defeat Roger Federer and win his third championship in Paris. It is the same racket with which the Spaniard played in the 2007 French Open final and is now considered among the highest-priced items in tennis.
via Getty
According to Marca, in a recent auction, the same racket was sold out for $118,000. In the same auction, the 24-time Grand Slam champion 2006 French Open racket was also sold out. But at a quite different price. Djokovic’s racket was also auctioned at $107,500, which is a bit lower than what Nadal’s racket was sold out at.
Although both of them are quite memorable rackets and even memorable moments that the tennis world has ever seen, going back and forth on the tennis court, Nadal has taken over Djokovic in racket sales. Even though there is not much of a difference between both prices, it won’t be wrong to say that the rivalry between them has not taken forward with their rackets.
Not only that, do you know that the Spaniard’s 2022 Australian Open racket, with which he won his 21st Grand Slam title, also went out for $139,700? But even though the Spaniard might have taken over Djokovic, in the racket sale there is one aspect in which the Serbian has left all of his rivals behind, including Federer and Nadal.
One key aspect in which Djokovic left Nadal behind
A month ago, Dante Bottini’s interview with La Nacion detailed how the world’s number one ranked tennis player, who feeds himself on tennis hunger, has left his Rivals behind in terms of his longevity. While talking about his dedication to the sport and praising him, he highlighted how Djokovic’s determination made him stand out from the crowd.
He stated, “The most surprising thing is that his physique lasts that way. He feeds himself in a unique way, paying attention to every detail. He has been doing yoga for many years; that’s why he is so elastic. You could be hungry and eager to continue, as could happen to Nadal or as Roger could have had, but your body told you enough.”
Even after drawing a lot of conclusions, the debate over who is better between the two will go on for a long time. However, what are your thoughts on the racket sales? Do let us know in the comment section below.