Rafael Nadal played down Novak Djokovic's recent drop in form with the two scheduled to meet for the 50th time as they play in the semifinals of Madrid.
"On his slump, 99 percent of players would love to be in his position," said Nadal. "In his dip after Wimbledon, he won in [Toronto], the final at the US Open, the semifinals in Shanghai, the final in the World Tour Finals."
But since then, Djokovic has only claimed a single title, a 250 event in Doha, and recently stopped working with his coaching team, pointing to his poor form.
Nadal acknowledged the Serb's slide, but also emphasized the pressure of consistently playing at such a high level.
"It's true that perhaps it's not as high as he used to be, but I can also tell you it's a lot of years. I know because I've been in his skin," he said. "When you win every single match in every tournament, that is abnormal. In history we have never seen what he achieved during those years."
The two have not played since the Rome Masters in 2016 when Djokovic was dominant and Nadal was attempting to regain his standing.
While it is Nadal who is coming off two straight title wins, he is not taking his rival lightly. "I'm expecting a difficult match, against one of the best players in history, and to have chances to win I have to be at the highest level of play,'' he said.
Djokovic is No. 2 and Nadal is No. 5 in the rankings.
