Rafael Nadal says Novak Djokovic deserved to beat him at the French Open because he was the ‘better player’ on the night.
Nadal endured a rare Roland Garros defeat on Friday night in a brilliant match, which world number one Djokovic ended up taking 3-6, 6-3, 7-6, 6-2.
After the match, though, Nadal said he was not in the mood for excuses, and he simply had to accept that Djokovic was a worthy winner.
“The better player deserved to win,” Nadal said after the match. “He deserved to win.
“Probably it was not my best day today, even if I fought. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
“I had a big chance. There were crazy points. The fatigue is there. Well done for him. A good fight for him. Tried my best.
“I can player better, that’s reality. But at the end, the conditions were a little slower, which is not an excuse, because in our sport, the one that deals the best with the conditions deserves to win.
“Credit to him. What can I add? I won a lot here but I couldn’t today, that’s reality.”
Djokovic will now play Stefanos Tsitsipas in the French Open final on Sunday as he bids for a 19th major.
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