When fans talk about Nadal’ AO 22 win there is very little respect because he ‘stole’ it from djokovic and would have virtually no chance to win if Djokovic played.
But Djokovics RG 23 win has no such claims about it. I’ve actually seen some fans even say it Nadal played djokovic would’ve bageled him…
I guess it’s not the same coming healthy to a GS you have won last 3 times and then being deported VS not playing for a whole year but being counted as a favorite while the guy who beat you there 2 years ago is healthy and winning everything. (Also, let’s mention that Rafa hasn’t beaten Nole on HC since 2013)
Just to be clear, I’m not saying Rafa didn’t deserve to win AO22, and of course “if if if” doesn’t exist and these kinds of arguments are ridiculous. I’m just trying to explain why that one feels more like a “steal” than RG23.