Mega numbers confirm Rafael Nadal is hammering Novak Djokovic in the popularity stakes

On the court, numbers often determine the rivalry's standing, but it's clear that Rafael Nadal has a significant edge over Novak Djokovic in terms of popularity.

Djokovic's tennis career looks set to make him the most successful player in history, with his 24 Grand Slam titles and two more years than any other player at the top of the ATP rankings.

However, despite his incredible success, Djokovic has faced challenges in winning over tennis and sports fans worldwide. He often faces booing and jeering during matches, an unusual occurrence for someone who's achieved so much in the sport.

Nadal has now reached a major milestone that highlights his immense popularity. He's become the first tennis player to surpass the 21 million followers mark on Instagram, outshining his long-time rival Roger Federer, who has 12.2 million followers on the platform. Djokovic trails behind with 14.4 million followers.

Nadal's popularity is also evident on Twitter, now called X, where he has 15.5 million followers, compared to Djokovic's 9.2 million and Federer's 12.6 million.

Additionally, Nadal boasts a significant fanbase on Facebook, with 14 million followers, bringing his total social media reach to over 50 million.

With such impressive social media numbers, Nadal could command substantial fees for sponsored social media posts, placing him among the A-list of sports stars based on social media success.

According to former British No 1 Jo Konta, Djokovic is likely to fall short in the popularity stakes compared to Nadal and Federer.

“I think out of all of them, Novak has had the toughest go when it comes to image, for whatever reasons,” Konta told Tennis365.com.

“He just got there a bit later so you had really strong fan bases for Rafa and for Roger.

“Also, Rafa and Roger can claim they changed the game, they brought in something new. Novak can’t really claim that. He just got there a bit later, but by God he is one of the main reasons why the game is where is it now.

“I think it sucks for him that he doesn’t get that kind of fan recognition. I think also, you know, people want to jump on the bandwagon to hate on someone.

“People don’t like Djokovic because it’s trendy. I don’t think any one person can say why they don’t like Djokovic.

“No one knows him, just like no one knows Roger or Rafa personally. If you stop any fan and ask them why they don’t like Djokovic, they won’t know really.That’s why I’m a secret Djokovic fan!”

“The more they cheer against me, the better for me. They wake something in me that they perhaps don’t want to see – a winner,” said Djokovic last year.

“As a player, you want to have the majority of the crowd on your side. My wish is not to play in a hostile atmosphere. It turns out, though, that the crowd supports my opponent in most of the matches in my career.

“It’s happened in the past, in the big tournaments around the world. It gives me extra fuel, and inspires me to play even better.”