Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic
Tennis players Novak Djokovic of Serbia (C) and Rafael Nadal of Spain (R) walk in a handicraft market before their "Back To Thailand - Nadal vs Djokovic" friendly match on Friday, in Bangkok, Thailand, October 1, 2015. Reuters/Jorge Silva

Rafael Nadal threw heaps of praises for longtime rival Novak Djokovic during a recent press conference. Nadal said that Djokovic's 2015 campaign was “amazing” after the sensational Serbian ended his season with his second U.S. Open title, his third grand slam title this year.

“Novak is having an amazing season,” Nadal told the reporters during Thursday’s press conference ahead of their exhibition match in the Thai capital. “I texted him after the U.S. Open, but I want to say in public way, it’s amazing the way that he’s playing during the whole season.”

According to Nadal, the Serbian’s performance level is “difficult to equal,” contrary to his playing level, which had been unsatisfactory as he ended his campaign without winning a grand slam title for the first time in 11 years.

The former Spanish World No. 1, now ranked seventh, faced tough challenges at this year's grand slam tournaments. He suffered quarterfinal eliminations at the Australian and French Open. At the All England Club, Nadal was upset in the second round. He suffered another early elimination at the U.S. Open when he lost in the third round of the final grand slam tournament of the season.

Nadal and Djokovic headline a sold-out exhibition match dubbed “Back to Thailand Nadal vs. Djokovic.” The Spanish tennis star said that he is not looking to take revenge against Djokovic, who won in their last two encounters that took place this season in the Monte Carlo semifinal and French Open quarterfinal. He said that he hopes to bring enjoyment to the Asian fans of the sport.

Meanwhile, both players are scheduled to play at the 2015 China Open, which kicks off on Oct. 5. Nadal and Djokovic are featured in the men’s singles event seeded first and third, respectively. They will also play in the doubles event. Nadal will team up with Marc Lopez, while Djokovic and his younger brother, Djordje, received wild cards in the doubles main draw.

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