Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have seen plenty of one another during the past 20 years.

But it would be fair to say that they’ve come face to face on the court more often than in the air. Perhaps that’s why World No. 1 Djokovic took to Instagram to share a selfie Rafa snapped when the legends met up on the same commercial flight to the United States.

Both players are preparing for the year’s first ATP Masters 1000 tournament, the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

Djokovic, who has won five titles in Indian Wells, including a hat-trick between 2014-16, will compete at the event for the first time since 2019. And it will be just his third tournament of the year, and first since the Australian Open, where the Serbian fell to Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals.

Nadal triumphed in the desert in 2007, ’09 and ’13. His most recent appearance was in 2022, when he defeated Nick Kyrgios and Carlos Alcaraz in the quarters and semis before falling to Taylor Fritz in the final.

Nadal, 37, has not played since his long-awaited return to the tour in the first week of the season in Brisbane, where he defeated Dominic Thiem and Jason Kubler before losing to Jordan Thompson in the quarter-finals. The Spaniard suffered a micro muscle tear in Brisbane and missed the Australian Open

Rafael Nadal on Wednesday hailed longtime rival Novak Djokovic as the best player in the history of the sport.

“The numbers say yes, for me yes (he is the best in history),” Nadal said in an interview with El Objective de La Sexta when asked “who is the best?”

Djokovic has 24 Grand Slam titles having surpassed Nadal’s 22 when he captured last year’s French Open.

Despite that success, the controversial world number one from Serbia still struggles to translate his on-court triumphs into off-court popularity.

“The image he projects is worse than he really is; I think he’s a good person,” added Nadal.

“There are moments of frustration. Novak breaks his racquet, but the next point he is ready to play at 100% again and it is the best I have ever seen.”

Nadal, 37, has been battling injury and missed virtually all of 2023. He was hurt again last month before sitting out the Australian Open.

With his career winding down, Nadal hailed compatriot and heir Carlos Alcaraz who is already a two-time major winner at the age of 20.