Melbourne, Jan 30 (AP) Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have offered their congratulations to Rafael Nadal for breaking their three-way tie atop the men's Grand Slam standings and becoming the first member of the trio to win No. 21.

Federer and Djokovic both missed the Australian Open. Federer is recovering from his latest knee operation; Djokovic is not vaccinated against COVID-19 and he was deported when his visa was revoked after he flew to Melbourne.

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Federer posted an Instagram message he addressed “to my friend and great rival.”

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A few months ago we were joking about both being on crutches. Amazing. Never underestimate a great champion,” Federer wrote. “Your incredible work ethic, dedication and fighting spirit are an inspiration to me and countless others around the world.”

Djokovic praised Nadal's “amazing achievement” in a Twitter post that added: “Always impressive fighting spirit that prevailed another time.” AP

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)