Novak Djokovic suffers crushing blow as Rafael Nadal plan outlined by coach

Novak Djokovic a crushing blow in his bid to pip Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the race to secure the most Grand Slam titles in men's tennis history. The Spaniard won last month's Australian Open, and according to his coach Carlos Moya, he may not be done yet.

Nadal's victory called time on an unprecedented era in men's tennis, with each of the 'big three' sitting on 20 Grand Slam titles apiece.

Djokovic's controversial deportation following his medical vaccine exemption fiasco allowed Nadal to battle to the top prize in Melbourne without having to face the imperious Serb, who has won the Aussie Open on nine prior occasions.

In beating Daniil Medvedev after a five-set epic, Nadal claimed his first Australian Open crown since 2009, and became the first man to reach 21 Grand Slam titles.

With Federer still out injured and Djokovic likely to run into more vaccine complications, Moya's comments suggest that now could be the perfect time to capitalise.

"What Rafa is looking for is to be competitive and continue to evolve," Moya told Punto de Break.

"It is true that over time you lose physique, speed or explosiveness, but you are smarter and handle situations better.

"I always said that Rafa is one of the most intelligent players on the court, one of those who read the games best, the one who is most suited to having a Plan B, a Plan C. I would tell you that he has the whole alphabet.

"When I arrived in 2016 he was 30-years-old, but I have a medium-long-term vision. He trusted that he would evolve in a number of ways so that he would still have a long way to go.

"We had a talk and I saw him very motivated, wanting to win Grand Slams again, there I was convinced that anything could happen.

"If he wanted to extend his