Djokovic shocked by Nadal’s retirement from tennis

World number one Novak Djokovic expressed his emotional reaction to Rafael Nadal’s recent retirement announcement from professional tennis, describing the Spaniard as “the greatest rival that I ever had” while affirming that he has no plans to retire himself.

Nadal, who holds 22 Grand Slam titles, announced that he will step away from tennis after the Davis Cup finals in November, marking the end of a legendary career. Over their careers, Djokovic and Nadal faced off 60 times, with Djokovic holding a narrow 31-29 edge in their intense rivalry.

“He remains the greatest rival that I ever had,” Djokovic said after defeating 19-year-old Jakub Mensik in a three-set battle to advance to the Shanghai Masters semi-finals. “He has impacted me a lot as a player, my development, and he has inspired many people around the world.”

The 24-time Grand Slam champion admitted that despite Nadal’s well-documented struggles with injuries, the news of his retirement was still surprising.

At 37, Djokovic is the last of tennis’s “Big Four” still active, following Roger Federer’s retirement in 2022 and Andy Murray’s decision to step back this year. Reflecting on this, Djokovic said, “I’m still playing, still keep going… but part of me left with them, that’s for sure.”

He reminisced about their era, calling it “the four musketeers” and acknowledging the significance of their rivalries over the years. Despite the retirement of his biggest competitors, Djokovic reaffirmed his motivation: “I’m a bit overwhelmed, to be honest, but I still have the desire to play.”

The Serb added that competing against younger players like Mensik keeps him driven. “Fighting against a 19-year-old for two and a half hours on the court is something that still drives me… and I try to get the best out of myself.”