'Part Of Me Leaving Too': Djokovic Saddened By Nadal's Future Retirement

| by Balasz Virag

Novak Djokovic didn't have a very good chance to react to Rafael Nadal's press conference where he announced several things.

Rafael Nadal held a press conference at a time when the Italian Open was being played so Novak Djokovic didn't really have time to properly go through what was said. The Serbian had time to catch up since then and it was an emotional experience.

He talked about it during his Roland Garros press conference touching upon several things Nadal announced. One of the things Nadal announced was his retirement which will likely take place after the 2024 season. That's the plan but there is obviously a chance that his injured to send him into retirement sooner.

So, you know, that news came in a way as a shock to everybody, you know. People were asking me how I felt when he said that, you know, and I have to say that, you know, I was saying that always that he's my biggest rival. When he announced that he's going to have his last season of career, you know, I felt part of me is leaving with him too, if you know what I mean.

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It's not the first time Djokovic has expressed similar feelings as he was quite stunned by the retirement of Federer at Laver Cup. He was there and while he wasn't as emotional as Nadal it did leave a lasting impression on him. Speaking of Nadal, he further paid tribute to him by explaining how monumental he was for his carer.

Maybe I'm not expressing myself well, but because of the rivalry that we had and that we still have, because he still active player, I feel that he was one of the most, I would say, impactful people that I have ever had in my career, the growth of my career, and me as a player. Definitely a great motivational factor for me to keep playing and keep competing and keep pushing each other, you know, who's gonna achieve more, who's gonna do better.

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