Novak Djokovic was very emotional when speaking about the retirements of his closest rivals on the ATP Tour.
The last man standing. That's how the 37-year-old Serbian could be described. He will end his tennis career as the last one of the famed Big Four, as two of his rivals are already retired, while the third one will retire at the end of this season.
Roger Federer, who is already 43 years old, was the first to retire, and it came at the 2022 Laver Cup. This year, 37-year-old Andy Murray followed the Swiss Maestro into retirement, and at the 2024 Davis Cup Final 8, Rafael Nadal, 38, will join the two of them.
And then there is Djokovic. He's not much younger than his rivals, but he's still competing and trying to fight for the biggest trophies. In 2024, he was left empty-handed at Grand Slam tournaments, as two youngsters, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, split all four major titles.
However, as he often puts it, the fire is still burning in Djokovic, but the mental aspect of his rivals leaving also can't be underestimated. After Nadal announced his retirement from tennis, Djokovic penned an emotional message.
He then spoke about his rival, as well as his other two rivals, also during the 2024 Shanghai Masters, where he also got to meet with Federer, who funnily called him an 'old guy.'
Speaking about Nadal specifically, Djokovic admitted that the Spaniard was his greatest rival, and the numbers prove it. He met with him a total of 60 times, while he played against Federer 50 times, and Federer and Nadal met 40 times.
"He’s been my greatest rival, the rivalry I had with him has impacted me the most in my career by far. We knew that the moment is coming sooner than later but it’s still a shock when it came officially."
Djokovic then also mentioned his other two rivals, Federer and Murray, who also retired only recently. He admitted that it's been an overwhelming period for him.
"Also for Roger a few years ago when he announced his retirement and Andy [Murray] this year, it’s a bit overwhelming for me to be honest. I don’t know what to make of it."
However, the 37-year-old also admitted that with Nadal, Federer, and Murray's retirement, a big part of him left with them. Still, he added that he still enjoyed competing, even though not with them anymore.
"I still enjoy competing but part of me left with them, big part of me, so it’s tough news for the tennis world, sports world. Nadal is an inspiration to millions of children around the world and he can be very proud of his career."
In the absence of these legends, Djokovic found rivals in players almost two decades younger than him. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are those who he tries to challenge at the moment, even though they had the last laugh this year.