Novak Djokovic has paid tribute to Rafael Nadal
Novak Djokovic has paid tribute to his great rival Rafael Nadal in a classy video message shared following the Spaniard’s retirement.
Nadal was defeated 6-4, 6-4 by Botic van de Zandschulp in the first rubber of Spain’s Davis Cup quarter-final clash with the Netherlands on Tuesday.
It proved to be the final match of the 22-time major champion’s remarkable career as hosts Spain exited the competition after falling to a 2-1 defeat in Malaga.
Djokovic and Nadal contested 60 matches — an Open Era record in men’s tennis — in what was arguably the greatest rivalry in the sport’s history.
The first meeting between the legendary duo was at the 2006 French Open, while their final showdown also came on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
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Here is Djokovic’s tribute to Nadal in full, which was posted on the Davis Cup social media accounts:
Rafa. First all, congratulations on your amazing career. Your family, your team, yourself should be extremely proud of everything that you have achieved throughout your career that lasted for more than 20 years. In the tennis locker room, we will miss your warmups, your sprints, your jumps, your incredibly competitive parchis, the games that you had with your team before your matches.
We had a lot of fun times, sharing the locker room and, you know, I just hope that today, even though it is a sad day for tennis — even though it is a sad day for Spain and sport in general, that you are retiring — at the same time, I hope that everyone will celebrate your career because there is so much to embrace, so much to celebrate.
I think, more importantly — and you would agree with this — is the the mark that you left behind in terms of the connection with the people, in terms of how you inspired millions of children around the world to grab a tennis racket. How you conveyed your passion and love for the game, how you carried yourself on the court. How you showed respect to your opponents, to the entire tennis ecosystem throughout the course of your entire career.
Your tenacity, your fighting spirit, the energy that you brought every single time, the strength, the power, is something that will be studied and is something that will be transferred to many, many generations that are coming up and aspiring to be like you as a person and as a great tennis champion. I’ve been very honoured and thrilled to be called your rival over the last, almost 20 years, we’ve played more than 60 matches. I have learned so much in our encounters and thank you very much for also making me the player that I am and that I was over the last 20 years.
The tennis world and the sports world will miss the incredible energy that you brought on the court. My friend, I wish you the very best of luck with your charity foundation, with your family, with your Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy that continues to thrive, that continues to spread around the world where you will be able to spread the experiences and the knowledge and the passion and love you have for the game to the younger generation. Thank you very much and good luck my friend.
Djokovic also teamed up with Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Serena Williams and some football legends for a video tribute to Nadal played on court after Spain’s loss.
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