In some ways, tennis just isn't the same for 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic without longtime rival and 22-time major winner Rafael Nadal on the other side of the net.
It's a sentimental realization that Djokovic came to following his straight sets victory over Corentin Moutet in the second round of the French Open on Thursday.
"It wasn't easy these past few years to see the other Big Three [Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray] leave the sport," Djokovic said in French. "They have been and they will always remain the greatest rivals I had in my career. Especially when Rafa left, a big part of me left with him. I did not think it would have been this way, but it is true."
"When Rafa left, a big part of me left with him" 💔
— TNT Sports (@tntsports) May 30, 2025
Novak Djokovic reflects on tennis without his greatest rivals 🗣️#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/d7pAeBIRTb
"Because it was a rivalry on and off the court. It was a great 20 years for our sport, and I hope to keep playing and to keep bringing good things to this sport."
While Djokovic had several tightly contested matches in his career against both Federer and Murray, his rivalry with Nadal was at another level entirely. The two played some of the most physical matches the sport has ever seen, all the while bringing out the best in each other. Djokovic and Nadal met 60 times in their careers, with the former holding a narrow 31-29 edge. Nadal maintained an 11-7 advantage, including a 5-4 edge in finals, at the major tournaments.
Nadal retired at the end of the 2024 season and just this past week was honored with a tribute ceremony at the French Open, a tourney he won a record 14 times in his decorated career. Djokovic, as well as Federer and Murray, were on hand for the emotional ceremony.
Djokovic later admitted that seeing his longtime rivals made him both sad that they are no longer playing but also proud of himself that he's still playing at the age of 38, according to The Athletic. The Serbian tennis star also acknowledged Nadal's tribute ceremony has him thinking about his own potential farewell, though he's still unsure when exactly that will occur.
2025 has been a difficult year for Djokovic. His run at the year's first major, the Australian Open, was cut short due to a muscle tear. Since that point, Djokovic has won just one title (last week at the Geneva Open) and has uncharacteristically lost seven matches.
He'll take on Filip Misolic in the third round of the French Open on Saturday.
More on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Novak Djokovic Makes Heartbreaking Admission About Rafael Nadal's Retirement.
