Rafael Nadal offered a heartfelt reply to Novak Djokovic after the Serbian missed his farewell ceremony at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga. Djokovic, along with other tennis greats, had planned to attend later rounds, expecting Spain to progress further. However, Spain’s early loss to the Netherlands sent Nadal into retirement sooner than anticipated.
Nadal’s final match marked the end of a legendary 23-year career. Despite Djokovic’s absence, a video tribute from him was played during the ceremony, alongside messages from Andy Murray and Roger Federer. Nadal shared Djokovic’s tribute on his Instagram story, responding, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart,” with a heart emoji.
In his message, Djokovic praised Nadal’s 20-plus-year career, noting his competitive spirit and contributions to the tennis world. He reflected on shared locker-room moments and expressed hope that Nadal’s legacy would be celebrated despite the somber occasion of his retirement.
While the farewell ceremony drew criticism for its simplicity, Nadal’s gratitude for his peers’ tributes underscored the camaraderie among tennis’ greatest rivals, even as their competitive journeys come to an end.
Novak Djokovic in 2024
Ranked no.7, the Serbian played his last contest on the 13th of October when he surrendered to world no.1 Jannik Sinner 7-6(4) 6-3
in the final in Shanghai (draw).During this season Novak has an overall 37-9 win-loss record. Novak has won 1 title in Paris. Djokovic was the runner-up in Wimbledon and Shanghai.
Rafael Nadal in 2024
Now ranked no.154, Nadal played his last match on the 19th of November when he lost to world no.80 Botic Van De Zandschulp 6-4 6-4 in the Rubber 1 of the Davis Cup (draw).
Until now, during this year the Spaniard owns a compiled 12-8 record. Rafael Nadal’s most significant result of the present year was getting to the final in Bastad.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal clashed against each other 60 times. Their current head to head is 31-29 for Djokovic. The last time they squared off, Novak Djokovic won 6-1 6-4 in the 2nd round in Paris (Olympics) on the 29th of July 2024.
Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal |
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