He clashed 60 times with Djokovic, who edged their rivalry 31-29.
Novak Djokovic returns to Jakub Mensik in Shanghai yesterday. Pic/Getty Images
Novak Djokovic said on Friday that he was “overwhelmed” by the news of Rafael Nadal’s retirement and called the Spaniard “the greatest rival that I ever had,” but insisted that he has no plans to stop.
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Nadal announced Thursday that he will step back from tennis after the Davis Cup finals in November, ending his 22 Grand Slam-winning career. He clashed 60 times with Djokovic, who edged their rivalry 31-29.
“He remains the greatest rival that I ever had. He has impacted me a lot as a player, my development, he has inspired a lot of people around the world,” said Djokovic, speaking after he beat 19-year-old Jakub Mensik in three sets to progress to the Shanghai Masters semi-finals.
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“The era of the four musketeers, so to say, the four of us and all the rivalries we had was incredible,” he said. “I’m a bit overwhelmed, but, you know, I still have the desire to play. Fighting against a 19-year-old for two and a half hours on the court is something that still drives me... and I try to get the best out of myself.”
The 24-time Grand Slam champ is the last man standing from the golden era, with Roger Federer retiring in 2022, and Andy Murray calling it quits this year too.
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