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‘I don’t know what to make out of it. I still enjoy competing. But part of me left with them, a big part of me,’ says Novak Djokovic, reflecting on the retirement of his peers and fierce rivals Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray
SHANGHAI, China – Former world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, the last surviving member of tennis’ “Big Four,” said he does not plan on stopping any time soon but admitted that the retirement of rivals Roger Federer, Andy Murray, and Rafa Nadal has been overwhelming.
Djokovic, Federer, Nadal, and Murray were dubbed the “Big Four” during a period of dominance when they won a combined 69 Grand Slam titles and were involved in some of the most memorable matches of the last two decades.
Spain’s Nadal, who won a record 14 French Open titles, announced on Thursday, October 10, that he would call time on his career after next month’s Davis Cup.
Murray retired after this year’s Paris Olympics and Federer bowed out in 2022.
“[Nadal] has been my greatest rival. The rivalry I had with him has impacted me the most in my career by far.
“We knew that that moment is coming sooner than later, but it’s still a shock, you know.
“Roger a few years ago, when he announced retirement and Andy as well this year. I mean, it’s a bit overwhelming for me to be honest. I don’t know what to make out of it. I still enjoy competing. But part of me left with them, a big part of me.”
Shanghai finale looms
Djokovic expects nothing less than a titanic duel with world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the Shanghai Masters final on Sunday, October 13, after defeating American seventh seed Taylor Fritz, 6-4, 7-6(6), in the semifinals.
Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, will play his fifth final in the tournament’s history, looking to claim his 100th ATP title as well as his fifth Shanghai Masters crown.
Before beating Fritz, the Serbian scored a 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-4 quarterfinal win over Jakub Mensik, who was born over a year after Djokovic played his first match on the ATP Tour in 2004.
Djokovic was pushed hard but fought back to clinch the win over the 19-year-old Czech.
“These kind of matches, against teenagers, it’s something that really motivates me,” Djokovic told reporters after the win.
“It keeps me going, and pushes me to really dig deep, and to show to the world that I still got it in my legs, that I can still go the distance with the young guys.
“I’m super glad that I managed to win this very challenging match.”
The 37-year-old Serbian, who had complained of pain in his left knee on Friday, said it was no longer a concern heading to the finale against Sinner.
“I won’t be a favorite on the court, but hopefully I’ll be able to come out physically fresh enough, you know, to challenge him for what may be the long match,” Djokovic added.
It will be a rematch of this year’s Australian Open semifinal, where eventual champion Sinner ended Djokovic’s 33-match winning streak with a 6-1, 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-3 upset win.
Djokovic, who had committed 54 unforced errors, was stunned by Sinner’s performance during the three-hour 26-minute battle in January but is confident he will prevail this time.
“I have to expect probably the toughest encounter of the tournament… He knows my game, I know his game. We haven’t played since Australia this year. I’m hoping for the best, it’s going to take my highest level to win,” he added. – Rappler.com
