New Delhi: Serbian ace Novak Djokovic has commented on the Rafael Nadal’s unceremonious exit from the tennis last year after a Davis Cup quarterfinal loss, saying that the retirement ceremony ‘wasn’t done properly’. Djokovic said that the organisers had not planned a retirement ceremony of the 22-time Grand Slam winner considering the stature of the Spaniard in the sport.
Djokovic, who’s currently participating in the ongoing Australian Open 2025 and has moved on to the second round, also said that he regrets missing Nadal’s farewell match saying that he wished he would have been there. The rivalry between Djokovic and Nadal last for almost 18 years, with the Paris Olympics 2024 showdown between the two greats of the game their 60th and last meeting.
The Serbian tennis star finished ahead on 31-29 but lamented missing the Spanish legend’s last moments on court during last year’s Davis Cup. Spain suffered a shocking quarterfinal loss against the Netherlands, leaving everyone surprised.
Murray and I planned to be there: Djokovic
The 24-time Grand Slam winner further said that the plan was to have a ceremony for Nadal after the semis, if Spain qualified but the organisers did it after the side’s quarterfinal loss, which was abrupt. Further revealing details, he said that Andy Murray and he planned to attend the ceremony which was originally scheduled to be held after the semifinals.
“Unfortunately, it turned out the way it did, what are you gonna do? More than that, I don’t really know,” said Djokovic, told the Serbian press in Melbourne. He further said that he cherishes the on-court memories with Nadal over the years, especially having faced him in his final year on the tour. Djokovic had partnered with Andy Murray as the British is his new coach for the Australian Open 2025.
Serbian ace Novak Djokovic has commented on the Rafael Nadal’s unceremonious exit from the tennis last year after a Davis Cup quarterfinal loss. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
