Novak Djokovic said on hearing long-time rival Rafael Nadal announce he intends to retire in 2024 has made him question how long he too will continue playing.
Djokovic, 36, could win his 23rd major title at the French Open, pulling him clear of the injured Nadal and taking the outright men’s singles record.
“It made me wonder about my career and how long I might play,” said the Serb.
“When he announced he is going to have his last season, I felt part of me is leaving with him too.”
Nadal has won a record 14 titles at Roland Garros but misses the clay-court Grand Slam for the first time in 19 years because of a long-term hip injury.
When announcing his withdrawal,the 36-year-old Spaniard said he would stop playing for the foreseeable future in an attempt to return for a planned farewell season in 2024.
Djokovic and Nadal have created one of the most enduring rivalries in tennis history, playing each other 59 times – a record on the ATP Tour – and sweeping up the sport’s most significant prizes between them.
Since the pair each levelled and overtook Roger Federer’s mark of 18 majors, they have been tussling to finish on top.
“Because of the rivalry that we have, I feel he was one of the most impactful people that I have had in my career,” said Djokovic, who equalled Nadal’s 22 majorsby winning the Australian Open in January.
“He has been a great motivational factor for me to keep playing and keep competing, to keep pushing each other and who’s going to achieve more.
“So that news came as a shock to everybody.
“It made me think about my career. I’m not going to make any announcement today, but reflecting on it, I felt a little bit emotional about what he was saying.”
