Novak Djokovic is now the last remaining player of the ‘Big Three’ after Rafael Nadal retired from tennis.
Botic van de Zandschulp beat Nadal in his final match, with the Netherlands knocking Spain out of the Davis Cup Finals.
Serena Williams has messaged Nadal following his retirement, with the 38-year-old hanging up his racket as a 22-time Grand Slam champion.
He is just two behind all-time leader Djokovic, and two ahead of fellow legend Roger Federer, who retired in 2022.
Djokovic now has the chance to extend his lead at the top, potentially beginning at the Australian Open in January 2025.
Novak Djokovic says what happened when he played against Rafael Nadal
The Serbian has won the event a record 10 times, although Nadal is the king of the French Open thanks to his 14 titles.
Djokovic has now described exactly how the Spaniard achieved immense success, explaining Nadal’s mentality to Tennis Channel.
“It’s hard to pick one thing, because there’s a lot of things that inspire me in his career,” said Djokovic. “Definitely the tenacity, dedication, fighting spirit, this kind of champion’s mentality of never giving up in the face of adversity, finding a way to win, finding a way to come back.
“It’s an incredible challenge. Every time I face him, anywhere in the world, I feel I have to be at my best, I feel I have to be really present, really aware, particularly when you play on clay. When you play on clay you feel like, ‘oh my god, is the ball ever going to pass him?’ Congratulations Rafa on a great career.”
What is Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic’s head-to-head record?
Nadal picked up four US Open titles to go along with his French Open success, along with two titles at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
Djokovic meanwhile has tallies of seven, four and three titles at Wimbledon, the US Open and the French Open respectively.
And given their ability to reach final after final, it is no surprise that the pair met a massive 60 times on the court.
But unfortunately for Nadal, it is Djokovic who narrowly leads their head-to-head record thanks to his 31 wins.
| Year | Winner | Event | Round | Surface |
| 2024 | Novak Djokovic | Paris Olympics | Round of 32 | Outdoor Clay |
| 2022 | Rafael Nadal | Roland Garros | Quarterfinal | Outdoor Clay |
| 2021 | Novak Djokovic | Roland Garros | Semifinal | Outdoor Clay |
| 2021 | Rafael Nadal | ATP Masters 1000 Rome | Final | Outdoor Clay |
| 2020 | Rafael Nadal | Roland Garros | Final | Outdoor Clay |
Fittingly, their superb rivalry was on show on the clay courts of Roland Garros earlier this year, with the Serbian beating his old nemesis in the second round of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The duo did, of course, go head-to-head more recently at the Six Kings Slam, with Djokovic beating Nadal at the event that was not affiliated with the ATP Tour.
