Rafael Nadal doesn’t think Novak Djokovic will take his retirement well.
As Rafael Nadal prepares to end his career at the Davis Cup Finals, he believes his long-time rival will be hit hard by his retirement.
Novak Djokovic previously said he was “overwhelmed” seeing his old foes retire and he’s already committed to travelling to Malaga for Nadal’s farewell.
The Spaniard is now anticipating that Djokovic will have a “small mental breakdown” as he adjusts to life on the tour without his biggest competitors.
Roger Federer has already been retired for two years, ending his career at the 2022 Laver Cup with Nadal, Djokovic and Andy Murray by his side. Murray also said goodbye at this year’s Olympics.
Nadal is the next of the pack to retire. Next month’s Davis Cup Finals will be his last appearance as a professional player, where he is set to bow out while representing Spain for the final time.
It will leave Djokovic as the last man standing from the Big Four. The 24-time Grand Slam champion has already admitted that it will be tough without his biggest rivals on the tour and Nadal thinks the Serb may initially struggle without them.
“I think it’s human that Novak, even if he’s still healthy, is of a certain age and it’s logical that the clock takes its toll on all of us,” Nadal told AS.
“And that, once Federer has gone, once I’m gone, since we’ve been his two great rivals, at some point he also has a small mental breakdown and will find a reason to step aside.”
While the 22-time Major winner believes Djokovic’s fate is inevitable, he’s still backing the 37-year-old to stay at the top of the game for a little longer.
Nadal continued: “That’s what happens to everyone. And Novak is good enough to, if he’s healthy, continue to be competitive at the highest level and aspire to win the most important tournaments.
“And if he’s still happy doing what he does, he’ll keep doing it. If at some point, everything he has to do to have a chance of continuing to be at the highest level is no longer worth it, then he’ll step aside, that’s what I think.”
While Nadal’s retirement is now set in stone, Djokovic’s future looks uncertain. The world No. 4 pulled out of next week’s Paris Masters, leaving his qualification for the ATP Finals in jeopardy. It means his 2024 season is likely already over.
After losing in the Shanghai Masters final, Djokovic raised retirement fears when he said: “As long as I perform the way I performed actually this week, and I think I can go toe-to-toe with the big guys, yeah, as long as that’s the case, I guess I’ll still feel the need to keep on competing, and motivation to be out there, and let’s see how long that’s going to last for.”
But he backtracked days later during his appearance at the Six Kings Slam and said he wouldn’t be ending his career just yet. “Maybe some people think I should retire with the Olympic gold, on a high,” he explained.
“Others, on the contrary, think I should keep going as long as I’m a candidate for the Grand Slams. I’m leaning towards the latter. Maybe I’ll change my mind soon, but now I feel like I want to keep going. I feel sorry for those who want me to retire, but I still have some time left.”
