Will be there in person to pay respect: Novak Djokovic reacts to longtime rival Rafael Nadal's retirement

On Thursday (Oct 10), Spaniard Rafael Nadal shocked the sporting fraternity by announcing his retirement. Nadal's career has been plagued by injury concerns since 2022 and, thus, he has decided to step aside after this year's Davis Cup in November. Following the big news, Nadal's longtime rival Novak Djokovic showered praise on him and said that he will be there in person 'to pay respect' to the Spanish star.

Djokovic wrote a long post on his Instagram handle honouring Nadal’s illustrious career. The 24-time Grand Slam winner, also touched upon the fierce rivalry the two shared on the court and mentioned Nadal’s impact on the game as he’s inspired future generations to take up the sport.

On his Instagram post, Djokovic wrote, "Rafa, one post is not enough to express the respect I have for you and what you have done for our sport. You have inspired millions of children to start playing tennis and I think that’s probably greatest achievement anyone can wish for. Your tenacity, dedication, fighting spirit is going to be taught for decades. Your legacy will live forever."

He added, "Only you know what you had to endure to become icon of tennis and sport in general. Thank you for pushing me to the very limit so many times in our rivalry that has impacted me the most as a player. Your passion for representing Spain has always been remarkable. I wish you best possible farewell in Malaga with Davis Cup team of Spain. I will be there in person to pay respect to your stellar career."

Nadal will end his illustrious career with as many as 22 Grand Slam titles, second-most after Djokovic (24). The two have had a strong rivalry on the court, with the Serbian having a slight edge with a 31-29 head-to-head record in 60 encounters.

Talking about Nadal's emotional retirement post, the Spaniard said in a video on X, "I am retiring from professional tennis. The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially," Nadal said in a video on social media. "It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make. But in this life, everything has a beginning and an end."

Nadal, thus, ends with 22 Grand Slams titles, including 14 French Open victories, 4 US Open wins and two each in Australian Open and Wimbledon. He caps off a glorious career with a whopping 92 titles. Of the 115 times he competed at Roland Garros in Paris, Nadal lost thrice - an incredible feat.