Djokovic talks end of Big Four era after Nadal's retirement: "Part of me left with them"

Shanghai, China - Tennis star Novak Djokovic said Friday he was "overwhelmed" by the news of Rafael Nadal's retirement and called the Spaniard "the greatest rival that I ever had", but said he has no plans to stop.

(From l. to r.) Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafa Nadal have been crowned the "Big Four" of the modern tennis era, but Djokovic is now the last man standing.
(From l. to r.) Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafa Nadal have been crowned the "Big Four" of the modern tennis era, but Djokovic is now the last man standing.  © GLYN KIRK / AFP

Nadal announced Thursday that he will step back from tennis after the Davis Cup finals in November, ending his 22 Grand Slam-winning career.

He clashed 60 times with Djokovic, who edged their rivalry 31-29.

"He remains the greatest rival that I ever had. He has impacted me a lot as a player, my development, he has inspired a lot of people around the world," said Djokovic, speaking after he beat 19-year-old Jakub Mensik in three sets to progress to the Shanghai Masters semi-finals.

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The 24-time Grand Slam champion said that the news had come as a shock despite the Spaniard's struggles with injury.

The 37-year-old Serb is now the last man standing from tennis's golden era, with Roger Federer retiring in 2022, and Andy Murray calling it quits this year too.

"I'm playing, you know, still keep going... but part of me left with them, that's for sure," mused Djokovic.

"The era of the four musketeers, so to say, the four of us and all the rivalries we had was incredible," he said.

"I'm a bit overwhelmed, to be honest, but, you know, I still have the desire to play. Fighting against a 19-year-old for two and a half hours on the court is something that still drives me... and I try to get the best out of myself."

Cover photo: GLYN KIRK / AFP

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