By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday October 10, 2024
They were hot rivals. So much so, that they rarely had time for friendship. Such was the impact of the Nadal – Djokovic rivalry that spanned three decades, and 60 meetings, so many of them truly epic.
Today, when Rafael Nadal announced the end of his career, Djokovic responded with a heartfelt tweet, thanking the 38-year-old for inspiring millions, including himself.
“Rafa, one post is not enough to express the respect I have for you and what you have done for our sport,” Djokovic wrote. “You’ve inspired millions of kids to start playing tennis and I think that’s probably the greatest achievement anyone could wish for. Your persistence, dedication, fighting spirit will be taught for decades. Your legacy will live on forever. Only you know what you have to endure to become an icon of tennis and sports in general.
“Thank you for pushing me to the limit so many times in our rivalry which has influenced me the most as a player.”
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 kids to start playing tennis and I think that is probably the greatest achievement anyone could wish for. Your persistence, dedication, fighting spirit… pic.twitter.com/HO9kUkyccN
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) October 10, 2024
Djokovic, who won 31 of sixty matches but lost 11 of 18 in majors, defeated Nadal en route to his gold medal at the Paris Olympics this year. It was the last meeting of the pair. Djokovic praised Nadal for his patriotism as well.
“Your passion to represent Spain has always been extraordinary. I wish you the best farewell in Malaga with the Spain Davis Cup team. I will be there in person to honor your stellar career.”
