Novak Djokovic Admits He Struggled to ‘Stay Motivated’ and ‘Regain Joy’ After Rafael Nadal’s Retirement

Novak Djokovic surpassed Rafael Nadal after winning his 100th tour-level title at the Geneva Open.

Novak Djokovic Admits He Struggled to ‘Stay Motivated’ and ‘Regain Joy’ After Rafael Nadal’s Retirement

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal (Image via X/US Open Tennis)

After the historic 2023 season, Novak Djokovic has struggled hard; to not just win titles, but also produce consistent results. The real reason, according to the Serb himself, is his longtime rival Rafael Nadal‘s retirement.

On May 25th, after Aryna Sabalenka, Qinwen Zheng, and Lorenzo Musetti‘s match, Roland Garros organized the much-awaited retirement ceremony on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Nadal did not receive the tribute last year, given that he had not made up his mind about retirement.

As expected, Nadal’s three biggest rivals made the ceremony even more memorable for him. Right after a short video on the big screen, the camera focused on Roger Federer, Djokovic, and Andy Murray, dressed in all black, walking out to join Nadal.

Djokovic doesn’t yet fully understand how it feels when tennis players hang up their rackets. He has, however, dropped retirement hints, always after extremely disappointing results, the number of which has increased since the start of 2024, the first being his four-set defeat in the semifinal to eventual winner Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open.

Djokovic will start his bid for his historic 25th Major on the Parisian clay on May 27th. He confessed at the press conference after winning his 100th ATP title at the Geneva Open that he has often felt unmotivated on the court after Nadal’s retirement at the 2024 Davis Cup.

For me, it’s been very difficult to stay motivated to compete after his retirement. Honestly, I didn’t think it would affect me this way, but I feel like a part of me has gone with him, and it’s been a huge challenge for me to regain the joy on the court and the strength to continue competing. When Rafa left tennis, I felt something I’d never experienced before. I thought, ‘What do I do now?’ On the court, I’ve felt discouraged.

The Geneva Open was Nole’s first title since the 2024 Paris Olympics. In the final, he came from a set down to beat Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz. It also ended his streak of three consecutive defeats, as prior to the ATP 250 tournament in the Swiss city, he withdrew from the Italian Open and lost his opening-round matches in Monte Carlo and Madrid.

John McEnroe on why the Novak Djokovic-Andy Murray coaching partnership didn’t work

Though Andy Murray was present at Roland Garros, it was only to celebrate Rafael Nadal. He won’t be coaching Novak Djokovic during his campaign in Paris as the Serb surprisingly parted ways with the Scot before the Geneva Open.

Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic
Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

When Djokovic was asked about the split, he said “We couldn’t get more out of that partnership.” But John McEnroe has another theory about why these old rivals decided to part ways. He told La Gazzetta dello Sport:

It was obvious, they were too much of a rival on the court to be able to find harmony off it. It’s as if I had coached [Jimmy] Connors or [Ivan] Lendl had coached me.

Djokovic will kick-start his campaign against America’s Mackenzie McDonald. The match will be their first encounter on the tour.

Novak Djokovic breaks Rafael Nadal’s record

Djokovic has now won at least one ATP title for the 20th consecutive season. This made him the first player in the Open Era to do so. Before him, Rafael Nadal used to be on top of the list with 19 wins. Roger Federer occupies the third place with 15, followed by Ivan Lendl and Jimmy Connors with 14 and 13 titles, respectively.

Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal
Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal (Image via X/@Djoko_UTD)

At the French Open, Djokovic is projected to meet World No.3 Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals, World No.1 Jannik Sinner in the semifinals, and World No.2 Carlos Alcaraz in the final. If he wins the title, it will be his first victory at a Grand Slam tournament since the 2023 US Open.

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