Novak Djokovic: “A part of me has already retired”

Novak Djokovic, the Serbian tennis icon with 24 Grand Slam titles, recently appeared on Jay Shetty’s podcast to revisit some of the defining moments of his career, share how he overcame major obstacles, and reflect on his legendary rivalries with Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray.

Djokovic affected by rivals’ retirement

Djokovic, currently competing in the 2025 US Open, was candid about how the retirements of Federer, Nadal and Murray have affected his motivation on the court.

“When Federer, Nadal and Murray, my biggest rivals, retired over the past few years, a part of me went with them.

“I thought I could shift my focus to other players, who are great competitors in their own right, but it’s hard. I’d been used to competing against these guys for 20 years, and then suddenly there’s a new generation. It’s normal that they’re taking over the tour. This is something I’ve never experienced before, but the most important thing for me is to share my experience with these younger players, even though we’re still rivals.”

The longest Grand Slam final ever

Djokovic paid particular attention to his battles with Nadal, highlighting the grueling 2012 Australian Open final.

“Nadal was my most physically intimidating rival. We played the longest Grand Slam final in history, five hours and 53 minutes. During the trophy ceremony, we were both leaning over, our legs shaking. Someone noticed, and they brought us chairs and water. Back in the locker room, when I took off my shoes, I saw blood on my socks, I couldn’t even walk.”

The toughest challenge in tennis history

He also reflected on the challenge of facing Nadal on clay.

“Playing Nadal at Roland Garros has been one of the toughest challenges in tennis history. He reached every ball, and so did I, because we were both in peak physical condition. I’m proud of keeping that rivalry alive. We didn’t just make history in tennis, we pushed each other to become better players.”

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