Novak Djokovic expressed his mixed emotions as he reflects on being the sole remaining active member of the ‘Big Four’ in tennis after Rafael Nadal announced his retirement. With Roger Federer and Andy Murray already having left the sport, Djokovic found it overwhelming to hear that Nadal would also be hanging up his racket at the end of the season.
“We knew that that moment is coming sooner than later but it’s still a shock,” said Djokovic, who reached the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters by defeating Jakub Mensik. “Also for Roger a few years ago when he announced retirement, and Andy as well this year. It’s a bit overwhelming for me. I don’t know what to make out of it. I still enjoy competing but part of me left with them, a big part of me.”
Despite the emotional impact of his colleagues’ retirements, there seems to be no indication that Djokovic will be following suit anytime soon. The 24-time grand slam champion faced a tough challenge from Czech teenager Mensik, nearly 20 years his junior, but managed to prevail with a score of 6-7 (4) 6-1 6-4.
While Djokovic experienced a brief moment of concern midway through the match when he felt pain in his left knee, he expressed hope that it would not develop into a significant issue. “It’s a strange feeling, to be honest, those couple of points in that game, but after that it was fine,” said Djokovic. “So, hopefully, when it cools down, I’m not going to have any troubles with it.”
Djokovic, who continues to wear a support on his right knee following surgery, is determined to prove that he can still compete at the highest level. He will next face seventh seed Taylor Fritz in the semi-finals, after Fritz defeated David Goffin with a 6-3 6-4 victory.
Reflecting on his match against Mensik, Djokovic highlighted the motivation he gains from competing against younger players. “These kinds of matches, against teenagers, it’s something that really motivates me, keeps me going and pushes me to really dig deep and to show to the world that I’ve still got it in my legs, can still go the distance with the young guys,” he said. “So I’m super glad that I managed to win this very challenging match.”