Novak Djokovic shares candid opinion on Rafael Nadal’s retirement ceremony and admits he ‘feels bad’

Novak Djokovic has expressed his view that Rafael Nadal’s retirement ceremony at last year’s Davis Cup Finals “wasn’t done properly” as he admitted he “feels bad” he was not there.
The Serbian confirmed both he and Andy Murray had planned to attend Spain’s semi-final tie as they were unable to be present for the quarter-finals.
Nadal called time on his remarkable career after Spain’s surprise 2-1 quarter-final loss to the Netherlands in the first knockout round at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals in November.
In the first rubber of the tie, the 22-time Grand Slam champion was beaten 6-4, 6-4 by Botic van de Zandschulp in what proved to be his last-ever match.
After Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers lost the decisive doubles match, Nadal gave an emotional speech, while Davis Cup captain David Ferrer also took the microphone to pay tribute to his compatriot.
Djokovic and Murray teamed up with Roger Federer and Serena Williams in a touching video tribute played to the 38-year-old Mallorcan during the on-court ceremony.
Some major figures from Nadal’s career, including his former coaches Toni Nadal and Carlos Moya, expressed their disappointment at the ceremony.
Ferrer branded the farewell as “a bit sad” and “watered down” while highlighting the absence of “very important people” from Nadal’s career, including Djokovic and Federer.
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Following his win over Nishesh Basavareddy in the opening round of the Australian Open, Djokovic weighed in on Nadal’s retirement.
“I don’t know the exact details as to how they envisioned the ceremony, but I know that the plan was to do it after the semis, if Spain were to go through,” the 37-year-old told the Serbian media.
“Murray and I planned to be there, we couldn’t fit the quarter-finals in our schedule, but we were a sure thing for the semis.
“Unfortunately, it turned out the way it did, what are you gonna do? More than that, I don’t really know.
“I saw the video [of the ceremony]. I don’t know, I don’t know if Rafa maybe didn’t want to make too much of a fuss about it in order not to bother other teams, matches… I don’t know, to be honest, but I feel bad that I wasn’t there.
“We were together on the court in Riyadh, that was the moment, a nice moment. I saw him play at Roland Garros, we played each other at the Olympics… The ceremony, if you want my opinion, wasn’t done properly.
“Maybe Rafa himself wasn’t sure whether he’ll play or not, if he can play some more, and then maybe it was too late to do something bigger. I don’t know, really.”
Between 2006 and 2024, Djokovic and Nadal contested 60 matches — an Open Era record in men’s tennis — in what is arguably the greatest rivalry in the sport’s history.