Novak Djokovic gets honest about relationship with Rafael Nadal after emotional French Open tribute

The 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic has progressed to the third round of the French Open for the 19th time in his career. Following his victory over Corentin Moutet in the second round, Djokovic spoke about his rivalry with Rafael Nadal and how it was one of the biggest motivating factors for him to play the sport.

Rafael Nadal received a tribute from the French Open authorities at the beginning of the tournament to celebrate his legacy at the Roland Garros. The Spaniard has won 14 titles in Paris, a record which is immortal in the history of the sport. A plaque was made with his footprint inside the Philippe Chatrier, which will stay there forever. Federer, Murray and Djokovic attended the ceremony to bid farewell to their colleague, which they could not do at the Davis Cup 2024.

After the match, in an on-court interview, the 37-year-old shared that it has been challenging for him to remain motivated after the retirement of the other three members of the ‘big four’—Federer, Nadal, and Murray, especially Nadal.

“It's not easy in the last few years to see, as you say, the others, they are and they remain, my biggest rival that I see in my career. So it's true that, especially when Rafa left, a big part of me left with him. I thought that it wouldn't be, but it's true, it really felt like that,” Djokovic said. (translated from French)

Furthermore, he discussed how the rivalries extended beyond the tennis courts and formed a bond that lasted for more than two decades. He hopes that such a scenario can be repeated in the sport and that he can be a part of it.

“Uh, because the rivalries weren't just on the courts, but outside of these here. So it's a beautiful time of 20 years, for our sport, and I hope that again, it's the situations that we have, that I still play, that I bring something positive to this sport. So for me, it's a dream,” Djokovic added.

The World No. 6 is set to play Filip Misolic in the third round on Saturday, May 31.

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Novak Djokovic to face Filip Misolic in the third round at the French Open 2025

Filip Misolic at the 2025 French Open - Source: Getty

The three-time Roland Garros champion, Novak Djokovic, will clash with Austria’s Filip Misolic in the third round in Paris. Neither player has faced each other on the ATP tour, making this a fresh match-up full of unpredictability.

Djokovic has yet to drop a set at this year’s Roland Garros. He defeated Mackenzie McDonald 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in the first round and Moutet in the second round 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(1). Against the Frenchman, the match lasted three hours and five minutes due to the third-set tiebreaker. The Serbian smashed 44 winners and won 78 percent of the net points, which was the highlight of the match.

Misolic made it into the main draw by winning in the qualification round, defeating Liam Draxl, Lukas Neumayer, and Alexander Shevchenko in straight sets during the preliminary phase. The Austrian triumphed over Yunchaokete Bu in the first round in four sets: 5-7, 7-6(3), 7-6(4), 6-1. He then caused a five-set upset against the 27th seed Denis Shapovalov in the second round.

The 23-year-old will enter this match brimming with confidence to take on Djokovic in the Round of 32. Misolic has nothing to lose, which makes him a formidable opponent against the Serbian. He has only played 22 matches in his career so far, winning 12 of them — 11 of those wins have come on clay. This showcases that clay is his strongest suit, on which he has had some success in his short career.

Taking all factors into account, this may not be a simple victory for the Serbian legend. However, his consistency and experience should ultimately see him advance to the next round.