Novak Djokovic's wife Jelena reacts to Rafael Nadal sharing amusing Andy Murray anecdote after French Open tribute

Rafael Nadal received a well-deserved tribute from the French Open on Sunday (May 25) as he made his final appearance on Court Philippe-Chatrier. During the ceremony, his archrivals Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray stood by him, following which he shared a hilarious anecdote about Murray with the French media. Djokovic's wife, Jelena, found the above interaction hilarious, going by her reaction.

Nadal and Murray go back a long way, with the three-time Major previously having revealed that he had moved to Spain for training inspired by the Spaniard. Following the French Open ceremony where the 22-time Major winner's imprint on Paris was eulogized forever, the 38-year-old narrated a recent funny exchange that he had shared with the Brit after Arsenal downed Real Madrid, his favorite football team, in the Champions League quarterfinals last month.

"My good friend Andy, we were not in touch for a while. The day that Arsenal beat Real Madrid, when the match just finished, after one second, he texted me a message," Rafael Nadal said during his press conference later on Sunday. "He told me, 'Hey Rafa, haven't spoken to you in a while. Just checking in to make sure you are OK.' Honestly, it took me five seconds to realise what I was reading because at the beginning... always British, British sense of humour."

Novak Djokovic's wife Jelena was apparently amused by the above anecdote if her reaction on Instagram is to be followed. The Serb replied to a reel of the above comments with a laughing emoji.

Rafael Nadal to Novak Djokovic on the prospect of retirement: "You don't know yet"

Rafael Nadal had some choice words for Novak Djokovic towards the end of his ceremony at Roland Garros on Sunday. The Spaniard was talking about tennis players' emotional process of coping with retirement as his Big 4 rivals stood in front of him. He jokingly remarked that while Djokovic didn't have an idea about how it felt, Federer and Murray had been in the same boat before.

"After all these years fighting for everything, it’s unbelievable how the time changes perspective of everything. You don’t know yet, Novak. Probably you know already, Andy. With Roger, we have talked about it a couple times," Rafael Nadal said during his honorary ceremony at Stade Roland-Garros. "All of the nerves, pressure, strange feelings you feel when we see each other when we are rivals. It’s completely different when you finish your career."

The 24-time Major winner, meanwhile, is still a contender for Major titles at the age of 38, which is a testament to his longevity. Seeded sixth at this year's French Open, he will face USA's Mackenzie McDonald in the first round later on Tuesday.

About the author

Rudra is a seasoned tennis journalist at Sportskeeda who has followed the sport for over a decade. Whether it's breaking news or tactically analyzing a match, he thrives in reporting it. When he isn't working, he's probably spending time with friends or watching art films. He has also played tennis for over eight years and his favourite tennis player of all time is Rafael Nadal.

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Edited by Pratham K Sharma