"Rafael Nadal is so important for our game on and off the court" - Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic wished Rafael Nadal a speedy recovery after the Spaniard's surgery that will keep him out of competition for months.

Rafael Nadal had undergone surgery to address his long-standing hip injury. It forced him to miss the 2023 French Open and Wimbledon, with the rest of the season being in jeopardy.

Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, won his fourth-round match against Juan Pablo Varillas at the 2023 French Open on Sunday, June 4. He was asked about Nadal's surgery during his post-match press conference.

"Well, yeah. It was his birthday yesterday, and he announced that he got his surgery. I got one surgery in my career on the elbow, and I know how hard it is to get back. It's just one of those things that you don't want any athlete to go through," Djokovic replied.

An elbow injury forced the Serb to miss the second half of the 2017 season. He didn't want surgery for a while, but in the end, had to do it in early 2018. It is the only surgery he has had to go through in his career, which can't be said for arguably his greatest rival.

"Sometimes I guess it's necessary. For him it's been several times now throughout his career. I don't know what the severity of or the nature of his injury is, but, you know, if he got on a surgery table, it means there was no other solution," Djokovic added.

Nadal will miss the 2023 Wimbledon Championships, with the 2023 US Open being a serious doubt. The 22-time Grand Slam champion will most likely return in 2024, which could also be his last season as a professional.

"I really hope that, yeah, his rehabilitation process can go well and that we can see him next season. I think that he's so important for our game on and off the court, one of the greatest legends of tennis in the history of the game," Djokovic said, hoping for Nadal's recovery.

"We want to see healthy Rafa, no question about it, playing for what he announced his last season. You know, hopefully, he's gonna be able to do that," Novak Djokovic concluded.

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Novak Djokovic will face Karen Khachanov in 2023 French Open quarterfinals

Karen Khachanov and Novak Djokovic at the 2022 Rolex Paris Masters

Novak Djokovic and Karen Khachanov will face each other in the quarterfinal of the 2023 French Open on Tuesday, June 6.

Djokovic reached the quarterfinals without dropping a set, most recently beating Juan Pablo Varillas, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, in the fourth round on Sunday. Meanwhile, Khachanov reached the quarterfinals by beating Lorenzo Sonego, 1-6, 6-4, 7-6(7), 6-1, in the fourth round.

This will be the 10th head-to-head duel between Djokovic and Khachanov. The Serb's only loss to the Russian came in the final of the 2018 Paris Masters, 7-5, 6-4. That was the first and only Masters title in Khachanov's career.

After that match, Djokovic beat the Russian seven times in a row.