The respect the two have for one another was palpable as well, evidenced through not only their conduct mid-match, but immediately after it too.
After all, Djokovic praised Nadal in his on-court interview, stating: ‘I want to say a few words for Novak and his team. Thank you. For everything. What you said today and all the moments we shared on court.’
And then, he would take to Instagram just after to then write: ‘The last dance was an epic one. And of course emotional. I’ll cherish our rivalry forever, @rafaelnadal. Tennis will miss you.’
Well, Nadal has now replied, simply writing: ‘Hvala Nole!’ Thank you in Serbian.
Djokovic’s tribute for Nadal is one of many that have emerged in the last few weeks, of which there are now countless.
Rafael Nadal’s career will not soon be forgotten
There are some players who, when they retire, can quite easily fade into obscurity.
Every player will leave their mark on the tour in some way or another, but naturally, some player’s legacies will outshine others.
Nadal’s is one such example, of a career that will overshadow almost all that have come before and will come after it.
With 22 Grand Slam titles, that notion is certified, but with 14 of them coming at the French Open, his dominance over one event is unlike anything any sport has ever seen.
And that’s without mentioning all the tournaments he missed through injuries.
Were he to have maintained a little more fitness across his gruelling career, he might have even left a legacy in the majors that even Djokovic could not have competed with.
Alas, that does not detract from his greatness, and as the 37-year-old said, he will be missed.
