Djokovic thought about his own future retirement while at Nadal's farewell ceremony at French Open
Winner Novak Djokovic of Serbia poses with the trophy after the final match of the ATP 250 Geneva Open tennis against Hubert Hurkacz of Poland, in Geneva, Switzerland, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP)
Rafa Nadal, second right, poses with, from left, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray, right, during a farewell ceremony at center court Philippe-Chatrier, at the Roland-Garros stadium, in Paris, Sunday May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Rafa Nadal, second right, is hugged by Novak Djokovic as Roger Federer, left, look at them, during a farewell ceremony at center court Philippe-Chatrier, at the Roland-Garros stadium, in Paris, Sunday May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Rafa Nadal, second from left, is joined by Roger Federer, left, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, right, during a farewell ceremony at center court Philippe-Chatrier, at the Roland-Garros stadium, in Paris, Sunday May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Rafa Nadal, second from left, is joined by Roger Federer, left, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, right, during a farewell ceremony at center court Philippe-Chatrier, at the Roland-Garros stadium, in Paris, Sunday May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Winner Novak Djokovic of Serbia poses with the trophy after the final match of the ATP 250 Geneva Open tennis against Hubert Hurkacz of Poland, in Geneva, Switzerland, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (Martial Trezzini/Keystone via AP)
Rafa Nadal, second right, poses with, from left, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray, right, during a farewell ceremony at center court Philippe-Chatrier, at the Roland-Garros stadium, in Paris, Sunday May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Rafa Nadal, second right, is hugged by Novak Djokovic as Roger Federer, left, look at them, during a farewell ceremony at center court Philippe-Chatrier, at the Roland-Garros stadium, in Paris, Sunday May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Rafa Nadal, second from left, is joined by Roger Federer, left, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, right, during a farewell ceremony at center court Philippe-Chatrier, at the Roland-Garros stadium, in Paris, Sunday May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
PARIS (AP) — As Novak Djokovic chatted at Court Philippe-Chatrier with his greatest rivals in tennis — Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray, all of whom have retired — he couldn't help but think about when his day to walk away might arrive.
'Well, I mean, honestly, I was thinking about my end of the road, as well,' Djokovic said with a smile Monday, a day before he'll play his first-round match at the French Open against Mackie McDonald of the United States.
Advertisement
'But,' Djokovic added moments later with a grin, 'I didn't think about the exact date, if that's what you're looking for.'
Federer, Djokovic and Murray made a surprise appearance Sunday at the ceremony to honor Nadal for his 14 championships at Roland-Garros.
Djokovic, who turned 38 last week, won the 100th title of his career over the weekend at the Geneva Open on red clay — something the Serbian called 'definitely much needed for my game and confidence level coming into Roland-Garros.'
He is the youngest member of a quartet that combined to collect 69 Grand Slam trophies, and came to be known by some as the Big Four of men's tennis while they dominated the sport for years.
Advertisement
Federer, 43, played his final match in 2021; Murray, 38, stopped after last year's Paris Olympics; Nadal finished up last season and was feted Sunday for his 14 championships at Roland-Garros.
'I was obviously talking to Federer and Murray about their goodbyes and reminiscing and reflecting on the rivalries. And of course, part of me is proud that I'm still there, that I'm still going," said Djokovic, who owns a record 24 major titles, including three in Paris. "But at the same time, I was, and I still am, a bit sad that they're all gone, because those guys were my greatest motivations of why I competed so intensely and for so long.'
Part of what went through Djokovic's mind on Sunday was an appreciation for the way Nadal was celebrated.
And Djokovic also pondered what might happen when he decides to stop.
Advertisement
'Rafa deserved what he got yesterday in full intensity of its glory. ... Each one of us dreams of being remembered in such a way and celebrated, of course,' Djokovic said. 'I do wish one day that I can get that kind of goodbye from the world of tennis, for sure.'
He got emotional listening to Nadal's speech and seeing the way the Spaniard's relatives and team members reacted.
'It was a really heartwarming moment,' Djokovic said. 'Even though we were the fiercest rivals, it's that personal touch that is out there when you kind of spill your heart out on the court, as he did yesterday. It's almost impossible it doesn't touch you deeply.'
Djokovic was briefly coached by Murray this season until splitting recently, and Djokovic said it was a mutual decision.
Advertisement
He also said Murray teased that it was only after they went their separate ways that Djokovic earned his first title of the season by winning in Geneva on Saturday.
'I,' Djokovic said, "didn't take that as a joke.'
___
Howard Fendrich has been the AP's tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich. More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
17 minutes ago
- USA Today
French Open men's final 2025: Time, TV and more for Jannik Sinner vs. Carlos Alcaraz
French Open men's final 2025: Time, TV and more for Jannik Sinner vs. Carlos Alcaraz Show Caption Hide Caption Jessica Pagula on accomplished Coco Gauff, Emma Navarro, Madison Keys Tennis player Jessica Pegula discusses how amazing it is to have other amazing American women in tennis dominating the sport. Sports Seriously The 2025 French Open men's final will feature the world No. 1 and world No. 2 going head-to-head. Italian Jannik Sinner, 23, and Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, 22, are set to face off Sunday at Roland Garros in the final of the second Grand Slam of the season, marking the first final in Paris between two men born in the 2000s. Alcaraz, the reigning French Open champion, moved on to the final after Lorenzo Musetti retired from their semifinal match during the fourth set. Alcaraz is vying for his fifth career Grand Slam singles title. Sinner advanced to his third straight major final after defeating Novak Djokovic in three sets. Sinner is the youngest to win 20 consecutive major matches since Pete Sampras (1993-94) and looks to take home his third consecutive Grand Slam singles title after winning the 2025 Australian Open and 2024 U.S. Open. A NEW RIVALRY: French Open final pairs No. 1 Jannik Sinner and No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in final Sinner served a three-month doping suspension after winning the Australian Open earlier this year. Sinner returned to competition in May and immediately worked himself into the Italian Open final, becoming the first Italian man to reach the championship match at the tournament since Adriano Panatta in 1978. Sinner's Cinderella story, however, didn't have a happy ending after he lost to Alcaraz in the final in straight sets. Will Sinner get revenge and win his first French Open title and fourth major overall? Or will Alcaraz become the first player to win back-to-back French Open titles since fellow countryman Rafa Nadal's four-peat in 2017-2020? Here's what you need to know about Sunday's men's final at Roland Garros: What time is the French Open men's final? The French Open men's final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will start Sunday at 9 a.m. ET (3 p.m. in Paris). What TV channel is showing the French Open men's final? The French Open men's final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will be broadcast live on TNT. Is there a live stream of the French Open men's final? The French Open men's final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner can be streamed live on Max and Sling TV. Stream the French Open men's final on Sling Jannik Sinner's path to French Open men's final Tournament's No. 1 seed 1st round: Defeated Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 Defeated Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 2nd round: Defeated Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 Defeated Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 3rd round: Defeated Jiri Lehecka 6-0, 6-1, 6-2 Defeated Jiri Lehecka 6-0, 6-1, 6-2 4th round: Defeated (17) Andrey Rublev 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 Defeated (17) Andrey Rublev 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 Quarterfinals: Defeated Alexander Bublik 6-1, 7-5, 6-0 Defeated Alexander Bublik 6-1, 7-5, 6-0 Semifinals: Defeated (6) Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3) Carlos Alcaraz's path to French Open men's final Tournament's No. 2 seed 1st round: Defeated Giulio Zeppieri 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 Defeated Giulio Zeppieri 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 2nd round: Defeated Fabian Marozsan 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 Defeated Fabian Marozsan 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 3rd round: Defeated Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 Defeated Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 4th round: Defeated (13) Ben Shelton 7-6 (10-8), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 Defeated (13) Ben Shelton 7-6 (10-8), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 Quarterfinals: Defeated (12) Tommy Paul 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 Defeated (12) Tommy Paul 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 Semifinals: Defeated (8) Lorenzo Musetti 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-0, 2-0, Retired Carlos Alcaraz vs. Jannik Sinner head to head Alcaraz has a 7-4 head-to-head advantage over Sinner going into Sunday's final. Alcaraz also has a 2-1 edge over Sinner on clay, most recently on May 18 in the Italian Opne final, where Alcaraz defeated Sinner 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 in Rome. The two previously met at the 2024 French Open in the semifinal round. Alcaraz downed Sinner 2-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a five-set thriller en route to winning his first French Open and third career Grand Slam singles title. Alcaraz has won the last four matches against Sinner. Sinner last defeated Alacarz in October 2023 at the China Open in Beijing 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 on a hard court. 2025 French Open champion payout, prize money Both the men's and women's singles champions will earn nearly $2.9 million for winning the French Open and hoisting the Coupe des Mousquetaires. The runner-up will pocket $1.45 USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Tennis great Stan Smith on life lessons, Arthur Ashe's legacy and his namesake shoes
Fancy footwork won him Wimbledon. Simple footwear won him everything since. 'The shoe has had a life of its own,' said Stan Smith, 78, whose eponymous Adidas kicks, with their timeless lines and leather uppers, are the king of all tennis sneakers with more than 100 million sold. 'People from all walks of life have embraced them.' Advertisement Not surprisingly, Smith has a head for business to match his feet for tennis. With that in mind, he and longtime business partner Gary Niebur wrote the just-released 'Winning Trust: How to Create Moments that Matter,' aimed at helping businesses develop stronger relationships with their clients, with tips that readers can apply to their personal relationships and to sports. 'The book is about developing relationships that can elevate the element of trust, which is a depreciating asset in today's world,' Smith said this week in a call from the French Open. When it comes to building and maintaining high-stakes relationships, Smith and Niebur have distilled their process into five key elements they call SERVE, a recurring theme throughout the book. That's an acronym for Strategize, Engage, Recreate, Volley and Elevate. Advertisement For instance, recreate — as in recreation — means to build bonds through fun shared experiences, and volley means to trade ideas back and forth to find solutions. 'When people realize that you care more about the relationship than the transaction,' Niebur said, 'trust follows.' A onetime standout at Pasadena High and USC, Smith was a close friend of the late Arthur Ashe, the UCLA legend whose name graces the main stadium court at Flushing Meadows, N.Y., home of the U.S. Open. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Ashe's victory at Wimbledon, when he beat the heavily favored Jimmy Connors in the 1975 final. Ashe remains the only Black man to win the singles title at that storied tournament. Advertisement 'Arthur was a good friend,' Smith said. 'He made a huge impact, and much more of an impact in the last few years of his life when he was fighting AIDS and the heart fund, and obviously for equal rights.' Arthur Ashe celebrates after winning the Wimbledon men's singles title in 1975. (Associated Press) Ashe, who contracted HIV from a blood transfusion he received during heart-bypass surgery, died in 1993. Although he was four years older than Smith, the two developed a close friendship when they traveled the globe as Davis Cup teammates and rising professionals. Smith has vivid memories of traveling with him, Ashe in his 'Citizen of the World' T-shirt with his nose forever buried in a newspaper or magazine. Smith was ranked No. 1 in the U.S. at the time, two spots ahead of his pal, yet the wildly popular Ashe always got top billing. Advertisement 'When we went to Africa, I was the other guy who played against him in all these exhibitions,' Smith told The Times in 2018. 'They would introduce him as Arthur Ashe, No. 1 player in the U.S., No. 1 in the world, one of the greatest players to ever play the game … and Stan Smith, his opponent.' Smith laughs about that now, but it used to chafe him. Finally, he raised the issue with his buddy. Recalled Smith in that 2018 interview: 'Arthur came up to me and said, 'I'm sorry about that. If we do a tour of Alabama, I'll carry your rackets for you.' He was in tune with everything. 'Arthur was a quiet leader walking a tightrope between a traditionally white sport and the black community.' Advertisement Smith will be at Wimbledon next month, where his UCLA friend will be honored. As for his shoes, they're everywhere, and have been since the 1970s. Adidas originally developed the shoe for French player Robert Haillet in the mid-1960s, and the sneakers were known as the 'Haillet.' In 1972, the company switched to Smith, naming the shoes in his honor and printing a tiny picture of his mustachioed face on them. There were subtle changes to the Haillet, including a notch in the tongue for laces to pass through and a heel better shaped to protect the Achilles tendon. They sold like crazy. In 1988, Stan Smiths made the "Guinness Book of World Records" for the most pairs sold at 22 million. Yet that was only the beginning as sales surged with the release of the Stan Smith II and retro Stan Smith 80s. The most common ones were solid white with touch of green on the back. Advertisement 'Hugh Grant turned around last year in the [Wimbledon] royal box and said, `First girl I ever kissed, I was wearing your shoes,'' Smith told The Times in 2022. 'Another guy said he met this girl when he was wearing my shoes. It was so meaningful that they both wore the shoes for their wedding seven years later. 'It started off as a tennis shoe. Now it's a fashion shoe.' Tennis great Stan Smith with his namesake Adidas shoe. (Sam Farmer / Los Angeles Times) Smith's personal collection has climbed to more than 100 size 13s in all sorts of colors, including his favorite pair in cardinal and black, an homage to his USC roots. In 2022, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Smith's Wimbledon singles title, Adidas gave all of its sponsored players a pair of shoes with SW19 on the tongue — Wimbledon's postcode — with the date of that match against Ilie Nastase inside the right shoe and the score of the match inside the left. Advertisement At Wimbledon this year, the spotlight swings to the other side of Los Angeles, to an unforgettable Bruin, a sports hero who impacted so many lives. For Smith, his friendship with Ashe was an early example in his career of a relationship forged with trust. The book, incidentally, is affixed with a unique and fitting page marker. A shoelace. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
43 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Tennis great Stan Smith on life lessons, Arthur Ashe's legacy and his namesake shoes
Fancy footwork won him Wimbledon. Simple footwear won him everything since. 'The shoe has had a life of its own,' said Stan Smith, 78, whose eponymous Adidas kicks, with their timeless lines and leather uppers, are the king of all tennis sneakers with more than 100 million sold. 'People from all walks of life have embraced them.' Not surprisingly, Smith has a head for business to match his feet for tennis. With that in mind, he and longtime business partner Gary Niebur wrote the just-released 'Winning Trust: How to Create Moments that Matter,' aimed at helping businesses develop stronger relationships with their clients, with tips that readers can apply to their personal relationships and to sports. 'The book is about developing relationships that can elevate the element of trust, which is a depreciating asset in today's world,' Smith said this week in a call from the French Open. When it comes to building and maintaining high-stakes relationships, Smith and Niebur have distilled their process into five key elements they call SERVE, a recurring theme throughout the book. That's an acronym for Strategize, Engage, Recreate, Volley and Elevate. For instance, recreate — as in recreation — means to build bonds through fun shared experiences, and volley means to trade ideas back and forth to find solutions. 'When people realize that you care more about the relationship than the transaction,' Niebur said, 'trust follows.' A onetime standout at Pasadena High and USC, Smith was a close friend of the late Arthur Ashe, the UCLA legend whose name graces the main stadium court at Flushing Meadows, N.Y., home of the U.S. Open. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Ashe's victory at Wimbledon, when he beat the heavily favored Jimmy Connors in the 1975 final. Ashe remains the only Black man to win the singles title at that storied tournament. 'Arthur was a good friend,' Smith said. 'He made a huge impact, and much more of an impact in the last few years of his life when he was fighting AIDS and the heart fund, and obviously for equal rights.' Ashe, who contracted HIV from a blood transfusion he received during heart-bypass surgery, died in 1993. Although he was four years older than Smith, the two developed a close friendship when they traveled the globe as Davis Cup teammates and rising professionals. Smith has vivid memories of traveling with him, Ashe in his 'Citizen of the World' T-shirt with his nose forever buried in a newspaper or magazine. Smith was ranked No. 1 in the U.S. at the time, two spots ahead of his pal, yet the wildly popular Ashe always got top billing. 'When we went to Africa, I was the other guy who played against him in all these exhibitions,' Smith told The Times in 2018. 'They would introduce him as Arthur Ashe, No. 1 player in the U.S., No. 1 in the world, one of the greatest players to ever play the game … and Stan Smith, his opponent.' Smith laughs about that now, but it used to chafe him. Finally, he raised the issue with his buddy. Recalled Smith in that 2018 interview: 'Arthur came up to me and said, 'I'm sorry about that. If we do a tour of Alabama, I'll carry your rackets for you.' He was in tune with everything. 'Arthur was a quiet leader walking a tightrope between a traditionally white sport and the black community.' Smith will be at Wimbledon next month, where his UCLA friend will be honored. As for his shoes, they're everywhere, and have been since the 1970s. Adidas originally developed the shoe for French player Robert Haillet in the mid-1960s, and the sneakers were known as the 'Haillet.' In 1972, the company switched to Smith, naming the shoes in his honor and printing a tiny picture of his mustachioed face on them. There were subtle changes to the Haillet, including a notch in the tongue for laces to pass through and a heel better shaped to protect the Achilles tendon. They sold like crazy. In 1988, Stan Smiths made the 'Guinness Book of World Records' for the most pairs sold at 22 million. Yet that was only the beginning as sales surged with the release of the Stan Smith II and retro Stan Smith 80s. The most common ones were solid white with touch of green on the back. 'Hugh Grant turned around last year in the [Wimbledon] royal box and said, `First girl I ever kissed, I was wearing your shoes,'' Smith told The Times in 2022. 'Another guy said he met this girl when he was wearing my shoes. It was so meaningful that they both wore the shoes for their wedding seven years later. 'It started off as a tennis shoe. Now it's a fashion shoe.' Smith's personal collection has climbed to more than 100 size 13s in all sorts of colors, including his favorite pair in cardinal and black, an homage to his USC roots. In 2022, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Smith's Wimbledon singles title, Adidas gave all of its sponsored players a pair of shoes with SW19 on the tongue — Wimbledon's postcode — with the date of that match against Ilie Nastase inside the right shoe and the score of the match inside the left. At Wimbledon this year, the spotlight swings to the other side of Los Angeles, to an unforgettable Bruin, a sports hero who impacted so many lives. For Smith, his friendship with Ashe was an early example in his career of a relationship forged with trust. The book, incidentally, is affixed with a unique and fitting page marker. A shoelace.
