"Will find a reason to step aside": Rafael Nadal shares insights on Novak Djokovic's potential retirement route

Former world number one Rafael Nadal believes that Serbia’s Novak Djokovic will likely have a ‘mental breakdown’ which will give him a reason to step aside. The 37-year-old, who is the most successful player in the history of men’s tennis in the singles category, having won as many as 24 Grand Slam titles, has hinted in the recent past that he will continue playing at the highest level despite calls of his retirement.

Those rumours regarding his retirement started once he completed his trophy cabinet after winning the gold medal for his country in the Paris Olympics. He defeated Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in the final in straight sets with a score of 7-6, 7-6. Nadal, who recently announced that he would retire from professional tennis after the upcoming Davis Cup because of a fitness concern, has been recently quoted in a report where he talked about what might push Djokovic to consider retirement.

Spain’s legendary tennis star believes that the Belgrade-born might consider retirement once he will have a ‘mental breakdown’ sometime in the future, something that has also happened with himself and Federer as well.

"As for Djokovic, I don't know,” he said. “I think it's human that Novak, even if he's still healthy, is of a certain age and it's logical that the clock takes its toll on all of us and that, once Federer has gone, once I'm gone, since we've been his two great rivals, at some point he also has a small mental breakdown and will find a reason to step aside. That's what happens to everyone. And Novak is good enough to, if he's healthy, continue to be competitive at the highest level and aspire to win the most important tournaments. And if he's still happy doing what he does, he'll keep doing it. If at some point, everything he has to do to have a chance of continuing to be at the highest level is no longer worth it, then he'll step aside, that's what I think.”