Martina Navratilova made her feelings on Novak Djokovic brutally clear with French Open snub - The Mirror

Martina Navratilova had previously expressed concerns that no player, including Novak Djokovic, could replace Rafael Nadal's impact at the French Open. As Djokovic gears up for his first-round match against Mackenzie McDonald, the absence of his long-time rival Nadal will be felt for the first time since his retirement.

Last year's French Open was Nadal's final appearance at a major. He lost to Alexander Zverev in the opening round, while Andy Murray also bid farewell to singles competition with a first-round defeat. Nadal's clay-court dominance is unparalleled, with a record 14 French Open titles and a 112-4 win-loss record at Roland-Garros.

Navratilova shared her thoughts on the void left by Nadal's absence in 2023, when he withdrew from the tournament due to injury: "A massive hole. When somebody has dominated a tournament as much as Rafa has dominated this," she told the Tennis Channel.

"For almost two decades, it has been Rafael Nadal against the field. Now everybody thinks they have a chance to win because Rafa's not there. Even though he hasn't been playing, it's a massive, massive hole that nobody can fill."

That year, Djokovic bested Casper Ruud in the final at Roland-Garros to claim his 23rd Grand Slam title, edging past Nadal's record. However, the tennis world was stirred when Nadal announced his impending retirement, prompting Djokovic to reflect on their storied rivalry and his own future in the sport.

Martina Navratilova previously discussed Rafael Nadal's legacy at the French Open(Image: Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for the International Tennis Hall of Fame)

"Because of the rivalry that we have, I feel he was one of the most impactful people that I have had in my career," Djokovic admitted. "He has been a great motivational factor for me to keep playing and keep competing, to keep pushing each other and who's going to achieve more.

"So that news came as a shock to everybody. It made me think about my career. I'm not going to make any announcement today, but reflecting on it, I felt a little bit emotional about what he was saying."

Carlos Alcaraz carried on Spain's legacy at the French Open by clinching the title last year, while Nadal took his final bow from the sport after the Davis Cup finals in November. Yet Nadal recently returned to Roland-Garros for a heartfelt tribute to his career, where he was reunited with his three rivals - Roger Federer, Djokovic, and Murray.

Federer, 43, retired in September 2022 with 20 Grand Slam titles. Meanwhile, Murray retired slightly earlier than Nadal, bowing out last August at the Paris Olympics, and briefly worked as Djokovic's coach.

Rafael Nadal was reunited with the other members of the 'big four' at Roland-Garros(Image: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)

An emotional Nadal addressed his fellow tennis icons: "After all these years fighting for everything, it is incredible how times change. And the perspective of things. All these nerves, pressure, strange things that we feel as rivals are completely different at the end of your career. All of us achieved our dreams," he said, as reported by the Express.

"We had amazing rivalries but in a good way. We fought as hard as possible but in a good way and we respected each other. You gave me a hard time on court but I always enjoyed pushing myself to the limit to compete with you.

"At the end of the day, tennis is just a game. What that means for me is that all of you are here, it is a great message to the world. We can be good friends even if we had the best rivalries on the court. I hope we will continue doing positive things for our sport. Thank you very much for everything and all the very best."