Ace Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic requested Rafael Nadal to not leave tennis and stay a little bit more, even as the latter's impending retirement draws close. The two faced each other for one final time at the Riyadh Six Kings' Slam third-place match which Djokovic won in straight sets. But the mutual respect was on display after the match.
Djokovic won the encounter between rivals who have combined for 46 major singles titles. Nadal, who won 22 major titles, is planning to retire after playing for Spain in November in the Davis Cup.
Nadal and Djokovic shared a warm embrace at the net after the latter's win. He defeated Nadal in the Olympics and had a 31-29 lead in their head-to-head as well.
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"Don't leave tennis man. Stay a little bit more. Stay with us," Djokovic said after the match even as Nadal smiled ear-to-ear.
Djokovic also took to social media to appreciate one of his biggest rivals in his entire career. Notably, even on Saturday, Nadal did look at his elements for a considerable part in the second set before Djokovic won it in tiebreaks.
"The last dance was an epic one. And of course emotional. I’ll cherish our rivalry forever, @rafaelnadal 👑. Tennis will miss you," Djokovic wrote on social media.
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Earlier, Nadal had lost to compatriot Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals of the invitational tournament. With an eye on the Davis Cup, he said that he was pleased with his performance despite losing 6-3, 6-3 to Alcaraz.
Thursday's match against the youngster was the first contest for Nadal ever since he lost in the second round of the Paris Olympics to Djokovic.
Nadal, an ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation and Djokovic were given byes into the semifinals. The former will play his last match for Spain at the Davis Cup Finals next month, in a tie against the Netherlands.