Rafael Nadal loses what will likely be the last duel against his former long-time rival Novak Djokovic. He will end his tennis career next month.
Shortly after what will likely be the last duel with Rafael Nadal on the tennis court, Novak Djokovic once again bowed deeply to his long-time rival. “The last dance was an epic dance and of course emotional,” wrote the 37-year-old Djokovic on the X platform after the match at the Six Kings Slam show tournament in Saudi Arabia against Nadal, who is a year older. ”I will always honor our rivalry. Tennis will miss you.”
Nadal had to admit defeat to the Olympic champion in the third-place match at the mini-tournament on Saturday with 2:6, 6:7 (5:7). Nadal had picked up a tennis racket for the penultimate time for the event in Riyadh, where each starter received a $1.5 million appearance bonus. The Davis Cup final starting in mid-November is expected to be his last appearance as a professional.
Jannik Sinner of Italy defeated Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-3 in the final of the Six Kings Slam. But the match between Djokovic and Nadal, which ended with the two old champions embracing each other warmly, was almost more in the spotlight.
The top stars had met 60 times before, with Djokovic having a slightly better record with 31 wins. The record champion also has 24 Grand Slam titles, just ahead of Nadal (22).
