Two long-term rivals with a lot of respect for each other: Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are getting quite emotional after what is probably their last duel. The show of legends even outshines the final of the Six Kings Slam.
Shortly after what was probably 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 “I will forever cherish our rivalry. Tennis will miss you.”
The Spaniard presented: “Thank you for all the moments we shared on the court, it was a great rivalry,” said Nadal to Djokovic: “You pushed me beyond my limits. Without you, I would not have become the player who I am.”
Nadal had to admit defeat to the Olympic champion in the game for third place at the mini-tournament with 2:6, 6:7 (5:7). For the event in Riyadh, where there was a $1.5 million entry bonus for each starter, Nadal picked up the tennis racket one last time. The Davis Cup final from mid-November will be his last appearance as a professional.
Jannik Sinner from Italy won the final of the Six Kings Slam 6:7 (5:7), 6:3, 6:3 against the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz. The final was an expected exchange of blows between the two best players in the world. In the end, the world number one had the upper hand and defeated Alcaraz after 2:20 hours. He secured a rumored prize of six million dollars.
But the encounter between Djokovic and Nadal, which ended with a warm embrace between the two old masters, was almost more in focus. Nadal approached the previous duel with his usual ambition. After winning points, he often cheered loudly towards the audience, in the second set he fended off a match point when Djokovic served and shortly afterwards took the game to 5:5. But the clay court king had to admit defeat in the tiebreak.
The top stars had met each other 60 times before, Djokovic has a slightly better record with 31 wins. When it comes to the number of Grand Slam titles, the record champion is also just ahead of Nadal (22) with 24 triumphs.
