Rafael Nadal thanked Novak Djokovic “for everything” in a heartfelt message after the pair played for the last time at the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Riyadh.
The legendary Spaniard reflected on his “amazing rivalry” with Djokovic and paid tribute to the great Serb for pushing him to exceed his limits.
Nadal lost 2-6, 6-7(5) to Djokovic in the third place playoff at the exhibition tournament in Saudi Arabia. The 38-year-old will retire following the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga next month.
In a social media post after the match, Djokovic wrote: “The last dance was an epic one. And of course emotional. I’ll cherish our rivalry forever, @rafaelnadal. Tennis will miss you.”
Nadal reacted to Djokovic’s post on his Instagram story by saying thank you in Serbian: “Hvala Nole!”
The pair contested 60 ATP Tour matches — an Open Era record in men’s tennis — in what was arguably one of the greatest sporting rivalries of all time. Djokovic finishes the rivalry with a 31-29 edge, having won the pair’s final official match at the 2024 Paris Olympics in July.
The remarkable duo occupy first and second place on the all-time men’s Grand Slam title list, with Djokovic on 24 and Nadal on 22.
Djokovic expressed the “the utmost respect” he has for Nadal and labelled the Mallorcan an “incredible” athlete and person in an emotional on-court speech following the contest.
In his own interview, Nadal credited Djokovic for making him the player he is and congratulated him on his achievements.
“I want to say a few words for Novak and his team. Thank you. For everything. What you said today and all the moments we shared on court,” said the former world No 1.
“It’s been an amazing rivalry. In a personal way, you helped me go over my limits during almost 15 years. Without that, I wouldn’t be the player I am today.
“Congratulations for all the titles and amazing career to you and your team. I wish you all the best of luck for the future.”
In the semi-finals of the Six Kings Slam, Nadal and Djokovic were beaten by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner respectively.
The six players who participated in the exhibition were guaranteed to earn $1.5 million each, while Sinner, who beat Alcaraz in the final, collected $6 million.
