Rafael Nadal was presented with a solid gold tennis racket complete with golden strings after he played the final singles match of his remarkable career.
Fittingly, he was up against his greatest rival Novak Djokovic in the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Riyadh, with the legendary duo sharing a final few moments on court together.
The great rivals contested a record 60 competitive clashes during their careers, with Djokovic leading 31-29, but there will be no more after Nadal announced that he will retire following the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga next month.
He is not expected to play another singles match, so this 6-2, 7-6 (5) defeat may have been a final hurrah for the 38-year-old.
There were some vintage Nadal moments, including several crowd-pleasing forehands down the line, and the Spaniard had a big smile on his face at the end.
Speaking on court to Djokovic, he said: “It has been an amazing rivalry. In a personal way, I have to say that you helped me to go over my limits during almost 15 years. So thank you for that because without that probably I will not be the player that I am today.
“It has been a dream come true to be able to play for almost 20 years being competitive and having the chance to play in the best places in the world.”
“I have the utmost respect for you: incredible athlete, incredible person,” said Djokovic.
“The rivalry has been incredible and has been very intense, so I hope that we’ll have a chance to maybe sit on the beach somewhere and maybe have a little drink and reflect on life, talking about something else.
“I will finish with one big thank you, from not just me, but all of the tennis world for what you have done. You left an incredible legacy and we really appreciate it.
“Don’t leave tennis man, stay a little bit longer, stay with us.”
The Saudi hosts of the Six Kings Slam handed Nadal a remarkable gift to take away with him from Riyadh, as he was presented with a solid gold racket, complete with golden strings.
Social media was alive with speculation over how much the golden racket may be worth, with some suggesting it may be a $10million gift.
That would not be a surprise from Saudi hosts who will have an ongoing relationship with Nadal when his professional tennis career ends as he has signed up to be an ambassador for the kingdom.
When asked on court what he will miss about tennis, Nadal gave an answer that summed up what the sport has meant to him.
“I’m going to miss almost everything,” said the Spaniard.
“It’s been a dream come true to be able to play for almost 20 years. Having the chance to play in the best places in the world. It’s something I watched on tv as a kid.
“In the end, I realised my dream to become a pro tennis player and be a successful one.
“I can’t thank you enough for the support and love I received all around the world. It’s been amazing energy during every tournament I played. Huge support.
“From my team and family but also from the entire tennis world. It’s been a huge pleasure to be around. I’m a fortunate guy to be a tennis player. We have a great tour and a lot of great people running the sport. I feel very fortunate. I want to thank everyone.”
