Novak Djokovic finishes ‘amazing rivalry’ with Rafael Nadal after win in Riyadh

Tennis legends share one final duel at exhibition event in Saudi Arabia

Tennis - 6 Kings Slam - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - October 19, 2024 Serbia's Novak Djokovic and Spain's Rafael Nadal pose after their third place match REUTERS / Hamad I Mohammed

Rafael Nadal salutes the crowd. EPA

Spain's Rafael Nadal hits a return to Serbia's Novak Djokovic. AFP

Novak Djokovic in action in Riyadh. EPA

Rafel Nadal reacts after his match against Novak Djokovic. EPA

Rafael Nadal in action. EPA

Novak Djokovic of Serbia applauds after beating Nadal. Getty Images

Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, Turki Alalshikh, right, conducts the presentation. Reuters

Novak Djokovic claimed a final win over Rafael Nadal as the two brought an end to one of sport's great rivalries at the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Riyadh on Saturday night.

The two tennis legends contested a record 60 competitive clashes during their careers, with Djokovic leading 31-29, but there will be no more after Nadal announced last week he will retire following the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga next month.

Whether he will play singles there remains to be seen, so this 6-2, 7-6 defeat may have been a final individual outing for the 38-year-old.

There were some classic 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.”

Djokovic said: “I have the utmost respect for you: incredible athlete, incredible person.

“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.”