Hyderabad: Novak Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, paid tribute to his rival and friend Rafael Nadal in an emotional and heartfelt exchange following the two great rivals' probably the final match against each other on Saturday at the Six Kings Slam exhibition event in Saudi Arabia.
Djokovic thanked Nadal for his impact and contribution on the sport and praised the Spaniard's legacy. "It's been an incredible honor and an incredible pleasure to share the court with you. It's been quite an emotional moment today, we've been playing a lot of games over so many years," Djokovic said.
The last dance was an epic one. And of course emotional. I’ll cherish our rivalry forever, @rafaelnadal 👑. Tennis will miss you.
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) October 19, 2024
As-salamu alaykum, Riyadh. #SixKingsSlam is a special tournament. See you soon 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/CnBswzZnLy
Djokovic shared a great Nadal camaraderie, marking it as one of the most famous rivalries in tennis history. Following their final dance at the Six Kings Slam, the 37-year-old reflected on the intensity of their battles and expressed a desire to remain close off the court. "The rivalry has been incredible and very intense. I hope that we'll have a chance to maybe sit on a beach somewhere, have a little drink, reflecting on life, talking about something else. Thank you for what you have done, you leave an incredible legacy, and we really appreciate it," he added.
Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal in straight sets 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) in their final face off in the third-place playoff match in front of a packed house. Apart from this, Serbian leads the Spaniard 31-29 on the ATP tour.
مواجهة رائعة بين رافائيل نادال ونوفاك ديوكوفيتش على المركز الثالث والرابع لبطولة Six Kings Slam 🔥🎾
— موسم الرياض | Riyadh Season (@RiyadhSeason) October 19, 2024
A fantastic showdown between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic for the third and fourth place in the #SixKingsSlam tournament 🔥🎾
شاهدها مجاناً على 👇🏻
Watch it for free 📺
DAZN… pic.twitter.com/Salr0UubsM
The 22-time Grand Slam champion Nadal responded with gratitude as he thanked Djokovic for pushing him to become better and achieve greater heights in their 15-year rivalry. "Thank you, Novak, for everything, for all the moments we shared on court during our careers," Nadal said. "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 an amazing career to you and your team. I wish you all the best of luck for the future," Nadal added.
