by Novak Djokovic secured a lead over his long-time rival Rafael Nadal by winning the last direct singles duel at the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia.
Nadal announced earlier this month that he would retire from tennis after representing Spain in Malaga in November. The 38-year-old booked another meeting with Djokovic after losing to compatriot Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals.
The two greats have won a total of 46 Grand Slam titles during a long rivalry, with Djokovic emerging victorious in their last close clash, claiming a straight-sets victory and finishing the event in third place.
Nadal and Djokovic have played at least 60 matches against each other in their long careers
Nadal was beaten twice in the first set but fought back bravely in the second set, surviving a match point and forcing a tiebreak before Djokovic secured a 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) victory.
How Djokovic survived the last Nadal competition
Nadal lost the first service game and quickly fell behind against Djokovic, who recovered from 15-30 down to hold in the next service game but missed a break point to take a 4-1 lead.
Djokovic did well again, winning the sixth game and using a double-break lead in the next game to move further ahead of Nadal. He played only his second singles match since the Paris Olympics before holding serve to end the opening set.
The Serb broke Nadal early in the second round but faced a much tougher test from the retreating Spaniard, who immediately broke back and then held serve to take a 2-1 lead.
In a tighter set, Djokovic powered through two break points to win in the sixth game and Nadal survived several break points of his own to hold on in the next and take a 4-3 lead, with Nadal struggling to take the fight into the final set.
Djokovic broke through after a tight service game and then broke to serve in the next game to win the match, where Nadal produced a stunning forehand winner and survived a match point on the way to the breakback.
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Nadal survives match point and then breaks free to set up a tiebreak in the second set against his long-time rival Djokovic
The pair exchanged serves to take the set to a tiebreak, where Djokovic prevailed in 61 minutes to claim victory before embracing his long-time rival at the net before a special on-court presentation marking Nadal’s career came.
Djokovic: Nadal leaves an amazing legacy
“I don’t know where to start with Rafa,” Djokovic said after his win. “An amazing career. I could talk all night long. It was an honor to share the space with you.”
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Djokovic paid respect to his rival Nadal after the last singles meeting before the Spaniard retired from the sport
“I remember the very first game we played and who would have thought that almost 20 years later we would be standing here and playing 60 times. I have the utmost respect for you. Incredible athlete, incredible person.”
“The rivalry has been incredible, very intense, so I hope we have a chance to sit on the bench somewhere, have a drink and think. I know how much sacrifice there is.” [there has been]. It’s an emotional day, so don’t quit the tennis, man! Stay with us! They have left an amazing legacy.
Reflecting on his rivalry with Djokovic and his own career, Nadal said: “Novak, you helped me push my limits for 15 years. I probably won’t be the player I am.” [without you]. I wish you good luck for the future.
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Nadal reflects on his legendary career after playing his final singles match against Djokovic
“It was a dream come true to be able to play competitively for almost 20 years and have the chance to play in the best places in the world, which is what I saw on TV as a kid.”
“I can’t thank you enough for the support and love I’ve received from everyone. Over the years, every single tournament has been a great journey. I consider myself very lucky to be a tennis player.”
What’s coming up on Sky Sports Tennis in October?
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Discover all the ways to watch tennis on Sky Sports, including the ATP and WTA tours
- Erste Bank Open, Vienna – ATP 500 (October 21-27)
- Swiss Indoors, Basel – ATP 500 (October 21-27)
- Guangzhou Open, China – WTA 250 (October 21-27)
- Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis, Tokyo – WTA 500 (October 21-27)
Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, the NOW streaming service and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 percent more live sport at no additional cost this year. Find out more here.
