by Rafael Nadal is currently taking part in one of the last tournaments of his career before retiring at the Six Kings Slam.
Nadal lost his semifinal match against Carlos Alcaraz but remains in Saudi Arabia for a playoff for third place.
He will face fellow veteran Novak Djokovic in Riyadh, while Alcaraz will face Jannik Sinner in the Six Kings Slam final.
Chris Evert says Nadal’s retirement will leave a gaping hole in tennis as the Spaniard will hang up his racket after the Davis Cup final.
He will play alongside Alcaraz for Spain in Malaga next month before finally ending his legendary career.
Rafael Nadal shares his hope for Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
The Six Kings Slam perfectly represented the changing of the guard: Djokovic and Nadal meet before Alcaraz takes on Sinner.
And the presence of the younger pair greatly pleases Nadal, who said in his latest Six Kings Slam press conference: “I think tennis is in good hands. Jannik and Carlos have a great gift, but they will also have a great future ahead of them.
READ MORE: Six Kings Slam 2024: How to watch, prize money, rules, dates and everything you need to know
“Hopefully they can avoid injuries. This will lead to a great rivalry between them and right now it looks like these guys are superior to the others, capable and focused all the time.
“Let’s see how the other players develop in the next few years because it is difficult to always be at the top and of course some new players will reach a very high level and create even more rivals for them. Let’s see, I’ll enjoy tennis from a different perspective.”
Who will challenge Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in the near future?
Nadal will undoubtedly miss tennis as he dedicated so much of his life to the sport and had so many successes along the way.
However, at the same time, the Spanish icon will definitely enjoy his retirement as he will be able to take a break from the physical and emotional strain of the sport.
And thankfully he leaves tennis in good hands with his compatriot Alcaraz and world No. 1 Sinner at the top of their game.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Rafael Nadal as the 14-time French Open champion announces his retirement
At just 21 and 23 years old respectively, the two dominated 2024 and shared Grand Slam honors.
It’s a hugely exciting rivalry that only gets better as the years go by, with tennis perhaps just waiting for the next star player to knock them off their perch.
Players like Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev will continue to put pressure on the star duo, while 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic will also do his utmost to stay in the conversation.
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